Mail.msu.edu: Compatible E-mail Clients - TB242

Overview

Since Qualcomm (original manufacturer) no longer supports the Eudora e-mail client, the ATS Help Desk is unable to provide direct support for that product.


This document will provide a list of known compatible E-mail clients and the client versions that will work with the mail.msu.edu E-mail system; operating systems listed are the minimum versions that will work with that client.

The mail.msu.edu system requires SSL (secure sockets layer - secure encrypted email) which is incompatible with some older e-mail clients and operating systems. Please review the list below for recommendations. Additional clients are being tested and this list is being updated on a regular basis. If your client is not compatible with the mail.msu.edu system you may not be able to send or receive e-mail using that client; you may wish to use the webmail interface at http://mail.msu.edu/ instead.

Client Configuration

For a complete list of supported client configuration articles, please click here.

Mozilla and Thunderbird

Note: We advise Netscape e-mail client users to switch to Mozilla or Mozilla Thunderbird; Netscape is no longer in development, and is no longer supported by Netscape or the ATS Help Desk.

• Mozilla Mail 1.7.3 and above (POP/IMAP): Tested and no problems found.
• Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5 and above (POP/IMAP): Tested and no problems found.

Windows Mail

• Windows Mail(POP): Tested and no problems found
• Windows Mail(IMAP): Tested and no problems found

Outlook

• Windows:
  • Outlook 2002,2003,2007 (POP): Tested and no problems found
  • Outlook 2003, 2007 with Windows XP (IMAP): Tested and no problems found
  • Outlook 2002 with Windows XP/2000 (IMAP): Major function works. Will work for all folders if you uncheck "show only subscribed folders", otherwise you can see inbox but not subscribed folders. It will not let you subscribe to just a few folders and show only those.
  • Outlook 98 with Windows 2000/98 (IMAP): Has problems. Can see inbox but not sub folders
  • Outlook Express 5,6 (POP/IMAP): Tested and no problems found
• Macintosh:
  • Outlook Express for the Mac, all versions: Will not work.

Mac Mail (built-in MacOS X e-mail client)

• MacOS 10.3.2 and higher (POP/IMAP): Tested and no problems found.
  • OS 10.3 users need to run Software Update to update their system to 10.3.2 or higher; this update addresses problems with the Mail.app. See http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25652-NA for more information.

Mac Entourage

• Entourage 2004 (POP/IMAP): Not Supported by the ATS Help Desk.
• Entourage 2008 for Mac OS X

Eudora

• Macintosh:
  • Version 6.0.2 through 6.2.x with MacOS 10.2.x and greater (POP): Tested and no problems found.
  • Version 6.0.2 through 6.2.x with MacOS 10.2.x and greater (IMAP): Tested and no problems found. All messages sent are stored in local outbox and not in the server's sent mail folder.

Possible Anti-Virus Conflict with SSL

There are known problems with SSL e-mail systems and clients that run versions of Norton Anti Virus with options to "scan my outgoing mail". This option can prevent the sending of e-mail. If you are having trouble with sending e-mail and have configured your client appropriately, try disabling the option in Norton Anti Virus to "scan outgoing mail". This has been reported at MSU with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express and Netscape Messenger but it likely effects most other clients as well. In Norton Anti Virus the active protection feature of the software protects your system so the "scan my outgoing mail" function is not needed (and isn't even an option in the corporate version of their software).

Anti-Spam software and lack of support for SSL systems

At least two of the major vendors (Symantec and McAfee) offer anti-spam products that do not support e-mail systems that use SSL. If you are currently using anti-spam software that does not support SSL it will not work with the mail.msu.edu system. MSU has contacted both of these vendors, but to date, they have not provided any information on plans to release a product that supports SSL. Until those vendors update their software for use with SSL, you can take advantage of the spam identification functions that mail.msu.edu has available. In addition many new clients like Outlook 2003, Eudora 6.x or Mac Mail now have spam filtering options built into their products.

Add/accept the Eudora SSL certificate

Eudora users will need to add or accept the SSL certificate when prompted, or if the following error message appears: SSL Negotiation Failed: Certificate Error: Cert Chain not trusted. Try adding this certificate to your certificate database for SSL to succeed Cause: (-6995). TB158 provides instructions for adding the SSL certificate without having to find and delete the Eudora.ini file, which would result in you having to reconfigure Eudora.