APPLE MAIL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Configure Apple Mail to Access GroupWise
- How can I retract a sent message?
- How can I tell if an email message was sent or opened?
- How do I delete incorrect addresses that keep reappearing?
- How do I delete a message?
- I just deleted/moved a message in AppleMail, and when I check my email using GroupWise, the message is still there, but it's crossed out. What's going on?
- I'm having trouble sending emails, what is the outgoing server?
- How do I change the way my name shows up in my emails or my reply-to address?
- Can I change the address book name completion to use last names?
- How do I change the sort order or add a column heading?
- Can I change the default font size for my messages?
- Can I send messages in plain text/html?
- How can I color code my mail?
- How do I change the default web browser for links?
- How do I change the default email client?
Retract a Sent Message
You cannot retract a message using Apple Mail.
Message Status
In Apple Mail, you cannot check to see if a message was delivered and opened by its recipient. You can review your sent messages in the Sent folder, but not it's delivery status.
Changing Default Fonts and Formats
You can change the default font for composing or reading messages using Apple Mail Properties.
- From the Mail menu select Preferences then Fonts & Colors.
- From here, you can change your Mailbox and Message fonts and colors.
- Click on the Composing icon.
- From here, you can change your message format settings.
- When you are finished, close the Properties window. Your changes should take effect immediately.
Sending Messages in Plain Text vs HTML or Rich Text
To change the format of an individual message, with the new message window open, click on the Format menu and select Make Rich Text or Make Plain Text.
You can change the default settings for composing or reading messages using Apple Mail Properties.
- From the Mail menu select Preferences then Composing.
- From here, you can change your default Message Format to Plain Text. The default is Rich Text (HTML email), which can occasionally cause compatiblity issues between different email clients.
- Under Responding, you can choose to Use the same message format as the original message. This is unnecessary in most cases, but if you have trouble with the format of your email responses, try using this setting.
- When you are finished, close the Properties window. Your changes should take effect immediately.
Color Code Items
Using Apple Mail, you can color code your messages using rules.
To create a new rule, select Preferences from the Mail menu, then click on the Rules icon. From here, you can create a new rule by clicking on Add Rule.
To learn more about Rules, click on the Help menu in Apple Mail and choose Mail Help.
Deleting Incorrect Addresses that Reappear
We have all made mistakes when it comes to addressing an email message but the bad address does not have to come back to haunt us. Apple Mail keeps a list of Previus Recipients. To delete an invalid email address from the list,
- Click on the Window menu and choose Previous Recipients.
- Select the contact and choose Remove From List.
To delete a single message, select the message and hold down the command key while you press the delete key.
To delete multiple messages at a time, select all the messages you want to delete and hold down the command key while you press the delete key. To select a range of consecutive messages, left click on the first message and hold down the shift key while you click on the last message. To select multiple non-consecutive messages, left-click to select the first message. Hold down the command key while you select the other messages you want to delete.
Because of the way that the IMAP server interacts with GroupWise, when you delete or move a message using Apple Mail (which is an IMAP client), GroupWise puts a copy of the message in the folder or in the trash, leaving a copy of the message in the inbox with a strikethrough. Then, the server deletes the striked-out message at the next server synchronization.
So, don't be alarmed if you see striked-out messages when you check your mail using the desktop client or WebAccess. Those messages have been successfully moved and will be deleted soon.
If Apple Mail is having trouble connecting to the server, first confirm that you are online. Quit and re-open Apple Mail then check that your smtp settings are correct:
- From the Mail menu, choose Preferences.
- Click on the Accounts icon.
- Select your GroupWise account.
- Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Click on Server Settings under Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP).
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Click on Edit Server List under Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP).
- Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Use the following settings:
Outgoing Mail Server: smtpauth.smith.edu
Server port: 25
Do not use SSL
Authentication: Password
User Name: your GroupWise user name
Password: your GroupWise password
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Select your account from the list and make sure you are using the following settings.
Under Account Information, Server Name: smtpauth.smith.edu
Under Advanced:
Server port: 25
Do not use SSL
Authentication: Password
User Name: your GroupWise user name
Password: your GroupWise password
- Click OK.
- Close the Preferences window and Save your changes.
Changing your Account Information
Changing the way your name is displayed when you email someone or to change your reply-to (or sender) address is simple.
- From the Mail menu, choose Preferences.
- Click on the Accounts icon.
- Select your GroupWise account.
- On the right side, you can change your Full Name and Email Address. Your Full Name is how your name shows up when you send an email to somone. The Email Address can include @email.smith.edu or simply @smith.edu .
- When you are done making changes, close the Preferences window. Click Save.
Apple Mail only allows name completion beginning with the first name.
Column Views and Sorting Email
To specify which columns appear in the mailbox view, click on the View menu then choose Columns. Column types with check-marks next to them are currently being displayed. To add a column, left-click on it. To remove a column left-click on it. (You can also add columns by control-clicking on a column name.)
To sort, click on the View menu and choose Sort By to select an attribute. To sort by a column without using the View menu, click on the column name. Click on the column name again to reverse the sort order.
Set or Change the default Web Browser
The default web browser is the browser that opens when you click on a web link in a message.
- Open Safari.
- From the Safari menu, choose Preferences.
- Under the General tab, use the Default Web Browser drop-down menu to choose your preferred web browser.
Set or Change the default Email Client
The default email client is the program that opens when you click on a mailto: link (an email address) in a webpage.
- Open Mail.
- From the Mail menu, choose Preferences.
- Under the General tab, use the Default Email Reader drop-down menu to choose your preferred email client.
