Destinations

Google Migration FAQ

Google Apps for Education @ NOBTS
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Apps for EDU@NOBTS

Click on the questions below to view:

Why are we doing this?
Who is eligible for this service?
How are Google Apps for Education (GAE) different from the "normal" Google Apps?
Is my address a Gmail address or a NOBTS address? Do I have to change my email address or notify others that there has been a change?
Is this the same as Gmail?
I already have a personal Gmail account. Can I still use it?
How easy is this new system to use?
Will the new system be more reliable than our current system?
What's different?
What's new?
What's not changing?
Is there a timeline for the implementation?
Have you considered moving to other systems like Exchange 2010 (in-hosted or out-hosted) or other cloud options like Microsoft Live?
What about privacy? I've heard that Google tracks your emails. Do you have any concerns about this?
I understand Google has a lot of advertising—won't that be a problem?
If there is no advertising, how does Google provide this service at no cost?
Will our email information be located here or somewhere else?
How do I check my email using the web? Can I check my email when abroad?
Is there anything I need to do differently?
Will all of my email be moved to the new system? Will there be anything that won't be moved? If so, will I lose mail?
What happens to mail popped (pulled off the server) just before the migration?
I understand there will be no email access for 2 days during the migration. Is that true?
Will any information be lost with the mass migration?
If I send an email message to you now, it doesn't leave campus. With Google, wouldn't it leave campus and be subject to FERPA rules?
Do you have any concerns about privacy or security storing our email on someone else's server?
Will this new system stop some of the spam we get?
Is there any relationship between this system and the campus events calendar that people are talking about?
Are students or alumni going to be part of this?
Are Mac users affected?
I have filters in Exchange. Can those be imported into Google mail?
What about access on mobile devices?
Are global lists and contact lists available?
If a professor wants to get mail out to students in a class, we now use Blackboard & Selfserve. Will these services still work?
Regarding the collaboration tools--do you have to go into separate windows?
I move messages to my hard drive under personal folders in Outlook. What happens to those?
Calendar is a big issue for me. Accessing other calendars while not putting the event on my calendar is important but not possible now. Will this be different?
What about reserving conference rooms?
How will you move data from Exchange calendar to Google? What problems are there in moving calendars over?
Can we create separate calendars?
Where can I find additional help and information?
How do I print an email using the Gmail web interface (google.nobts.edu)?
Can I recover a message I've deleted?
What are the limitations on file sizes for a single message?
Will I lose email from NOBTS, because messages are greater than 25mb?
What is a Thread? What is a Conversation?
How do I delete and rename Labels (Exchange calls these folders)?
Does deleting a label delete any messages that have that label?
How do I make a Distribution list?
How can I turn Email preview off or on?
Is there a preview page like in Apple mail?
How can I select multiple emails?
What is Quarantined Email?
How to move messages from Spam folder to Inbox?
What is Google Notifier?
How do I make my signature appear before my message?
How do I search a specific field?
Can I change the order of the columns in my inbox? Or the size of those columns?
Can I change the amount of email I see in my inbox at a time?
Can I move the new messages to the bottom of my inbox list?
How can I change the refresh rate for my inbox?
How do I log in to Google Apps?
How long will it take me to get up to speed with Google Apps?
Can I open my email or calendar in new tab (not a new window)?
Can I access Google Apps offline?
Can I access my Google Apps account from another program?
Which web browsers can I use with Google Apps?
Are there any other system requirements?
What languages does Google Apps support?
How much space do I have for my email messages? Can I run out of space?
Can I access my mail offline?
Can I stop messages from being grouped into conversations?
How do I mark a message as "unread" in my Inbox after I open it?
Can I recall a message I already sent?
I've heard Gmail search is really powerful. How does it work?
Can I import my old email from Outlook or Lotus Notes to Google Apps?
Can I make Gmail the default email program when I click email links?
Can I reply to or forward just a single message in a conversation?
Can I delete a message from a conversation?
Can I open a message in a separate window from my main Mail window?
How can I spell-check a message I write?
Is there a size or type limitation for file attachments in Gmail?
Can I drag and drop a file to attach it to a message?
How can I copy a file attachment from one message to another?
Can I attach a message or conversation to a new message?
There are no folders in Google Apps Email. How do I organize my messages?
How many labels can I create?
Can I apply more than one label to a single email message?
Can I nest labels like I nested folders in old mail program?
When should I delete a message vs. archiving it?
How long do messages stay in my archive?
How long do messages stay in the Trash?
How do I move a message out of the Trash?
Why does a message I archived or deleted show up again in my Inbox?
Should I delete or archive message in my Sent folder?
Does Gmail have an Out of Office feature?
Can I share my email with another employee?
Does Gmail have keyboard shortcuts?
Does Gmail support shared mailboxes?
Does Gmail have a "tasks" feature that lets me add messages to a list for follow-up?
How long do messages remain in my Spam folder?
How do I prevent messages from specific senders from being tagged as spam?
My new Google calendar is empty. How do I get my meetings back on my calendar?
How do I set the time zone for my calendar?
Does Google Calendar have event reminders?
I set up reminders but still don't see them. Why not?
Can I show more than one time zone on my calendar?
Can I book rooms and resources using Google Calendar?
Can I book multiple rooms at once?
Can I invite a mailing list from our corporate directory to a meeting?
Can I invite attendees from outside of my organization's domain?
Will I get a notification if an attendee accepts my meeting invitation?
Can I see a list of attendees who have accepted my invitation?
What's the maximum number of invitees for a meeting?
Can I set up a recurring meeting?
Can I invite an optional attendee to a meeting?
Can I create "live" links in my event description?
Can I edit just one instance of a meeting in a recurring meeting?
Can I make a meeting private?
Can I attach files to a meeting invitation?
Will I get attachments from meetings scheduled in Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes?
What level of access do others have to my calendar? Is my calendar public?
If I want to access my manager's calendar, does that person need to give me permission?
If someone shares their calendar with me, can I get emailed when people accept that person's invitations?
If someone shares their calendar with me, can I hide the calendar?
If I'm invited to a meeting, can I propose a new time for it?
Can I forward an invitation to another employee?
Can I accept invitations on Google Calendar that are sent from another calendar program?
How do I access my list of contacts in Google Apps?
Can I find contact addresses when composing messages or inviting people to a meeting?
Can I see the members of a mailing list in our company directory in Google Apps?
Can I transfer my personal contacts from Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes to Google Apps?
Can I automatically add new contacts based on people I've corresponded with?
Can I add a contact or contact group that's in the company contacts list to my personal contacts?
Can I upload a mailing list from Outlook or Lotus Notes to my Google contacts?
Can I create my own mailing lists in Google Apps?
If I create a contact group, can I delete members?
What types of documents can I create in Google Docs?
Can I import files such as Microsoft Office documents into Google Docs?
Can I share documents I create in Google Docs with others outside of my domain?

