Using WSU Vancouver Webmail Program

This is an easy-to-use alternative to the text-base system PINE and, unlike other email programs, allows you access to your email on any computer around the world that has a web browser and an internet connection. You should find this system easy to use. You can refer to the following instructions to help you complete all your email task.

You will still need to obtain a Unix/email account to use this program if you do not already have one. You may obtain an account by carefully reading, filling in and submitting the online form at: https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/accounts/

A. Opening Webmail

Open your web browser. (i.e., Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc.)

  1. Type in the following URL In the Location line: https://mail.vancouver.wsu.edu
  2. Press the enter key.
  3. Click on the STUDENTS link if you are a WSU Vancouver student.
  4. Click on the STAFF link if you are WSU Vancouver staff or faculty.
  5. Click the continue or okay button, if you get a security warning message.

You should now be at the login screen for WSU Vancouver Student web mail.

Note the secure server URL is now: https://mail.vancouver.wsu.edu The secure server will continue to ensure that your mail, while on the server, is as secure as we can make it.

Login Screen

B. Logging In

  1. Click in the Username box and type in your email user name.
  2. Click in the Password box and type in your email password. (Only stars will appear for your password.
  3. Click on the arrow in the Language box if you wish to have the screen display the text in another language. The default language is English.
  4. Click the log in button.

Your web mail is now open. The default is that your mail will open to the Inbox, but you may get the maintenance operations screen. You can choose to Skip Maintenance. You can set types of maintenance in the Options area described later in this document.

Note: New mail may arrive while you are logged in. However, there are some tasks, especially changes to folders and preference, that will not be implemented until the next time you log into your web mail account.

The Inbox Screen

From the Inbox screen you can perform the following operations:

Email Message Screen

C. Reading Messages

To read an email message (whether message is in your inbox or another folder):

Click on the Name or the Subject of the message you wish to read (these are both underlined and in blue indicating a link). The Message Screen will that message will fully open.

To reply to the message, click reply and fill in with reply message. Click the Send Message button to send your reply. You may reply only to the person who sent the message or use Reply to all if there are multiple people receiving the message and you wish them to see your reply. When you use reply, any attachments on the original message do not get sent with your reply. You may include an attachment with your reply if you wish by following the attachment procedures.

To forward a message, click the forward button and type in the address of the person you wish to receive the message. When you use forward, any attachments on the original message are included in the forward.

To redirect a message, click the redirect button and type in the email address of the person you want to redirect the message to. When you use redirect, the entire original header information from the original message is sent instead of a forward header.

To resume a draft message, you will need to change mail folders to the draft folder. Open the message you wish to continue writing by clicking on the name or subject line. When the message is open click resume and continuing composing this message.

To save a message to a disk, click on Save as. A save dialog box will open. Navigate to where you wish to save the message and click the Save button on the dialog box. These messages are saved as html web pages.

To move or copy a message to another folder, click on the arrow in the drop down box to the right of the move/copy links. Select the folder to move or copy the message to and click on move or the copy. Your message will be sent to the folder selected and the message marked for deletion in your Inbox.

To delete a message, click on Delete. The message will be marked for deletion in the Inbox. You will need to select messages and click on Expunge in the Inbox screen to totally get rid of messages.

D. Reading Attachments

When you receive an attachment a paperclip icon will be next to messages that contain attachments. You must have the message open to be able to read it. Open the message by clicking on the Name or the Subject of the message in your Inbox. The message will open replacing the Inbox screen.

Message with Attachment Screen

Note that the attachments show in the section called Parts under the subject line.

There will always be a Message Source link. This is simply a link that will open the entire message will all header information showing. The attached document will show as an application with an icon of a disk and pencil.

To open the attachment, click on the icon.

Save attachment screen

To save the file, click on the Save File button and navigate to the folder or disk where you wish to save the file.

Note: The first time you click on the attachment icon in that message, you will be asked to save the file or pick an application to open the file. (Note: most often it is better and easier to save the file to a disk or your hard drive and then open the file in the appropriate application. Instructions for choosing an application to open the attachment with are included at the end of this document.)

E. Composing a Message:

  1. Click on the Compose Link on the left navigation bar. This will open the Compose Screen.

    Compose message screen

  2. Enter an email address in the To line. Your email address automatically appears in the From Line. You may also enter addresses in the Cc (carbon copy) and/or Bcc (Blind carbon copy) lines.
  3. Enter text in the subject line describing your message.
  4. Click in the main message box and type your email message.

