Thunderbird | Castellini on Computers - Computer help for beginners

Posts Tagged: Thunderbird

Email Tips — 6 Comments
20
Dec 07

Backup Your Email Address Book – Video Tip

You can back up your address book very simply to a floppy disk or USB Flash drive and the heartache it has the potential to prevent far outweighs the thirty seconds it takes to complete the task. Follow these steps depending on the program you use:

Outlook Express Windows Mail Users

Insert USB Flash Drive
Start Outlook Express
Click the Address Book icon from the toolbar.
Click File –> Export –> Other Address Book from the menus
Choose the Text (CSV) option
Click Next
Click in the Save In box and choose your flash drive
Type “address book backup” in the File name box
Click Save
Click OK after backup completes
Pull out your disk, label it and keep it someplace safe

Windows Mail Users(Vista)

Insert USB Flash Drive
Start Windows Mail
Click File –> Export –> Windows Contacts from the menus
Choose CSV option
Click Export
Click in the Browse button and choose your flash drive
Type “address book backup” in the File name box
Click Save
Click Next
Put a checkmark in the First and Last Name fields
Click Finish
Click OK after backup completes
Pull out your disk, label it and keep it someplace safe

Thunderbird Users

Insert a USB Flash Drive
Start Thunderbird
Click Window –> Address book from the menus
Click File –> Export
Click in the Save In box and choose your flash drive
Type “address book backup” in the File name box
Click Save
Pull out the disk, label it and keep it someplace safe

AOL Users

Version less than 6.0, Start AOL, open the address book, insert a floppy or USB flash drive and use the “Save/Replace” button to save your address book.

Versions greater than 6.0 do not have the option of saving to a floppy because the address book is actually saved on AOL’s computers.

Juno Users

Refer to the instructions at Juno’s web site for details if you are using Juno 5.0 or earlier. Juno Platinum users can retrieve email in Outlook Express and use the instructions above.

Delete your email twice

No, I’m not so obsessive-compulsive that I do things twice. What I’m referring to in the title of today’s Shotgun/Email Tip is that almost all email programs require you to delete your email twice. Whether you use Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Thunderbird, AOL, Yahoo, Gmail, or any of the myriad of other email services, when you delete your email, the email isn’t gone. Deleted email ends up in the “Deleted Items” folder or “Trash” folder of your email.

To get rid of your email for good, go to your deleted items folder and use its “empty all” option or delete the individual emails you want to get rid of permanently.

Also, don’t forget that your Sent mail folder also needs cleaned from time-to-time.

Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
29
Jul 07

Ubuntu – Day 12

Over the past two weeks, we have been working diligently to come up with a solution for our newsletter problems. We can’t apologize enough for the delay in getting the news to your email box…remember that you can come here to read the newsletter as well.

In my ongoing quest for finding an email newsletter solution, I discovered that Mozilla Thunderbird email program will handle RSS feeds (search our site for RSS for more info) very capably. I plan to write a tip on that in the future. Since I’m using Thunderbird as my email program on this Ubuntu machine, I have been able to become more familiar with it. And the features it has on Ubuntu are the same as Windows. I’m actually becoming quite used to it and might switch to it on my PC as well.

Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
24
Jul 07

Ubuntu – Day 8

Week two with Ubuntu starts today, and still no shakes, dry heaves, or headaches after leaving Windows last weekend. I’m enjoying the Ubuntu and even have the spam a little more under control with Thunderbird email. Normally, I don’t play games on my computer, but I do like puzzle games that challenge my mind and help me wind down after a long day troubleshooting Windows’ problems. Ubuntu comes with a literal plethora of small, fun games. I like one called “Same Gnome” that challenges you to clear a game board of small orbs by lining them up as the same color. Sounds simple, but it is fun and like all good puzzle games is addicting.

Since I don’t have much to report on Ubuntu today, I want to make my almost monthly plea to everyone about backup. This weekend a family friend of ours had a problem with their computer and were worried about losing all their data. They had almost two years of photos stored on it, as well as financial data, and kid’s school and other work. Fortunately, I was able to salvage all their data and get the computer up and running, but that’s not always the norm. One of my biggest computer soap boxes is trying to convince people how important it is to backup and backup often and backup BEFORE a problem arises.

Please, do yourself a favor and get a backup routine started and then stick with it!

Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
20
Jul 07

Ubuntu – Day 4

I’m going to do a short written update to my Ubuntu trek, but record my first official “Shotgun Podcast” here shortly.

After only three days, I gave up on Evolution email as my email program. I like the program a lot, but unfortunately, I get way too much spam not to have a better anti-spam solution. So, I downloaded and installed Thunderbird today which while not perfect and far from my Cloudmark Desktop solution on my Windows machine, it is much better than the Evolution method.

My Tip of the Week took nearly four hours to produce on the Ubuntu machine. Since I’m new to the tools of the trade on Ubuntu, and they aren’t as refined for screencasts as on Windows, it took me a long time. I read a lot of forums, downloaded and tried different programs and finally got it all completed on my Ubuntu laptop. I almost gave up and ported the video to the Windows machine, but resisted and persevered here with Ubuntu. For my first shot, it’s not too bad.

Riding Shotgun with Adam — 2 Comments
21
Nov 06

How to buy a computer book

When teaching my basic computer classes, I often get the question, "What is a good computer book?"

This is also followed or preceded by the complaint that the individual's computer did not come with a manual.

As strange as it may seem, there is a very good reason why the average computer doesn't come will a full instruction book. The reason is that there is too much to know about a computer to fit in a single manual.

Most computers come with a small user guide that shows how to turn it on and what numbers to call for tech support. Strangely this little guide is often a file on the computer, so you must turn the computer on in order to read it.

Another reason why your computer doesn't come with a manual is because most questions people have about their computer have nothing to do with the computer itself, the questions are all related to the programs on the computer.

For example, "How do I spell check my email?" or "How do I make a greeting card," are in no way related to the computer in general. Those questions are all about a particular piece of software.

Here are a few tips on buying a good computer book:

1. Make a list of every question you can think of (regarding your computer).

2. Break the questions into groups. Some of the questions will be about email, some will be about writing letters, digital photography, etc.

3. Go to the book store and look up the answers to your questions in books related to your subjects. For example, your questions about how to write letters and create documents will be in a book about Microsoft Word, Works, or Corel WordPerfect. Email questions will be in a book about Outlook Express, AOL or Thunderbird.

4. If you can find answers to your questions and the answers seem fairly easy to understand, you have found your book.

Every person learns differently. Some people learn by looking at pictures and illustrations, others like lists and a few folks like reading large paragraphs. Pick a style that fits your way of learning.

No matter what program you need help with, anyone with a new computer should probably buy a book on Microsoft Windows. Since all of the programs on your computer are controlled my Microsoft Windows, a book on the topic will have all kinds of tips and tricks that will help you make it through the learning stages.