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KI 1311 Connect to Exchange email with IMAP from Mozilla Thunderbird

If your email is on Exchange Online but you prefer to use Thunderbird as your email program (instead of the recommended Outlook), you may set up Thunderbird like this:
[Veiledning på norsk.]
Initial settings to connect to the e-mail server

  1. Start the Thunderbird program.
  2. Select Create a new email account.
  3. When asked if you would like a new email address, click Skip this and use my existing email.
  4. Enter your name as you want it to appear in the From field in outgoing mail and your email address. Then, click Continue.
  5. Thunderbird will attempt to automatically configure your account settings. This will fail and a message saying "Thunderbird failed to find the settings for your email account" will display.
  6. Enter the following settings:
    Incoming:
    IMAP
    Server hostname: outlook.office365.com
    Port: 993
    SSL: SSL/TLS
    Authentication: Oauth2
    Outgoing:
    Server hostname: smtp.office365.com
    Port: 587
    SSL: STARTTLS
    Authentication: Oauth2
    Username (Incoming and Outgoing): your UiB e-mail address.

    Note:  If you do not have OAuth2 as an authentication choice, tou may have to click the Re-test button after filling in the server information or select advanced settings.
  7. Click Done. The Thunderbird main window displays.
  8. You should be prompted to complete the normal multi-factor authentication process.
Also required: Additional account settings
We recommend that you configure your Thunderbird to move your deleted messages to the Deleted Items folder on the server (webmail).  This setting allows you to recover deleted items. We also recommend keeping sent messages and drafts in the Sent Items and Drafts folders in webmail folders on the server. This will make it less confusing if you also use webmail or another email client to access your Office 365 email.
  1. Right-click your @uib.no account name and click Subscribe.

      
  2. Make sure the Deleted Items, Drafts, and Sent Items folders (and any other folders you want to access in Thunderbird) are selected and then click Subscribe.
    Note: Do not subscribe to the Calendar folder.

     
  3. Right click your @uib.no account name and select Settings for this account.
  4. In the Accounts Settings window, click Server Settings in the left panel. In the Server Settings section of the window,  When I delete a message, select Move it to this folder and then choose the Deleted Items folder on the server.
  5. Click Copies and Folders in the left panel and make the following changes:
    • When sending messages automatically, place a copy in: select Other and choose the Sent Items folder on the server.
    • Keep message drafts in: select Other and choose the Drafts folder on the server.

       
      Note: If you check When messages are sent > Save a copy in... as shown above, two copies of each sent message will be stored. The solution is to un-check "sav a copy in" - this will retina just one copy in Sent items.
  6. Click Junk Settings in the left panel.
    • Uncheck the box for Enable adaptive junk mail controls for this account.
      Note: Server side junk/spam filtering is already enabled for Office 365 accounts.

       
  7. Close the Account Settings tab.

These instructions are adapted from Stanford University IT's original documentation with kind permission.