Opera

Getting started with Opera Mail

This topic shows you how to create an account and import messages and settings so that you can start using Opera Mail.

Create or add an account

To use Opera Mail, you need to create or add an account. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Tools > Mail and chat accounts.
2. If you have not yet created an account, you are prompted to create one, or just click Add.
3. Select the kind of account you want to add or create, e.g. e-mail or newsgroup. If you want to import messages and settings, see Import messages and settings below.
4. In the dialog, type:
   • your real name - this is the name that displays in the From field of e-mails you send.
   • your e-mail address.
   • the name of your organization (optional).
5. Type the login name and password provided by your ISP provider.
6. Select either normal e-mail POP or IMAP. For details, see What is POP and IMAP? below.
7. If you have a well-known ISP, your server details are automatically recorded. Go to step 9.
8. Complete incoming and outgoing server details. Ask your ISP for the specific server names or IP addresses to enter into the incoming and outgoing mail servers. For details, see Non-standard server ports below.
9. To enable TLS encryption for incoming and/or outgoing servers, tick Use secure connection (TLS). For details, see Secure connection (TLS) below.
10. If you use POP and want to access e-mail from other computers, tick Leave messages on server. This setting leaves all received e-mail on the server.
11. Click Finish.

Result: The Mail menu and Mail panel appear when you successfully create an e-mail or newsgroup account. You use these to access your messages or newsfeeds. If you want to restrict your display of messages to only e-mail or new accounts, one account category, or one single account, see Edit mail and news accounts.

Import messages

You can import e-mail, different account settings, folders and contacts. This applies for the following versions and e-mail clients:

• Opera - versions from 5 to 9
• Outlook Express
• Eudora
• Netscape Mail and related e-mail clients such as the Mozilla suite
• Thunderbird
• any mailbox stored in the generic mbox format (usually *.mbx or *.mbs files), including older versions of Netscape

If your previous mailer is not listed above, see if it includes the capability to export to the mbox format.

To import messages or settings:

1. Either:
   • Create or add an account using steps 1 - 3 above, or
   • select File > Import and export > Import mail.
2. Select Import e-mail as the account type.
3. Select which e-mail client to import your old messages from (or click Choose to find the folder with your messages).
4. In Import item, select the account to import from. If it is not listed, click Browse to find the account from the directory.
5. Tick what you want to import: settings, contacts, messages or a combination.
6. Select the account to import into.
7. Click Import.

Result:When you successfully import messages and folders:

• Your imported account's folder structure displays under the Filters header in the Mail panel.
• Old incoming messages are shown in the Received view. Messages that are not already on your computer will be downloaded from the mail server.
• Messages in your old Outbox, Sent, Drafts and Trash folders are shown in the corresponding views.
• Although you can continue using your imported folder structure by manually dragging messages into these folders, we suggest you give Opera Mail's organization methods a try. They will revolutionize the way you handle your messages.

Detailed explanations

What is POP and IMAP?

These are internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval.

• POP leaves messages on the server and downloads them to your computer and manages them in Opera Mail.
• IMAP allows you to manage your e-mail directly on the server. Since e-mails are still on the server, they are accessible from other online connections, or offline if you have downloaded the message bodies.

Non-standard server ports

If your ISP uses a non-standard server port (default ports are 143 for IMAP, 110 for POP, and 119 for NNTP), you can enter it after the server name in the form "servername:port", i.e. "pop.example.com:111".

Secure connection (TLS)

TLS enables high-security, encrypted communications between a mail client, like Opera Mail, and a server. Encrypted communications allow your password and other sensitive data to be sent across the Internet without others being able to spy on it. Opera Mail supports TLS, however your ISP server must support secure connection TLS for you to use this feature.