Web-based Mail Frequently Asked Questions
Managing your account
How do I set/unset forwarding to another e-mail account?
What will happen to my e-mail account after graduation?
"You do not have access to Boston University Horde/Imp Webmail on www.bu.edu...."
Perhaps your e-mail account is hosted on another BU server?
I forgot my password. Can I find out what it is?
Can I use a Web-based mail program to read mail sent to my accounts on other BU computer systems?
Can I set up an auto-reply/vacation message if I'll be unable to check mail regularly?
Worried that your account has been compromised? Mail you never sent being returned to you? Getting unexpected mail from yourself? Learn about spoofing...
When Web-based mail doesn't seem to be working
When Web-based mail is unavailable, can I use a different mail program?
Is there a problem with Web-based mail? It usually works, but it doesn't today.
Why do I keep getting an error message that there is a problem accessing my account?
"You do not have access to Boston University Horde/Imp Webmail on www.bu.edu...."
Perhaps your e-mail account is hosted on another BU server?
Why can't I attach a file to a message?
Making and using folders
How do I create folders?
How do I move mail to folders?
Can I create a sent-items folder?
Is there a way I can empty an entire folder (to delete quantities of messages at once)?
Using a desktop or handheld mail program too
Can I use a Web-based mail program and continue to use desktop mail programs too?
When I read mail with my desktop mail program I have messages in my Inbox, why do my messages disappear when I use Web-based mail?
What happens if I accidentally leave a desktop mail program open at home, then try to use Web-based mail when I'm away?
Can I import an existing addressbook?
Can I read Web-based mail with my handheld's browser?
Quota issues
I've exceeded a quota. Can you explain what that means?
Review your quotas and request an increase at www.bu.edu/computing/myacs/.
Is there a way I can empty an entire folder (to delete quantities of messages at once)?
Need unlimited quota? Learn how to set up forwarding to another e-mail account?
Address/Contacts topics
How can I import an address book from a desktop mail program into Web-based mail?
How can I export my Horde Contacts list for use with another e-mail application?
How can I import my old SilkyMail address book into Horde?
What will happen to my e-mail account after graduation?
E-mail accounts will expire approximately three months after graduation. However, you can request forwarding of mail sent to username@bu.edu for up one year. In addition, all alums are eligible to apply for an alumni email forwarding address, which is a mail forwarding alias you will hold for life. More information is available at www.bu.edu/cc/account/expire/. top of page
Can I use a Web-based mail program and continue to use other mail programs, too? Yes. The Web-based mail offered by BU uses the IMAP mail protocol and can be used interchangeably with any other mail programs that are configured to use IMAP. Web access is an ideal way to use mail. However, we are aware that you might also want to use a desktop mail program like Mozilla Thunderbird, Outlook, or Mac Mail when you are at your own computer. top of page
"You do not have access to Boston University Horde/Imp
Webmail on www.bu.edu..."
If you see this error message when you try to login,
it means that you do not have an ACS account, or you have one that has not been activated yet. For information on getting an ACS account, please see www.bu.edu/computing/accounts/acsaccounts/creating/.
Note that Online Learning accounts (distance learning students) generally do not have ACS mailboxes. If you have an Online Learning account, mail addressed to you@bu.edu is forwarded to your regular e-mail account at the address you specified when you set up your Online Learning account.
Perhaps your e-mail account is hosted on Exchange or another BU server?
Although the vast majority of people read mail on BU's ACS server (using Horde at www.bu.edu/webmail), there are other mail servers at BU:
- The College of Engineering hosts mail for some faculty and staff in ENG, LAW, and others on their Microsoft Exchange server: https://engwebmail.bu.edu/
- UIS runs an Exchange server for staff in many administrative (non-academic) departments: https://xmsweb.bu.edu/
- BUMC offers an Exchange server for faculty and staff at the Medical Campus: https://xmail.bumc.bu.edu
- Mail for the Computer Science department is at: http://cs-squirrelmail.bu.edu/
Can I use B.U.'s Web-based mail
program to read mail sent to my accounts on other BU computer
systems? Web-based mail can be used to read only mail
that resides on the centrally-managed ACS servers. If you want to use Web-based mail but read mail on another system, you might consider putting a .forward
file on your other account so that mail will be forwarded to your
central BU account, or to an external account. top of page
When Web-based mail is unavailable,
can I use something else?
Yes. Sometimes Web-based mail experiences downtime, but you can
still access your mail (unless it is also a server
downtime). Because Web-based mail uses the IMAP mail protocol,
it can be used interchangeably with other IMAP mail programs. Information
on how to set up and use another mail program is available at www.bu.edu/pcsc/email/configure/.