Not seeing the question you need answered? Click here to send us a question.

Why are we doing this?

Since the mid-1990s NOBTS has been using this same e-mail platform as the foundation for many of the communication and personal information management services used by NOBTS faculty, and staff. Our current server hardware and current server application, Exchange 2003, have reached an end-of-life status. Last year ITC began an initiative to identify a new solution that could replace and enhance our current systems. That effort resulted in this recommendation after considering more than a dozen alternatives both in-house and out-sourced.

Who is eligible for this service?

All faculty and staff of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. This also includes departmental e-mail accounts.

How are Google Apps for Education (GAE) different from the "normal" Google Apps?

There are several significant differences:

It will be NOBTS-branded and we will know what the addresses are.
Google Apps for Education (GAE) @NOBTS doesn't have advertising like public Google Apps.
While Google searches their accounts for information and maintains an index of this information, Google doesn't include the GAE @NOBTS data in their regular search and index data stores.
GAE @NOBTS is controlled by the ITC group at NOBTS. Accounts are added, deleted, and supported by NOBTS staff much as they are at present.
GAE @NOBTS access is controlled by your NOBTS Active Directory account. The same password that gets you into NOBTS's network, gets you into GAE @NOBTS.
Your GAE @NOBTS email address will just be your normal "@NOBTS.edu" address.
GAE @NOBTS introduces the idea of community in which we come together in collaborative settings.

