Frequently Asked Questions: Managing My Email

How do I get rid of deleted mail?

Your email can work in two modes: marking as deleted, and moving deleted messages to a Trash folder.

Marking Mail as Deleted:
When you tell your email account to delete one or more messages (by clicking Delete in the message screen, or by selecting the check box to the left of the message in the In box screen and then clicking Delete), the mail is only marked as deleted, and is not immediately removed from your mailbox, giving you the opportunity to decide to undelete it.  If you are certain you will not need the deleted message(s), click on Purge Deleted in the Inbox screen.
If you only wish to make Web Mail stop displaying the deleted messages, without permanently removing them, click Hide Deleted from the Inbox screen.

Moving deleted messages to a Trash folder:
If you are using the Trash folder feature, it acts somewhat differently.  When you tell your email account to delete one or  more messages (by clicking Delete in the message screen, or by selecting the check box to the left of the message in the Inbox screen and then clicking Delete), the mail is moved to a Trash folder, giving you the opportunity to decide to undelete it (move it from the trash) later.  If you are certain you will not need the deleted message(s), click on Empty Trash folder in the Inbox screen.  In addition, you can have your email account schedule to automatically empty your trash folder at various intervals via the "Maintenance Operations" section below.

How can I be notified when new messages arrive?

You can configure this by clicking the "Options" icon in the Inbox toolbar.  Select "New Mail" from the "Other Options" section, then check the checkbox labelled "Display pop-up notification of new mail".

Can I undelete messages?

You can undelete messages anytime up until you click on the Empty Trash or Purge Deleted buttons, or until any automated emptying of the trash occurs if you have set up such an option.
To undelete messages (the ones marked as deleted) from the inbox listing, check the checkbox to the left of the messages you wish to keep, then press the Undelete link at the top or bottom left of the page. When you are viewing a message marked for deletion, there will be a link at the start and end of the message to undelete that message.

If you are using a Trash folder, you can undelete the messages by moving them out of the Trash folder into another folder.

How can I request a return receipt or delivery notification?

When in the Message Composition screen, check the option to obtain a return receipt. You will need to check this option each time you compose a new email and wish to know when it has been delivered.

What does the cc: field mean?

cc stands for "carbon copy". It means that a copy of your message will also be delivered to any address entered into this field. Follow this link - The To, Cc and Bcc boxes for more information.

Can I put an unfinished message into a Draft folder and send it later?

Yes - when you compose a message, you have the option of saving the message to the Drafts folder (if you have made the Drafts folder available) by clicking the "Save Draft" button at the top of the "Compose Message" screen.  You can modify and send the draft email at a later stage by clicking on the "Folders" icon in the Inbox screen toolbar, then clicking on the Drafts folder, and then clicking on the email you wish to modify/send.

© 2009 Adelaide University Last Modified 06 Jul 2004 ITS
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