Accessing Your E-mail

You can access your e-mail using the Web interface by going to the Website http://mail.gmu.edu. When you are in the Mason computer labs, you must use the Web interface. (There is no SSH access into the MEMO servers.) You can use the Web interface from any Internet connected system, including at home.

Directions for Using the Web Interface
(or How to Access Your E-mail from any JAVA-Compliant Web Browser)

LOGON – Go to <http://mail.gmu.edu> and enter your userid and password in the Login box. To navigate within the Web Client, always use the buttons within the window. Do not use the buttons at the top of the browser (Back, Forward, Home, etc), as they will force you to exit from the Web Client. However, you must use the Print button at the top of the browser if you wish to print a copy of the message.

READ A MESSSAGE – Click on the subject of the message

REPLY TO A MAIL MESSAGE – Click on the subject line to open the message, then click on Reply or Reply All at the top of the message.

COMPOSE A NEW MESSAGE – Click the Compose button at the top of the window.

SEARCH THE E-MAIL DIRECTORIES – Click Address at the top of the Compose window. The first window that opens shows you entries in your personal address books. In this view you can select the individual(s) you want the e-mail to be sent to by clicking the name(s), then click the To button. To search your personal address books or the Mason Directory, click on the Search button at the bottom of the window and choose either "Search the Personal Address Book" or the “Corporate Directory” (GMU). Enter the name of the person you want to search for in the box then click on the Search button. Once you have found the person you want to send e-mail to, click in the box beneath either the TO, CC, BC to select this person. Once the person is selected, click OK or apply and this will return you to the initial Address window. You must click OK again to actually add the people you searched for to your e-mail message. If you close this window without clicking OK, none of your selections will be added to your message.

ATTACH A FILE TO THE MESSAGE – Click the Attach paper clip button at the top of the Compose Message window. Then click the Browse button to select the file to be attached to the message. Click the Add button to attach the attachment to your message. If you want to add additional files repeat the browse and add steps. Once complete, click the Attach button in the lower corner of the Attach File window. There will be a delay while the attachment is sent to the mail server. When complete, you will see the name of the attached file in the Attachments box above the Subject Line of the Compose Message window.

SPELL CHECK – Click on the Check spelling before message is sent to use the Spell check, or just click on Spell Check at top before sending. You can also go into Options, Settings, and set it for Spell Check to automatically check spelling before sending any message.

SEND A MESSAGE – Click the Send button at the top of the Compose Message window.

CHECK FOR NEW MESSAGES – Click the Get Mail button at the top of the window while you are in your Inbox.

WEB MAIL ONLY displays 20 e-mail messages at a time by default. To view other messages, scroll the window to the bottom. On the bottom left, you will see a pull-down box with a range of messages. Click the Down Arrow and select which group of 20 messages you wish to view. You can change the number of messages you can view per page by going to Options, Appearance and changing the Message List View option.

MOVE A MESSAGE TO A FOLDER – While looking at the message listings, select the message by clicking the box in the front of the message Then, click the Down Arrow in the Move Messages to Folder box at the top of the window, and select the folder you want the message moved to. The message is moved immediately, and is completed when the browser is no longer active.

DELETE A MESSAGE – Select the message by clicking the box in front of the message. Then, click the Delete button at the top of the window.

CHANGE/CREATEYOUR SIGNATURE – Click Options at the top of the window, and then click Personal Information on the left of the window. Enter your Signature Text in the appropriate box, and click the box marked Include This Text In Each Message You Compose.

CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD – Click Options at the top of the window, and then click Password on the left of the window. Enter your existing password and your new password twice, and then click Change Password. The new password takes effect immediately. (Passwords are case sensitive)

CHANGE THE LOCATION WHERE YOU RECEIVE YOUR E-MAIL (from MEMO to another e-mail system) - Click Options at the top of the window, then click Settings on the left side of the window. Enter the e-mail address (in standard format: ex: jsimth@aol.com) in the last box titled Mail Forwarding, then click Save Changes in the lower right side of the window. (Do not press <enter> or <return> if you are entering only ONE forwarding email address as this will keep your forwarding from working correctly.) This new forwarding will take effect immediately. Mail forwarding will keep a copy on the MEMO system. If you are forwarding to more than one e-mail address, each address should go on a separate line.

APPEARANCE - Click Options at the top of the window, then click on Appearance on the left.

*Color Scheme* will affect Netscape Messenger Express color appearance. Six color options are available to choose from. Selecting the color scheme you choose will affect every page in Netscape Messenger Express on your account.

*Toolbar* section allows you to choose whether you want the toolbar to appear as only icons, only text, or both icons and text.

*Message List View* will customize how you want a message list to be displayed. The first pull-down option determines how many messages are listed per screen. You can change the option by using the pull-down window labeled *Show* x *messages per page*. The second pull-down option determines if the messages are sorted oldest first or oldest last. You can change this option by using the pull-down window labeled *Sort messages*.

*Display Font* will customize how fonts are displayed. You can change the font by using the pull-down window labeled *Face*. You can change the size of the font pull-down window labeled *Size*. You can change the spacing of the font pull-down window labeled *Spacing*.

Click *Save Changes* on the bottom of *Appearance* screen to apply and save any changes or click *Reset* to ignore the changes.

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Last Revised: March 22, 2007