Preferences (client version)

Where you can type your own time values, you can type a value such as 1h 30m. FirstClass will convert this to 1 hour 30 minutes. If you don't specify a unit, FirstClass assumes hours.

The value Default means the default value chosen by your administrator.

Default button	Reverts all preferences on this form to the FirstClass defaults. Be cautious about clicking Default. All your preferences will revert, not just the ones showing on the active tab.
Apply button	Saves your changes without closing the form. Clicking Cancel will not undo these changes.

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General tab

Use this tab to specify general display, mail client, and download defaults.

Register FirstClass® as default mail client	Uses FirstClass to send and receive Internet mail. When you installed FirstClass, you were given this option. You can use this to change your mind after installation. Depending on your computer's operating system, you may see a button or a checkbox here. If you see a button, you can click it to use FirstClass as your default mail client. You can't use this button to stop using FirstClass as your default. If you want to do that, you must use the mail application you want as your default to make this change. If you see a checkbox, you can select it to use FirstClass as your default mail client or clear it to stop using FirstClass as your default.
Quit on disconnect	Makes the client quit whenever you disconnect. Caution The client will quit whenever you disconnect from any connection, even if you are still connected to another server or with another user account. In addition, notification will no longer work.
Use forms background	Applies a background picture to a window.
Image	The picture you want to apply to the background of a window.
New mail form	FirstClass	Uses the standard FirstClass form.
	Outlook	Uses a form that will be familiar to users of Outlook Express.
Mailbox style	Unified Mailbox	Shows all objects in your Mailbox in one list. This view best supports threading.
	Separate Inbox/Outbox	Splits the Mailbox contents into folders for received mail (Inbox), unsent messages (Drafts), mail marked as possible spam (Junk Mail), and sent messages (Sent Items).
Download folder	The path to the default destination folder for files that you copy to your computer. To choose a folder rather than typing the path and folder name, click Browse.
Contact form	The contact form to use in your Contacts folder and as the default form in contact databases that you create:
	FirstClass	Uses the current FirstClass release's form.
	Palm Contacts	Uses a form that will be familiar to users of Palm™ Computing connected organizers that use the Contacts application.
	Outlook	Uses a form that will be familiar to users of Outlook Express.
	Classic	Uses a form familiar to users of pre-8.0 versions of FirstClass.
	Palm Address Book	Uses a form that will be familiar to users of Palm™ Computing connected organizers that use the Address Book application.
Map addresses using	The web application you want to use when you click the Map button on a contact's form.

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Calendar - View tab

Use this tab to specify calendar display options.

Week start day	The day on which you want the week to start in month view and the mini month pane of the Today list.
Work week start day	The day on which you want your work week to start in the calendar. This defines the days that will be colored with your workday color, and that are displayed in work week view. This is also the first day displayed in week view.
Start of work day	The normal start time of your work day. No events will be created with a default start time before this time.
Length of work day	The length of your work day. Choose a value or type your own. No events will be created that by default extend beyond the end of your work day.
Collapse weekends in month view	Displays your two nonwork days in one column in month view.
Show week numbers	Displays the week numbers of the year in month and week views.
Colors	Workday	The background color, in week view, for your specified work days. This color is also used in day and work week views for time slots that fall within your specified work day. In month view, it indicates days that belong to the month.
	Evening	The background color, in day and work week views, for time slots that fall outside your specified work day. This color is also used in month view to indicate days that don't belong to the month.
	Weekend	The background color, in week and month views, for days that fall outside your specified work week.

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Calendar - Events tab

Use this tab to set default event times and reminders.

Event start time interval	The times during each hour that events will start by default. Choose one of the following values or type your own:
	1 Hour	Default start times will only occur on the hour.
	30 Minutes	Default start times will only occur on the hour or half hour.
	15 Minutes	Default start times will only occur on the hour, quarter past the hour, half hour, or quarter to the hour.
	FirstClass will look for free time slots that start within your work day and, based on your default event duration, do not extend beyond your work day. If no such time slot exists, events start by default at the beginning of your work day.
Event duration	How long events will last by default. Choose a value or type your own.
Set default reminder	Sets reminders on by default for events and tasks that you create. Reminders are generated at the time before the events/tasks that you specify here. Select the checkbox, then choose a value or type your own.

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Content - Text Styles tab

Use this tab to specify the appearance of your default text in normal content and in presentations.

Normal text	The font, size, and color you want as your default text formatting when you edit content in all objects except presentations.
Presentation text	The font, size, and color you want as your default text formatting when you edit content in presentations.

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Content - Highlight Styles tab

Use this tab to specify the default appearance of text that you quote in replies and link text.