Is my address a Gmail address or a NOBTS address? Do I have to change my email address or notify others that there has been a change?

Your email address remains the same @nobts.edu address that it has been. There is no change needed and you do not need to notify others about this change.

Is this the same as Gmail?

Essentially it is. It allows users, however, to keep their @NOBTS.edu address as well as utilize the calendar, docs, and other functionality in a manner that integrates with other campus services.

I already have a personal Gmail account. Can I still use it?

Of course you can still use your personal Gmail account. The NOBTS Gmail account is a different account. It is actually part of Google Apps for Education.

How easy is this new system to use?

The screens are intuitive and easy to navigate, although there may be some changes in terminology. For instance, the term "folders" in Exchange web mail and outlook translates to "labels" in Google mail. You can review additional information on the following site:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=guide.cs&hl=en&guide=21758

Will the new system be more reliable than our current system?

Google's up-time may be better than ours for web access from outside of the NOBTS network. Because of this our communication needs will be met continuously during evacuation times. However one major change to our current access to email - - if the NOBTS's main campus internet connections provided by AT&T goes down we may not have access to our email boxes internally. Now the internal email will continue whether we are connected to the internet or not. Internet outages do occur periodically and will need to be acknowledged as a potential issue.

What's different?

All users have all services
Webmail will be replaced with Gmail
Exchange Public calendars will be phased out for Google calendar
7+ GB mail quotas. From 100MB to 7+ GB--almost 71x more!
Expanded support for mobile device integration

What's new?

Google docs for online document creation & collaboration
Google sites (web page creation tool) adds an alternate way to set up public or private web pages for projects/groups/clubs, etc.
Google chat allows IM (instant messaging) within the NOBTS Google apps domain (if user enabled)

What's not changing?

Desktop applications, including Microsoft Office/ Outlook
@NOBTS.edu—your NOBTS address
Active Directory sign-on

Is there a timeline for the implementation?

Orientation & trainings for end users beginning in March
Migration of users and mail boxes early/mid April
Project completion by May 1

During the migration, there will be a minimum of 2 days where access to old email will be limited but any new email will be flowing into Google with little or no disruption in email services.

Have you considered moving to other systems like Exchange 2010 (in-hosted or out-hosted) or other cloud options like Microsoft Live?

Exchange (in-hosted and out-hosted) was on our original list but as we considered our current and future needs we discovered we have a unique opportunity to expand our functionality while saving potentially quite a bit of money. The replication of our current hardware and server software would require a significant financial investment with little advancement of functionality. Out hosting Exchange 2010 was cost prohibitive. Other cloud options like Microsoft Live were considered but reports from other educational institutions have been convincingly positive for GAE. The Google Apps for Education has been our "backup" email system for several years. So the reconfiguration of the GAE to be our primary system would be minimal.

We also looked at other products, but those were not high on our list due to shortage of features and/or the costs were prohibitive.

What about privacy? I've heard that Google tracks your emails. Do you have any concerns about this?

We discovered that we can turn off advertisements. And as we understand it there are assurances in contracts that say that Google will " protect the other party's Confidential Information with the same standard of care it uses to protect its own." The only reason for searching our email would be a legal requirement to do so. That would involve a subpoena and Google would contact NOBTS prior to any action on their part. We are confident that our privacy concerns have been adequately addressed.

Here is the GOOGLE APPS FOR EDUCATION AGREEMENT http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/terms/education_terms.html if you would like to review its terms.

I understand Google has a lot of advertising—won't that be a problem?

We have an option to turn that off, which we will exercise. Google will not take our information, scan it, and use it for their marketing. This stipulation is spelled out in the contract with Google.

If there is no advertising, how does Google provide this service at no cost?

Because they're advertising to everyone else. Google began as a project from another university and this is their way of giving back.

Will our email information be located here or somewhere else?

