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Thunderbird and Owl with Office 365

Introduction

Office 365 email can be made to work with the Thunderbird open-source email client.

To do, you must install an add-on to Thunderbird called ExQuilla.

The ExQuilla add-on has a 30-day free trial period, and then costs around $11.25 per year per user.

That said, the developers of ExQuilla has serious doubts that ExQuilla will be compatible with the next major release of Thunderbird.

So end of life of ExQuilla may be coming soon.

If you need to purchase an ExQuilla license, see the following webpage.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) may now work with ExQuilla yet (maybe in 2020). Try the Owl add-on if you run into issues. Instructions for Owl are below.

If you need to purchase an Owl license, see the following webpage, click "Purcase" at the top, and enter your information.

Installing and Configuring ExQuilla Add-on on Mac

  1. In Thunderbird on a Mac, click the "Tools" menu, and then click "Add-ons."
  2. Click "Extensions."
  3. Type "Exquilla" (without quotes) in the "Search all add-ons" text search box.
  4. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard to search for "Exquilla."
  5. In the search results, in the "Exquilla for Microsoft..." row, click the "Install" button.
  6. Click "Restart now."
  7. Once Thunderbird reopens, click the "Tools" menu.
  8. Click "ExQuilla for Microsoft Exchange."
  9. Click "Add Microsoft Exchange Account."
  10. Type your Drexel email address that contains your DrexelOne userid in the "Email address" field.
  11. Type in your DrexelOne password in the "Password" field.
  12. Check "Remember password."
  13. Select "Login with email address (recommended)."
  14. Click "Continue."
  15. Click "Manual."
  16. Copy/paste the following web address or URL (without quotes) into the "Microsoft Exchange EWS URL" field:

    https://outlook.office365.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx
     
  17. Type in "Your Name" how you want your name to appear in outgoing messages.
  18. Make sure you see a green circle followed by "URL test succeeded."
  19. Click "Continue."
  20. Click "Done."
  21. Wait. You many need to wait 1 or 5 or 10 minutes.
       (a) A spinning color wheel may appear. Again, just wait.
  22. Your Drexel email and all of the folders should appear in the left panel.
       (a) You may need to click to expand to see some folders, especially ones that have an arrow next to them.

If you need to purchase an ExQuilla license, see the following webpage.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) may now work with ExQuilla yet (maybe in 2020). Try the Owl add-on if you run into issues. Instructions for Owl are below.

If you need to purchase an Owl license, see the following webpage, click "Purcase" at the top, and enter your information.

Installing and Configuring ExQuilla Add-on in Windows

  1. In Thunderbird in Windows, click the menu, and then click "Add-ons."

  2. Click "Extensions."
  3. Type "Exquilla" (without quotes) in the "Search all add-ons" text search box, and press Enter/Return.
  4. In the search results, click the "Install" button next to "Exquilla for Microsoft Exchange."
  5. Click "Restart now."
  6. Once Thunderbird reopens, click the menu.
  7. Click "Tools," then click "ExQuilla for Microsoft Exchange," and then click "Add Microsoft Exchange Account."
  8. Type your Drexel email address that contains your DrexelOne userid in the "Email address" field.
  9. Type in your DrexelOne password in the "Password" field.
  10. Check "Remember password."
  11. Select "Login with email address (recommended)."
  12. Click "Next."
  13. Select "Manual."
  14. Copy/paste the following web address or URL (without quotes) into the "Microsoft Exchange EWS URL" field:

    https://outlook.office365.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx
     
  15. Type in "Your Name" how you want your name to appear in outgoing messages.
  16. Make sure you see a green circle followed by "URL test succeeded."
  17. Check "Use Microsoft Exchange Mail."
  18. Check "Use Microsoft Exchange Address Book."
  19. Click "Next."
  20. Click "Finish."
  21. If you don't see a new folder appear under "Local Folders" in the left panel:
    1. Click the menu, click "Folders," and click "Menu Bar."
    2. Click "Unified."
    3. Click your Drexel email address in the left panel.
    4. Click "Read Messages."
  22. Wait. You many need to wait 1or 5 or 10 minutes.
  23. Your Drexel email and all of the folders should appear in the left panel.
       (a) You may need to click to expand to see some folders, especially ones that have an arrow next to them.

If you need to purchase an ExQuilla license, see the following webpage.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) may now work with ExQuilla yet (maybe in 2020). Try the Owl add-on if you run into issues. Instructions for Owl are below.

If you need to purchase an Owl license, see the following webpage, click "Purcase" at the top, and enter your information.

Step-by-Step Instructions if Wrong Version of Exquilla Plug-in Installed

Instructions below are for Mac users. Something similar may work for Windows users.

  1. If you already somehow set-up a Microsoft Office 365 account in Thunderbird using Exquilla, first uninstall the Exquilla Microsoft Office 365 account in Thunderbird. Then proceed to step 2 below.
       (a) If you need assistance with this, let us know.
       (b) If you never set-up a Microsoft Office 365 account in Thunderbird using Exquilla, then just proceed to step 2 below.
  2. In Thunderbird on a Mac, click the "Tools" menu, and then click "Add-ons."
  3. Click "Extensions."
  4. In the "Exquilla for Microsoft..." row, click the "Remove" button.
  5. Click "Restart now" and wait for Thunderbird to restart.
  6. Once Thunderbird has restarted, in the "Add-ons Manager" tab, type "Exquilla" (without quotes) in the "Search all add-ons" text search box.
       (a) If you don't see the "Add-ons Manager" tab in Thunderbird, click the "Tools" menu, then click "Add-ons," and then click "Extensions."
  7. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard to search for "Exquilla."
  8. In the search results, in the "Exquilla for Microsoft..." row, click the "Install" button.
  9. Click "Restart now."