Quoted text	The appearance of quoted text in message replies. You will always see quoted text in this style, no matter what the sender's preferences are. You must select the checkbox at "Use font", "Use size", "Use text color", or "Use background color" before FirstClass will use the value you choose in the corresponding field.
Link text	The appearance of links in sent messages. You will always see link text in this style, no matter what the sender's preferences are. You must select the checkbox at "Use color" before FirstClass will use the value you choose in the corresponding field.

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Content - Spell Check tab

Use this tab to specify how you want FirstClass to check spelling.

Ignore quoted text	Does not spell check text that is in quoted style.
Ignore URLs	Does not spell check text that is part of a URL. This text commonly contains @ or ://.
Split contracted words	Use only for checking languages such as French (words like l'arbre). Checks each part of a contracted word separately.
Enable suggestions	Lists suggested alternatives for unknown words. Spell checking runs faster when this is not selected.
Ignore words with numbers	Does not spell check words that contain numbers (such as 3D).
Ignore words in UPPERCASE	Does not spell check words that are all capitals (such as CD).
Split compound words	Use only for checking languages, such as German, that contain many compound words. Checks each part of a compound word separately.
Automatically check on send	Starts spell checking automatically when you send messages.

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Content - Options tab

Use this tab to specify additional defaults for the display of content.

Always show embedded images	Shows all embedded images in messages (including Internet messages) and documents.
Always show nonembedded images in Internet mail	Shows all images in Internet mail that are displayed through links to external sources. Caution We don't recommend selecting this, because these types of images are a potential security risk.
Thumbnail large images	Doesn't apply to Internet mail. Shows embedded pictures as thumbnails (resized versions of the original) if they are bigger than the dimensions you specify at "Max. width" and "Max. height".
	Max. width	The widest a picture can be before it will be shown as a thumbnail.
	Max. height	The tallest a picture can be before it will be shown as a thumbnail.
Zoom	The percent by which you want to enlarge or shrink displayed content.
View	The default display mode you want for content. Your choice affects content that you created and unformatted content (such as plain text Internet messages). You will see others' formatted content in the display mode they chose.
	Normal	Fits content to the window size.
	Page Width	Shows you how the content would look when printed.
Link action	Whether links that you create will open by default in a new window or the same window. This doesn't affect how existing links open.

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Viewing tab

Use this tab to specify how containers will be viewed by default, and to set the time zone for your client.

Show newest items first	Lists items from newest to oldest.
Show only unread items	Lists only items that you have not yet read. Note If you are finding that mail is disappearing, check whether you selected this. Read items will seem to have disappeared.
Double-click in explorer tree opens a new window	Opens any object you double-click in the tree view in its own window instead of in the right pane.
Time zone	The time zone in which you want FirstClass to display dates and times. The value Default is the time zone in which your server is located. Note Choose your time zone carefully. You may see several time zones that look like they are the same number of hours off Greenwich Mean Time, but things like daylight savings time rules can differ from place to place.

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Messaging - Mail Rules tab

Use this tab to specify mail handling defaults for your private mail. These defaults do not affect messages in conferences.

Mailbox Rules button	Opens your Mailbox's mail rules window.
Import Accounts button	Lets you import mail from POP3 mail accounts into FirstClass.
Reply preference	Automatic	Either addresses a private message's reply directly to the sender and puts all other recipients in the "Cc" field, or uses the reply preference set for the user group to which you belong.
	Reply All	Addresses the reply directly to the sender and all other recipients.
	Reply Sender	Addresses the reply directly to the sender only.
Automatically reply to	Specify how you want each type of mail to be handled:
	Yes	Generates an automatic reply to all mail of this type.
	Urgent Only	Generates an automatic reply to just urgent mail of this type.
	Reply text	Your automatic reply.
	Caution If you receive messages from an automated listserver, be careful about replying automatically to Internet mail. Your automatic reply will be generated for every message you receive from the listserver.
Automatically forward	Specify how you want each type of mail to be handled:
	Yes	Forwards all mail of this type.
	Urgent Only	Forwards just urgent mail of this type.
	Method	Redirect	Indicates to the recipient that the original sender is the sender of the forwarded message. The original list of recipients is retained. This is for information purposes only. Recipients don't receive additional copies.
		Forward	Indicates to the recipient that the forwarder is the sender. The new recipient replaces the original list of recipients. This is the same behavior you see when you manually forward mail.
	Forward to	The names of the people to whom you want your messages forwarded, in the same way you would address mail to them.
	Caution If you receive messages from an automated listserver, be careful about forwarding Internet mail. Every message you receive from the listserver will be forwarded.
Junk mail handling	Accept	Accepts mail that your administrator has defined as junk (also known as spam).
	Delete Silently	Deletes junk mail as it is received.

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Messaging - Initial Content tab

Use this tab to specify initial content in your messages, replies, and forwarded messages.