It will be stored at Google. If the end users would like they may download their email to their local computer for local computer access only.

How do I check my email using the web? Can I check my email when abroad?

Yes, log in at google.nobts.edu .

Is there anything I need to do differently?

You can help the transition by cleaning up your email account. Empty the trash, clean up messages in your sent folder, and remove any messages that are of no use to you. Emails with attachments use up the most space. Open the email, save the attachment to your local hard drive and then delete the email. (This will also remove the message sent with the attachment.)
During the transition period, if you want to move your mail from local folders so that it is transferred to Google, you'll probably need some assistance from ITC.

Will all of my email be moved to the new system? Will there be anything that won't be moved? If so, will I lose mail?

Email that is currently on the server (seen when you login to Webmail) will be moved.
Mail in local folders in Outlook (local computer drive resources) will not be moved to Google unless you use a migration tool provided by Google--additional details to be provided prior to the transition.
Your email will pass through Google's virus filtering during the migration, so it's possible you'll lose some infected messages.
We will be using the Google Apps Migration for Microsoft® Exchange to assist in the migration.

What happens to mail popped (pulled off the server) just before the migration?

If it's not on the server, it won't migrate initially.

I understand there will be no email access for 2 days during the migration. Is that true?

In order for us to migrate safely, we have to point new email delivery to Google. The email may be in transition during that time. This means that the email will be delivered to either the existing internal email system or to the GAE boxes. We do not anticipate "losing" mail we may just have to look for it. During the migration email will be moved to Google and be scanned for possible viruses or corrupt files. It could take more than 2 days, but we're working on minimizing that time-frame. After we complete some testing we will have a better idea on the timeframe involved.

Will any information be lost with the mass migration?

Messages of a suspicious nature, whether found to be corrupt or contain a virus, will not be moved. These types of messages will stay on our current server for further investigation by the owner of the account with assistance from User Support.

If I send an email message to you now, it doesn't leave campus. With Google, wouldn't it leave campus and be subject to FERPA rules?

It is not acceptable now to send social security numbers, driver's license information, and credit card numbers through campus email. We strongly discourage sending private information unless it is encrypted (protected). It is not a good practice to send private information through email. Any data is always at risk. We don't require (but encourage) secure settings on our email system.

Do you have any concerns about privacy or security storing our email on someone else's server?

No, but if we decided to move away Google will help us migrate the data.

Will this new system stop some of the spam we get?

Maybe. NOBTS blocks 95% of spam that comes into campus, so we already cut out the overwhelming majority of spam that comes to NOBTS. Email programs typically have a way to 'learn' what spam messages look like. Google's filtering technology seems to be good at ‘learning' that messages you tag as spam will not be sent to you in the future.

Is there any relationship between this system and the campus events calendar that people are talking about?

How it plays with the campus events calendar is not yet known but there are possibilities. Actually we anticipate a better solution for the campus calendar by using the tools provided in GAE.

Are students or alumni going to be part of this?

This is not currently part of our plans.

Are Mac users affected?

We do not anticipate there being a problem with people using Macs.

I have filters in Exchange. Can those be imported into Google mail?

No, but you can create new rules for Gmail filters.

What about access on mobile devices?

Google has varying support for iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Palm, and other similar devices. Some devices can do full calendar synchronization directly with Google. Others can only access Google data through a mobile friendly web interface. And some require a third party software tool to synchronize data. Synchronization with all of the common devices appears to be technically feasible, but our testing is ongoing and may require purchased software or additional work on behalf of the device owner. Seminary-owned phones will be supported by the Telephone Services department.

Are global lists and contact lists available?

We're evaluating these features but it looks like we'll keep our global list. Google has groups that we can create however Google's approach is different.

If a professor wants to get mail out to students in a class, we now use Blackboard & Selfserve. Will these services still work?

Normal email announcements from Blackboard & Selfserve will go to student accounts as they do now.

Regarding the collaboration tools--do you have to go into separate windows?

If you're in email, you can click on documents and it will pop up an extra tab or window. You can then choose to open a Word document, etc. Google does tend to open extra windows but it's inside the browser settings.

