umailstudent e-mail service
Frequently Asked Questions

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Accessing Your U-Mail Account Activating Your U-Mail Account Account Deactivation Using the U-Mail System Miscellaneous Questions

How can I use my U-Mail account?
We support a number of e-mail "client" programs for reading and sending e-mail. For details see our information on Using U-Mail.

I've forgotten my password - how can I get a new one?
Your password may be reset either by coming in to the U-Mail Help Desk or by using the UCSBnetID Identity system. New passwords can not be issued over the phone or by e-mail for privacy reasons.

Where can I access my U-Mail account on-campus?
You can access your account at any open-access lab computer or other public-access computers on campus (such as those in the UCen).

How can I access my my U-Mail account from off-campus?
You can use the bare-bones dialup access provided free by Communications Services, or you can pay for home internet service via an Internet Service Provider (ISP). For further information on remote access, check out our Using U-Mail pages.


How do I activate my account?
Complete instructions for activating new accounts are available at the UCSBnetID Identity system. Check this out for full details.

How do I choose a good password for my account?
Choosing a sufficiently complex password is important in maintaining the security and privacy of your e-mail. Acceptable passwords:

  • contain a mixture of numbers and letters of mixed cases
  • don't contain personal names or words that may be found in a dictionary
  • have nothing to do with your person, (i.e. license plate numbers and birthdays are bad choices)
  • are easily committed to memory
Examples of good passwords are "N2mu$ic", "lat3NitE", and "r00t6six" (but you don't use any of these since they're published here). Check with the U-Mail Help Desk if you need further assistance.


When will my account be closed?
Undergraduate and Graduate accounts will be closed 12 months after you are no longer registered. University Extension accounts expire 30 days after the end of the quarter. You will receive an e-mail notification 30 days before deactivation. Check out our account deactivation info for full details.

Is there a way to save my messages elsewhere before my account is closed?
Yes. You can use the Mailbox Archive tool to save your messages to your home computer. See our Saving Mail to Another Computer page for more details.

How can I notify my friends that my account is closing?
Before your account has closed, you can use the Vacation Auto-Reply feature to automatically respond to your correspondents letting them know that you're moving on.

After your account has been deactivated your correspondents will receive an automatic "bounce" message letting them know that you're no longer with the university. This bounce message can optionally contain your new e-mail address so they can update their address book. To register your new email address use the MyAccount Account Expiration tool.

How long will my mail be forwarded after my account is closed?
Unfortunately, we can't forward mail directed to your address after your account has been closed.


How much mail storage space do I have?
Undergrads have 200 megabytes (MB) of mail storage, which corresponds to approximately 100,000 average-sized messages. Graduate student accounts have a storage limit of 300 MB. As you approach your mail storage limit your mail client will notify you of your usage. Once you exceed your storage limit you will not receive any further mail until you delete messages from your mail folders.

I think I've received a virus in my e-mail. What should I do?
The U-Mail system automatically scans all messages for viruses, so it's not likely that you've gotten a virus from your U-Mail account. However, in case you are infected we recommend that you purchase and install one of the many anti-virus software packages available and scan your computer regularly.

What is my junk-mail folder?
The junk-mail folder is where all messages marked as spam are delivered. For further information see our spam filtering info.

Is there a limit to the size of a message I can send through U-Mail?
Yes. Most e-mail systems limit the size of a message. On U-Mail this limit is 25 megabytes (MB), which is sufficiently large enough to handle normal e-mail needs. If you need to share files that exceed 25 MB in size we recommend that you post it on your U-Web Site and e-mail your collaborators the web site location.


I'd like to change my UCSBnetID. Can I do this?
Yes, but only under certain circumstances. For details see the Changing My UCSBnetID page.

What about ________?
Further questions may be queried at the U-Mail Help Desk in Phelps 1523, by phone at 893-5542, or using our web-based help request.

this page was last modified March 26 2008