Cursor placement in reply	Where you want the cursor to be positioned when you create a reply message that contains quoted text.
Reply tagging	How much information you want to include in the tag line that describes quoted text in a reply:
	Name Only	The name of the person being quoted.
	Name and Timestamp	The name of the person being quoted, plus the date and time of the quoted message.
Forward tagging	What information to include before the content when you forward an open message:
	Separator Only	A line to separate your comments from the forwarded content.
	Include Header Summary	A separator line, plus a summary of the original message's envelope.
Add default signature to all new messages	Automatically adds your default signature text to all messages you create, except messages you send as a conference.
Use 'Reply with Quote' for all reply types	Automatically quotes all messages when you reply to them using any of the reply options.
Signature	Lists all the signatures you have created by name. When you choose a signature, it is displayed in the signature input area below.
Add Signature button	Creates a new signature.
Delete Signature button	Deletes the displayed signature.
Signature input area	The content you want added as your signature. You can format text and embed pictures just as you do for messages.

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Messaging - Instant Messaging tab

Use this tab to specify your instant messaging defaults.

Refuse invitations	Prevents other users from inviting you to join an instant messaging session.
Activate instant messaging sounds	Turns on sounds that play when you are invited to an instant messaging session and during the session.
Show presence to	Limits who can tell that you are online. If a value has been set for this group, it will override any choice you make here. In addition, your administrator can always tell if you are online. Note This field doesn't just apply to instant messaging.

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Messaging - Paging tab

Use this tab to specify what will be forwarded to your pager.

Pager email address	The email address of your pager.
Method	Redirect	Retains the original list of recipients. This is for information purposes only. Recipients don't receive additional copies.
	Forward	Replaces the original list of recipients with the new recipient. This is the same behavior you see when you manually forward mail.
Maximum pager display characters	The maximum number of characters supported by your pager display. FirstClass will try to format the message to fit this size.
Information to include when paging	The message information you want forwarded to your pager.
Items to forward to pager	Specify how you want each type of mail to be handled:
	Yes	Forwards all mail of this type.
	Urgent Only	Forwards just urgent mail of this type.

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Messaging - Audio tab

Use this tab to specify how sound files will be handled.

Automatically play audio files when messages are unread	Plays attached sound files automatically when you open an unread message.
Volume for built-in sounds	The volume at which you want to hear system sounds, such as pings, for new mail. This lets you set a lower level for these sounds, while keeping your computer's volume turned up higher for playing sound files.

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Web tab

Use this tab to specify how FirstClass will look when you connect using a web browser. Your choices won't work if your administrator hasn't made them accessible on your server.

Web client interface	The general FirstClass appearance and functionality:
	FirstClass Classic	Our standard web look, with many of the features you are used to in the client.
	FirstClass Enhanced	Even closer to the client experience.
	Mobile Device	Designed for the small displays of handheld devices.
	ScreenReader	Designed for the visually impaired.
Menu type and position	How toolbars are displayed. "Buttons" means toolbar buttons with no text. "Text" means toolbar buttons with text. Toolbar buttons without text can be displayed at the top or bottom of pages. Toolbar buttons with text can be displayed at the top or bottom of pages, or on the left side. When toolbars with text are displayed at the top or bottom, you will use dropdowns to choose commands.
Items per page	The maximum number of items in a list per page. Tip For best performance, don't exceed 30 items.
	Unlimited	All items are in one long, scrolling page.
Icon size	Whether to display small or large icons.
Number of icon columns	The number of columns in which to display icons.
	Unlimited	All icons are in one row. This is not normally the best viewing choice.

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Voice - Logon tab

Use this tab to specify how your message retrieval sessions will be handled.

Telephone User Interface (TUI)

Interface	Choose the default voicemail interface for your account. This will override the system preferences for your Mailbox only. Default is the TUI emulation the administrator chose for you.
Language	Your preferred default Mailbox language. This will also be the language of the majority of your incoming voice and text messages.
TTS language	The default text-to-speech language for your Mailbox. Choose the language most commonly used in your correspondence. If you receive a message in another language, the text-to-speech engine will automatically detect the language, if it is known to your text-to-speech engine.
Auto play unread	When accessing messages by phone, the message will play automatically without you pressing a key to begin the playback.

FirstClass TUI only

Message tagging	Choose a color to correspond to each number. When listening to messages by phone, you can choose to tag messages by color. The next time you log in using the FirstClass client, or a web browser, the messages will be listed in the selected colors.
Navigate Mailbox as calendar	Making this your default Mailbox "view" when logging in by phone makes navigating your Mailbox easier, especially if you have many saved messages. All messages are sorted automatically by date instead of by message number. This applies to all message types — voice, fax, and text.

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Voice - Call Answering tab

Use this tab to specify how your voice messages will be handled in your Mailbox.