I move messages to my hard drive under personal folders in Outlook. What happens to those?

User support will be figuring out how best to assist people in moving those. If you use the web interface, you'll probably want to move those messages from local folders.

Calendar is a big issue for me. Accessing other calendars while not putting the event on my calendar is important but not possible now. Will this be different?

You can have multiple calendars in Google and share them (or not) differently. You can view other calendars on top of your own calendar and add things depending on the level of sharing others set up. You could have a private calendar you can turn on/off.

What about reserving conference rooms?

There may be some issues, but you can set up resource accounts and use these to set up resource reserving. We will look more into this as we make the migration.

How will you move data from Exchange calendar to Google? What problems are there in moving calendars over?

Events, info, location and some details in the notes should be fine. What might be lost is attendee info (you won't know who put it on) and you won't know who will be attending or not. We will encourage people to use the new system on the web. The Exchange calendar data may have to be exported and then re-imported. There are some migration tools from Google for Exchange and we will explore the usage of these as we encounter the issues.

Can we create separate calendars?

Yes, you can have multiple calendars per person, e.g., personal, class, etc.

Where can I find additional help and information?

The Google Help Center is a great resource for all questions and is updated often. The Getting Started Guide is also a great resource for beginning Gmail users.

How do I print an email using the Gmail web interface (google.nobts.edu)?

When you are in the email address you want to print, click on the Down Arrow next to the Reply button on the right hand side of the message. Print is an option.

Can I recover a message I've deleted?

You can move your message back to its original location from the Trash folder as long as you do it within 30 days of deleting the message. If it has been longer than 30 days, you will not be able to recover it. Do not use your Trash folder as mail storage. http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=7401

What are the limitations on file sizes for a single message?

With Gmail you can send and receive messages up to 25 MB in size, including attachments. Keep in mind some other email services will not allow their users to receive emails that large even if you can send it. We will need to encourage users to take advantage of file zipping programs to send/receive large sized files.

Will I lose email from NOBTS, because messages are greater than 25mb?

No. NOBTS email is currently limited to 10mb per message, so if you have an e-mail in Outlook now, it is under the limit for Gmail.

What is a Thread? What is a Conversation?

From Google's Getting Started Guide - Gmail displays messages and related replies into threads called "conversations." This means if you send a message to your mom and she replies, you'll receive her message, and your original message will be displayed in the same thread. If she replies again, the same conversation will become bold in your inbox to highlight the update in the conversation. In other words, you won't see two separate places to click in your inbox. All these messages will be kept in one place.

How do I delete and rename Labels (Exchange calls these folders)?

Select "Manage Labels" from Labels button, use remove link to delete, click on Label name to edit.

Does deleting a label delete any messages that have that label?

No. All it does is remove the label from the messages.

How do I make a Distribution list?

Open contacts and select new group to create a new Distribution list. To add users to the distribution list search for their name under contacts and select the person you want to add to the distribution list. Click groups, and then add them to the distribution list.

How can I turn Email preview off or on?

Go to settings -> general -> Turn "Snippets" off or on.

Is there a preview page like in Apple mail?

No, but you can use settings -> Labs -> Turn on "Message Sneak Peek" for a right-click full preview.

Peek into a conversation without opening it by right-clicking on a message in your inbox.

How can I select multiple emails?

Click on check box, not message Subject (which deselects previous selection even if you hold Shift or Command)

What is Quarantined Email?

Click on Deliver link in nightly email to send to Inbox, or click on "Message Center" link in email if you want to why is was quarantined (click on "Block Reason next to message) or if you want to Whitelist sender. Click on "My Settings" in upper right to change your Junk Filter level (Junk Settings->Manage Junk Filter - default is Strict) or if you want to add senders or domains that you want to always block.

How to move messages from Spam folder to Inbox?

Check the checkbox for the email you wish to move to the inbox. Then click the "Not Spam" button. Once you press this button it will automatically be moved to your inbox.

What is Google Notifier?