The "News:" section of the www.bu.edu/webmail page should keep you notified about any known downtime. top of page
Is there a way I can empty an entire folder (to delete large quantities of messages at once)?
Yes. Click on the Folders button. On the Folders screen, check the box next to the folder you want to empty and select Empty Folder(s) from the Choose Action menu. This will delete all messages in that folder so you will be asked for confirmation.
I keep getting an error message that there is a problem accessing
my account.
When this happens, try restarting the Web browser. If you have
a mail page bookmarked, please make sure you are bookmarking www.bu.edu/webmail
and not one of the pages that you see after you log into your
account. If you suspect there is a technical problem with Web-based
mail or the server, you can be on the lookout for "News", which
will be posted at the top of the www.bu.edu/webmail
page. top of page
Is there a problem with Web-based mail?
It usually works, but it doesn't today.
The most common cause for people having problems with Web-based
mail is that they have bookmarked a page other than www.bu.edu/webmail
as their starting point. You can often get things working again
simply by restarting your browser and going directly to www.bu.edu/webmail
rather than any saved bookmark. If you suspect that there
is a technical problem with Web-based mail or the servers, you can be
on the lookout for "News", which will be posted at the
top of the /webmail page. top of page
What
happens if I accidentally leave a mail program open at home, and
then try to use Web-based mail when I'm away?
This is not ideal, but usually you will get an error message if the conflicting mail programs are causing an issue. Feel free to contact us (help@acs.bu.edu) if, after quitting both e-mail programs and restarting just one, your mail seems to have been corrupted. top of page
I forgot
my password. Can I find out what it is?
If you have forgotten your Kerberos password you will need to
select a new one. In order to do this, you will need to bring
your BU ID card to the Input/Output (I/O) Window in the basement
of 111 Cummington Street. However, if you know your Kerberos password
and would simply like to pick a new one, you can do this by following
the link at www.bu.edu/computing/accounts/kerberos.
top of page
Can I set up an auto-reply if I'll be unable to check mail regularly?
You can set up automated reply messages for your ACS account at
www.bu.edu/computing/email/vacation.
The automated reply you set up through the above page will work
for all mail coming into your account; regardless of which
mail program you use to read your mail. top of
page
When I read mail with my
desktop mail program I have messages in my Inbox, but when I use
Web-based mail I can't see them.
There are two possible explanations for this:
Option 1 -- It's possible that the desktop mail program you are using is set to read mail using the POP mail protocol rather than IMAP. IMAP is required and instructions for setting up your desktop mail program to use IMAP are at www.bu.edu/pcsc/email/configure. top of page
Option 2 -- It's possible that your messages are there in Web-based mail, but you aren't viewing them. Make sure that you are navigating between the pages of messages to see those that are displayed on later pages. top of page
Can I read Web-based mail with my handheld's browser?
Information about use of handheld devices at BU is located at www.bu.edu/pcsc/handheld/. top of page
I've exceeded a quota. Can you explain what that means?
Each user is allotted a certain amount of space on the server. If your mail exceeds the limit of this quota, you will get warning messages from the Office of Information Technology. You should keep your mail free of spam, junk, sent items, deleted items, and
any other old or unwanted messages, especially those that have large attachments.
If you want to check on how much space you have available, you can see your quota
at www.bu.edu/computing/myacs. top
of page
How do I create folders?
Click the
"Folders" button at the top of the screen to
view your current list of folders. To create a new folder called (for example) work click on the Choose Action: drop-down menu and select "Create
Folder"
and then enter work in the box that appears. Click on the OK button in this window to finish creating the folder. You
will now see your new folder in the folder list. Repeat to create other folders
if desired -- for example, you might create folders for different parts of your
life: "research"
and "family" and "friends" and so on. If you later use another
mail client, you may need to "subscribe" to
the new folder(s) within that mail client in order to see the new folder(s). top
of page
How do I move mail to folders?
To
do this, first, create one or more mail folders as explained
above. Then, looking at your Inbox, select all the mail you want to move.
You can do this by using the Select: drop-down
menu (if you want to select all mail, or all mail that fits
a certain pattern)
or by clicking in the box next to each mail message
you want to move. Once the messages you want to move
are all marked, go to the Messages To drop-down
menu and select the folder you would like to move this mail
to. Then, click the Move button.
Your mail has been moved. Now, to view, reply to, forward or
otherwise work with the mail in another folder at any time,
simply click the Folders toolbar button and
then select the folder you want to work with. top
of page
Can I create a Sent Items folder?
Yes. Click on Options and then, within the Mail category,
click on Personal Information.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, indicate that you want to Save Sent Mail. Once you are all set, click on the Save Options button.
New outgoing messages will be automatically saved, provided
you have sufficient quota space available to store them.
You can monitor your quota usage at: http://www.bu.edu/computing/myacs