Owl Add-On Installation

  1. Download/install Mozilla Thunderbird.
       (a) https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/
  2. Don't set-up an account when prompted. Also, make this default email client if you want, if prompted.
  3. Download/install the Owl Add-on in Thunderbird.
       (a) Windows: Press and hold Alt key, so File and Tools and other menus appear at top of Thunderbird. Click Tools > Add-Ons > Extensions > type "owl" (no quotes) into "Search on addons.thunderbird.net" and search for that > +Add to Thunderbird > Install Now > Close Search tab in Thunderbird.
       (b) Mac: Click Thunderbird menu > Add-ons > Extensions > type "owl" (no quotes) into "Search on addons.thunderbird.net" and search for that > +Add to Thunderbird > Install Now > Close Search tab in Thunderbird.
  4. In Thunderbird's "Owl for Exchange" tab, click "Options" or "Settings" button in the "Owl" row.
  5. Scroll down to "Mail account management," and click "Add new account manually."
  6. Enter short form of Drexel email address in "Your email address" (something like mjg88@drexel.edu , but your email will be different).
  7. In the "Your username" field, enter "DREXEL\userid". No quotes. Userid will be something like mjg88, but your email will be different.
  8. Enter "Your password."
  9. Select "Outlook Web Access."
  10. In "Webmail page" field, enter https://outlook.office.com/mail/inbox 
  11. In the new browser webpage that opens, enter your short form Drexel email again, and click "Next."
  12. Then "Enter password" for your Drexel Connect password, and then click "Sign in."
  13. Approve MFA using whatever method you use (phone call and press #, or text message code, or MFA mobile application code, or clicking "Approve" in MFA mobile application code).
       (a) If you have issues with MFA set-up or usage, see the following link.
       (b) Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication or MFA
  14. Check "Don’t show this again," and click "Yes."
  15. If prompted that contacts cannot be installed, just click "Ok."

If you need to purchase an Owl license, see the following webpage, click "Purcase" at the top, and enter your information.

Troubleshooting Help and Additional Information

Be sure to read the Introduction above about possible end of life for ExQuilla in March 2019 or so.

If you need to purchase an ExQuilla license, see the following webpage.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) may now work with ExQuilla yet (maybe in 2020). Try the Owl add-on if you run into issues. Instructions for Owl are below.

If you need to purchase an Owl license, see the following webpage, click "Purcase" at the top, and enter your information.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) may now work with ExQuilla yet (maybe in 2020). Try the Owl add-on if you run into issues. Instructions for Owl are below.

If you need to purchase an Owl license, see the following webpage, click "Purcase" at the top, and enter your information.

On a Mac, you may see the spinning pin wheel appear for up to 30 seconds every time Thunderbird syncs email with Office 365. Try changing your email sync schedule to 10-15 minutes as a work-around solution.

If you update Thunderbird, update the Exquilla add-on through Thunderbird to the latest stable release.

If the "Microsoft Exchange EWS URL" is marked as bad, check that you are using the correct URL from the instructions above. Do not change or add any letters, number, punctuation, or spaces.

In Windows 10, if a script busy pop-up window appears, check "Don't show this again," and click "Continue." Then wait until Thunderbird says it is responding again.

If no folders appear in the left panel, even after Thunderbird is responding again, close and restart Thunderbird.

When installing Thunderbird for the first time, skip integration and adding accounts and adding new email screens.

If you get an "Authentication Required" box where something like "undefined[drexeloneuserid]@drexel.edu" (without quotes) appears in the "User Name" field:

  1. Correct the "User Name" field to only include your Drexel email address that includes your DrexelOne userid in it.
       (a) Do not included "undefined".
  2. Enter your DrexelOne password.
  3. Important: check the "Use Password Manager to remember this password" checkbox.
  4. Click "OK."
  5. Click "Get Messages." Wait for that to finish.
  6. Then close and re-open Thunderbird.

If you get an "Unable to Load Address Book File" message each time you open Thunderbird, just click "OK." We do not currently have a solution for this issue and hope future updates to the Exquilla add-on will fix this.

General Troubleshooting Tips:

  • Make sure no characters (letters/numbers/punctuation) or white spaces (spaces created by our spacebar or tab key) are in the Search or Filter text boxes.
  • If the issue persists, try closing Thunderbird, (possibly rebooting your computer,) waiting 20 seconds, and opening Thunderbird again.
  • If the issue persists, try a folder repair on your new Drexel Office365 email account in Thunderbird.
  • If the issue persists, delete the new Drexel Office 365 email account you just added to Thunderbird.
    • You can add it back later. No emails will be lost by this.
    • To delete an account, click Tools menu > Account Settings > Account Actions > Remove Account. Check “Remove message data.” “Remove account information” should be checked. Click “Remove.” Wait for removal to occur. Click “OK” to close window.
  • Go to https://outlook.office.com in a web browser, login, click “More” in the left navigation panel if you do not see the “Deleted Items” folder in the left navigation panel, ctrl-click or right-click the “Deleted Items” folder in the left navigation panel, click “Delete All,” and click “OK."
    • Then ctrl-click or right-click the “Junk Email” folder, click “Delete All,” and click “OK."
    • You can recover “Deleted Items” for 30 days, if need be.
  • Re-add your Drexel Office 365 email account to Thunderbird.

Exquilla webpage on Thunderbird/Mozilla add-on website:

Exquilla Website Webpages

Note that this is a legacy Mozilla add-on (see Permissions link on the add-on's webpage), so it has access to all browser functions and data without permission.

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