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Confirming Correctness of your Thunderbird Configuration

This documents points you to the relevant configuration settings to ensure that you are using correct values for the local environment.

Step 1: Main Inbox View

Open Thunderbird. A standard view is your main inbox, but as long as you can get to the main menu, you should be fine. Unfortunately, Thunderbird has recently had an interface overhaul and we cannot know whether you are getting the new or old layout. The layout shown below is a hybrid layout, with the traditional horizontal menu layout across the top of the window: [ File, Edit, View, Message, Tools, Help] and the new mobile-friendly three-horizontal-bar menu button on the extreme right beside the search box.

00-tbird-inbox.png

Step 2: Get to the Account Settings Screen

If you have the traditional horizontal menu, you can get to the Account Settings screen by selecting Tools with the mouse pointer and then selecting the Account Settings entry.

If you use the newer three-horizontal-bars menu-button on the right side of the screen, you need to hover over Options and then selection Account Settings.

01-tbird-tools-menu.png

Step 3: Find Server Settings

From the Account Settings screen you will need to locate the Server Settings and Outgoing Server (SMTP) entries and select each in turn to access the lower level settings screens. Start by selecting Server Settings.

02-tbird-account-settings.png

Step 4: Confirm and/or Correct Server Settings

For the vast majority of users, the Server Settings screen will indicate that you are using an IMAP server. Appropriate IMAP configuration settings are:

Server Name            maildir.physics.utoronto.ca   
Connection security STARTTLS
Authentication Method Normal password

03-tbird-account-settings-server-settings.png

Step 5: Navigate to Outgoing Server Settings

To get to the SMTP settings you need to:

  1. Select Outgoing Server (SMTP)
  2. Select the correct outgoing server and click on Edit...
04-tbird-account-settings-outgoing-server.png

Step 6: Confirm and/or Correct SMTP Settings

Now that you are in edit-mode for the SMTP server settings, ensure that the following values are in place:

Server Name             smtp-auth.physics.utoronto.ca   
Port 587
Connection security STARTTLS
Authentication method Normal password
User Name (your Physics username)

05-tbird-account-settings-outgoing-server-edit.png