Caller transfer	Select a key and enter a corresponding "Transfer to number" to allow all callers to transfer to another number instead of leaving a message. You can have up to two transfer numbers. Be sure to enter the full 10-digit number. Do not enter 1 for long distance calls. Do not enter outside line access code numbers (such as 9 for an external local line). If callers provide feedback that they are being cut off when transferring, the system may be disconnecting too quickly and the number is not being properly processed. You can follow the number with a comma (,) for a one-second pause, or a semi-colon (;) for a five-second pause. If you enter a transfer number for key 0, this will override the system zero-out option (usually reception). You may wish to list these options in your voice greetings so callers are aware of them. If you want to allow only certain callers to transfer, customize a greeting to override these preferences.
Called, no message	If a caller hangs up without leaving a message, FirstClass Unified Communications can generate a Called, no message notification in your Mailbox.
	Never	Never generates a Called, no message notification for any missed calls.
	Always	Generates a Called, no message notification for all missed calls.
	Only valid caller IDs	Generates a Called, no message notification for missed calls with valid caller IDs.
Fax format	Choose your preferred default format for received faxes:
	Reject	Disables the inbound fax feature.
	JPG	A common, easily downloaded format, viewable on virtually all platforms. Each page will be a separate attachment.
	PNG	A common, easily downloaded format, viewable on virtually all platforms. PNG format results in smaller files, more easily downloaded over slow or expensive connections. Each page will be a separate attachment.
	PCX	A legacy format. Each page will be a separate attachment.
	DCX	A legacy format. All fax pages are stored as one attachment.
Voice format	MP3	The standard sound recording format in FirstClass. It is playable on virtually all platforms.
	IMA ADPCM	Better known as .wav. These files are slightly smaller than MP3 and are telephony quality.
Embed fax	Fax is received in the body of the message in the format you chose at "Fax format". Note This option is not available if DCX is your chosen fax format.
On the phone	If you are called while you are on the phone, the caller will be notified that you are on the phone before your greeting plays.

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Handheld Devices tab

Use this tab to specify how your handheld devices will be synchronized. You can configure up to four devices at a time for synchronization.

Active	The server selects this checkbox the first time a device is synchronized. To remove a device from the active synchronization list, clear this Active checkbox.
Wipe	If your device is lost or stolen, select this checkbox to remotely delete its contents. In ActiveSync, WIPE DEVICE works differently on different devices. In SyncML, FCSS sends a "delete all" command for all databases (contacts, calendar events, and tasks).
Wipe status	Displays the status of the wipe action, either Waiting to wipe device or Device wiped successfully.
Unique identifier	A 15 digit code used to identify mobile devices. The server fills in this field the first time a device is synchronized.
Information	Information about your device. The information varies by manufacturer. The server fills in this field the first time a device is synchronized.
Conflict resolution policy	Use this field to specify what action to take when an object has been changed on both the server and the device since the last sync.
	Keep FirstClass changes, discard device changes	Discards the change on the device and synchronizes the change from the server.
	Keep device changes, discard FirstClass changes	Discards the change on the server and synchronizes the change from the device.
	Duplicate changes on FirstClass and device	Duplicates the change on both the device and the server and synchronizes the duplicates. No change is discarded or overwritten. This results in multiple copies.
Synchronize only after date	Use this field to specify a date threshold for synchronization of calendar events and tasks. The default is the date on which the initial synchronization takes place. We recommend you advance this date from time to time to prevent the unnecessary transfer of old data.
Most recent synchronization	Displays the date of the last synchronization of your contacts, calendar events, and tasks.
Export attendees	Select this checkbox to export attendees information from FirstClass to your device along with calendar events. Note Event attendees will be exported as they appear in the calendar event list in FirstClass. Some devices cannot resolve FirstClass Directory names correctly and this can cause your synchronization to fail. ActiveSync will export and import only email addresses.
Import attendees	Select this checkbox to import attendees information from your device to FirstClass along with calendar events. Note Attendees information imported from the device will be only email addresses, not FirstClass Directory names.
Next synchronization	Use this field to specify what level of synchronization you want the next time this device is synchronized.
	Slow sync (full)	The device sends the entire database to the server. The server compares it to the local database and decides what needs to be added, deleted, or updated. This happens by default in the initial synchronization of a device and when a previous synchronization has failed.
	Normal (changes)	Only entry changes are sent to and from the server. This is the typical mode of synchronizing.
Device can delete	Select this checkbox to allow deletions on your device to be synchronized to FirstClass. Caution Some devices will send a "delete all" command if a database has been purged on the device. This means that if you've accidentally deleted a database (for example, your contacts or calendar) on your device, it will cause the deletion of that entire database on FirstClass.

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For more information

Setting FirstClass preferences