To send the message, click on the Send Message button at the top or bottom of the Compose screen.

To Cancel your message, click on the Cancel button at the top or bottom of the screen

To save a draft of the message to finish later, click on the Draft button at the top or bottom of the screen. The message will be saved in your Draft folder.

To spell check your finished message, click on the Spell Check in link at the top of the screen. Note: you may select other languages to spell check your message by clicking on the arrow next to spell check and selecting a different language.

F. Attaching Documents

You may attach a document to be sent with your email message. You can easily send Word, Excel, powerpoint, or other types of documents using this feature.

To Attach a document to your message:

  1. Click on the Browse button next to the Attachment box in the Compose screen,. This will open a dialog box.
  2. Navigate through your files and find the document you wish to attach to this message.
  3. Click on the document to select it and click on the Open button in the dialog box. The name of the file appears in the attachment box.
  4. Click on the Attach button next to the Attachment box. It is beside the Browse button. This will attach your document so that it will be sent when you send the email message. (Note that the name of the attached document no longer shows in the Attachment box. It is now listed below that box in a separate area that lists the attachment file name and the size of the file.)

You may attach more than one document to the same email. Just remember that the larger the files are the more time they will take to send and to be received at the other end.

If you decide not to send an attachment, or you attached the wrong file, you may select each individual attachment by clicking in the checkbox beside it and Clicking the Remove Attachments button at the bottom of the attachments list.

Attachment screen

G. Using the Contacts/Addressbook

You can create your own addressbook (called Contacts in webmail). You can use these contacts to quickly access email addresses for composing messages.

To open the Contact screen, click on the Contacts link on the left side navigation bar.

In the Contacts screen you can do the following:

  1. Add a new contact
  2. Edit an existing contact
  3. Delete a contact
  4. Look up an existing contact

To create a new contact

  1. Fill in the information in the appropriate boxes
    • Address: fill in the entire email address
    • Nickname: fill in any short name you want to be able to use with this contact
    • Fullname: fill in the full name of the contact
  2. Click on the Add Contact button below the fullname field.

For each contact you add, you will be able to access them by clicking on the arrow of the drop down box at the top of the screen. When you click on one of the contacts, you can click on the select button next to the drop box. You can now Click on the Delete Contact button or the Update Contact button to edit the contact. You may also Click on the Insert into To:, Insert into Cc: or Insert into Bcc buttons to open the Compose mail screen with the email address of the selected contact.

Contacts screen

 

H. Managing Folders

You should keep only newest messages in your Inbox. Messages you wish to save in your mail account should be transferred to other folders.

In the manage folders screen you can do the following:

To subscribe to a folder

  1. Click on a folder in the available folders box.
  2. Click on the Add folder icon.

Subscribing to folders screen

You can select a folder by using the radio buttons along the left column. Once you have done this, select the option you wish to perform on the folder via the select box to the left.

You will be prompted for further options. Be careful with the delete option, as you can lose all the messages in a folder if you delete it by mistake!

To create new folders

  1. Click in the Folder name box under the Create a new folder section.
  2. Type in a name for your new folder.
  3. Click on the check mark at the right end of the box to create the folder. The new folder will show in the Selected Folders box.

To Rename a folder

  1. Click on the arrow in the drop down box under Original folder in the Rename a folder section.
  2. Select the folder you wish to rename.
  3. Click in the To new name: box
  4. Type in a new name for the folder
  5. Click on the checkmark at the end of the box to rename this folder.

To delete a folder

  1. Click on the arrow in the drop down box under Folder name in the Delete a folder section.
  2. Select the folder you wish to delete.
  3. Click on the checkmark at the end of the box the Delete this folder.

I. Using Options

In the Options screen you can (among other items):

To use these features, click in the appropriate boxes and type in the information you wish to show in your composed messages. Be careful editing your email (from) address. People look at the from email address to see if they recognize who the mail is from. Often, in these days of rampant viruses, people will simply delete mail if they do not recognize the sender.

J. Logging Out

When you finished using your webmail program, you need to make sure you logout. Click on the Logout link on the top navigation bar.

NOTE: if you fail to log out, your mail account is still open, providing opportunities for hackers to break into the mail server. If your mail is compromised by hackers, the account will be disabled. Please be very careful.