From the makers of Firefox this email program is free, loaded with features and easy to use
Windows XP and Vista both include an email program, Outlook Express and Windows Mail respectively, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick with them. If you want to give your email a boost, Mozilla Thunderbird is a great alternative.
Just like the Firefox web browser, made by the same people, Thunderbird is an open-source application so it’s constantly enhanced and free to use. And thanks to regular updates, a huge range of add-ons and many other features, it’s now a hugely popular alternative to commercial email applications.
In this feature, we’ll show you how to download, install and set up Thunderbird, as well as take you on a tour of its most useful features.
Download and install To get started with Thunderbird you first need to download the installation file. Once downloaded to your desktop, double-click the file to launch the setup wizard.
Follow this wizard’s instructions and you’ll be prompted to select either a Standard or Custom setup. We recommend choosing Standard, as this will install everything that most users will need, and click Next. When the installation is complete, leave the tick in the ‘Launch Mozilla Thunderbird now’ box and click Finish.
After a short pause, Thunderbird will load and a box will appear asking if you want to import details and settings from another email application, such as Outlook Express. If your current email application is listed and you want to import the data, select it and Thunderbird will gather all the information it needs, including emails and address books.
Creating an email account If you choose not to import an existing account, Thunderbird will automatically display the New Account Setup window.
To create a new account, make sure the ‘Email account’ option is selected and click Next. You’ll now be prompted to enter your name, which will appear on emails you send to people, and your email address. Click Next and the Server Information window will appear. You’ll need to enter information relating to your internet service provider’s (ISP) email system.
