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Zimbra: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Zimbra?
It is an email and calendar solution, plus much more. In addition to email and calendar, it provides document storage and editing, and simplified administrative controls - all in an award-winning webmail user interface. This web-based interface offers mobility and synchronization to desktop client applications such as Outlook, Apple Mail and iCal, Thunderbird and Lightning.

How do I connect to Zimbra?
If you have been transitioned to Zimbra, log in here with your NetID and password. Please note that typing your NetID in all capital letters will not allow you to log in correctly; please use lowercase. Zimbra Login Tutorial

What features are available in Zimbra?
Mail and Address Book; Basic and Advanced Search; Tagging; Shared Calendaring; Task lists; and Briefcases. Check out this link for all sorts of helpful Zimbra hints, or take a look at our Zimbra Quick Reference Card.

I am missing documents since the upgrade to Zimbra v7.0. Can I get my documents back?
Documents and Briefcase functionality has merged in version 7. If you use this service and are missing documents, your desktop support liaison will assist you. Your documents are not lost; there is a utility that once run will restore your documents into the appropriate Briefcase.

I already have an Exchange email account. Do I need to migrate?
There is no direction that says you need to migrate. This is simply an alternative e-mail package that is available for your use.

Which browsers will work with Zimbra?
The browsers below have been tested and work with Zimbra:
* Internet Explorer versions 6, 7 and 8
* Firefox, Version 3 or higher
* Safari, Version 3 or higher.
University IT recommends Firefox or Safari as preferred browsers for increased performance. In addition, if you experience performance issues in Internet Explorer 6, University IT recommends upgrading IE to a newer version.

Which desktop email clients will work with Zimbra?
Our recommendation is to utilize the web interface; however, should you find that your preference is a desktop client, the following have been tested and verified:
* Outlook w/Zimbra Connector
* Thunderbird (email) and Lightning (calendar)
* Apple Mail and iCal
* Zimbra Desktop

University IT will assist you in configuring these email clients. For assistance, please contact 275-2000 and choose Option 4. A service desk agent will be happy to assist you.

I received messages from sendmail in one of those clients. How do I re-configure the client for my new Zimbra account?
All you need to do is change some server settings and your username/password combination. Please review the following documents for specifics.

Apple Mail
Eudora
Outlook
Thunderbird

I have forgotten my password. How do I reset it?
Zimbra is accessed via NetID, so you can simply go to the NetID home page for assistance resetting your password. For further assistance, please contact University IT at 275-2000, Option 4.

I'm ready to start using Zimbra. Is there a general overview document?
Yes. Click here.

What does the basic folder structure look like in Zimbra?
By default, Zimbra has five base folders configured for every user. These folders cannot be renamed or modified.

Inbox: All new mail lands in the Inbox by default. This can be altered via use of filters.
Sent: If option to save a copy of all sent items is chosen, all sent items appear in this folder.
Drafts: Partial or incomplete mail messages can be saved as drafts to this folder for later action.
Spam: Messages flagged as spam or classified as phishing email will land in this folder. Email can also be filtered into this folder based on user specification. User must take action on items in this folder.
Trash: Deleted items are stored in this folder for 30 days, after which they will be auto-deleted by Zimbra.

I manage someone else's calendar. Do you have any special tips for that?
See this tutorial.

Is there a size limit on my Zimbra mailbox?
All users will be allowed up to 7 Gigabytes of available space. Exceptions can be accomodated.

The font size on my browser is too small. How can I fix this?
On a temporary basis, holding the Control (CTRL) key and hitting + (to increase size) or - (to decrease size) will work. For more permanent solutions, see Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari tutorials.

Can I reserve a resource (conf. room, training room, etc.) within Zimbra?
Unfortunately, this is not a feature that can be enabled within the Zimbra environment at this time. With multiple mail systems in place within the University, the resource cannot be shared between systems. You will need to resort to a manual effort to book resources.

Is Zimbra linked with the Global Address List?
Indeed. You will note a difference in the amount of information provided when you view a person via the GAL.

How can I create an email distribution list (Contact Group) in Zimbra?
Click the arrow next to "New" and select "Contact Group." A new window will appear. Enter a name for your group, and then add email addresses to your Contact Group either manually (comma separated) or by searching either the Global Address List or your own personal contacts. Upon completion, click "Save." The Contact Group should now appear in your Address Book tab. Please note that if the GAL updates, your Contact Group will not; you will need to manually update the group in that event.

What happened to PUBLIC folders that I had in my Exchange email account?
PUBLIC folders are a feature in Exchange only, and cannot be presented in both environments.

What customization can I do in my email or calendar settings?
There is a button called 'User Preferences' that you can utilize once you enter your account. In User preferences you can modify the look and feel of your account. Check out this link for all sorts of helpful Zimbra hints.

I cannot view my calendar appointments in Zimbra; they appeared correctly very recently.
This is likely a browser issue. Log out of Zimbra, then clear your cookies and cache. Log back in, and you should be able to view your appointments. Please contact University IT at 275-2000, Option 1, if you require assistance in clearing your cookies and cache, or if this process does not solve the problem.

The wrong name and address appear in the "TO:" field when I'm composing a message. Why is this happening, and how do I fix it?
Zimbra automatically saves all email addresses that you have sent email to in the past to your personal address book. This includes invalid addresses that you may have attempted to send to. To purge those saved entries, navigate to Address Book, and in the left pane, select Emailed Clients. On the right side of the page, you can select all, or select specific names that you'd like removed; when that's done, click Delete. Upon completion, right click on your trash icon and click Empty Trash.

I am moving to Zimbra from Eudora. I would like to download email attachments to an attachments folder like I used to do in Eudora. How can I accomplish this?
If you're a Firefox user, this add-on will allow you to define a folder (or several folders) on your machine to download email attachments to. The add-on saves files to your specified folder only from a specific domain (e.g. 'z.rochester.edu'), a specific file filter (e.g. '.pdf'), or a combination of the two. Please contact your University IT Desktop consultant if you need assistance configuring this add-on.

Zimbra Quick Reference documentation:
Web Interface Overview
Calendar Overview
Documents and Briefcase Overview
Login Tutorial
What's New In Zimbra 7.0?

Still have questions?

Be sure to check the official Zimbra user guide for further information. Please contact University IT at 275-2000, Option 4, or at UnivITHelp@Rochester.edu with further inquiries.