Provides new email alerts, upcoming calendar events, and can be set as the Target App for web mailto: links which it will pass on to Google Mail's "Compose Message"

How do I make my signature appear before my message?

You can enable a lab function that will allow this. Click on settings -> Labs and then enable "Signature Tweaks"

How do I search a specific field?

Click "Show Search Options" next to the search button to search by a specific field.

Can I change the order of the columns in my inbox? Or the size of those columns?

No, not at this time.

Can I change the amount of email I see in my inbox at a time?

Yes, the default is 50 messages at a time. You can change it to the max (which is 100) by going to settings, and under the general tab there will be an option to change to 100.

Can I move the new messages to the bottom of my inbox list?

No you cannot move new messages to the bottom of your inbox list because it would move the new messages off the first page.

How can I change the refresh rate for my inbox?

Mail appears in your inbox as soon as it arrives. If you want a notification when you receive an email you can use the Google Notifier to post a notification when the webpage isn't open.

How do I log in to Google Apps?

Go to http://google.nobts.edu in any web browser.
Log in with your Google Apps username--the first part of the email address you'll be using with Google Apps--and password.

How long will it take me to get up to speed with Google Apps?

You should be able to begin sending and receiving mail, scheduling calendar events, and managing contacts right away, without any trouble. Becoming accustomed to Gmail's unique mail management features such a conversations and labels can take a bit longer. Within a week, however, many people find they are not only comfortable with Google Apps, but they appreciate the benefits and no longer miss their old application.

Can I open my email or calendar in new tab (not a new window)?

Yes, if you set up your browser to open links in a new window or tab. Tip: If you want to open Google Mail or Calendar in a new tab instead of a new window, change your settings in your web browser. In Internet Explorer, for example, go to Tools >Internet Options>Tabs>Settings, and click Let Internet Explorer choose how to open pop-ups.

Can I access Google Apps offline?

Yes, you can set up Gmail for offline access to your most recent email messages. To enable this feature, click Settings in the upper-right corner of your Mail window, click the Offline tab, and then click Enable Offline Mail for this computer. (Note, however, that if your Google Apps administrator has disabled offline access for your domain, the Offline tab won't be available and you won't be able to use this feature.)

Can I access my Google Apps account from another program?

Google Apps works great in any standard web browser. But you can access your account from other programs, too. Here are your choices:

IMAP clients: You can also access Gmail from any of several other mail programs by setting them up as IMAP clients. These include Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Windows Mail, Apple Mail, and more. Get instructions on IMAP clients.
POP clients: If your mail program can't be set up for IMAP, you can set it up as a POP client instead. Get instructions on POP clients.

Which web browsers can I use with Google Apps?

Google Apps supports the following browsers:

Google Chrome
Internet Explorer 7+
Mozilla Firefox 2.0+
Apple Safari 3.0

Are there any other system requirements?

No. Because Google Apps runs in a web browser, you just need to use a supported browser.

What languages does Google Apps support?

The interface for Gmail and Google Calendar are available in over 50 languages. For a list of the available languages and instructions on how to set a different language, see the Gmail Help Center.

How much space do I have for my email messages? Can I run out of space?

Your account has 7.2 GB of storage. Note that Google Apps restricts the size of file attachments to 25 MB, so you don't have to worry about a few large files using up your storage space.

Can I access my mail offline?

Can I stop messages from being grouped into conversations?

Yes. Click Settings in the upper-right corner of your Gmail window and, on the General tab, scroll down to Conversation View.

If Conversation View is off, new messages won’t be grouped into conversations, and any existing conversations are ungrouped into separate messages.
If Conversation View is on, you can't separate the messages in a conversation. However, if you want to send a reply but don't want it to be added to the conversation, you can simply change the subject line in your reply.

How do I mark a message as "unread" in my Inbox after I open it?

Select the message. Then, in the More actions drop-down list, select Mark as unread.

Can I recall a message I already sent?

Yes, Gmail Labs has an early version of a new "message undo" feature that lets you recall a message within a few seconds after you send it. To enable the feature, click the Labs icon (green flask) in the upper-right corner of your Gmail window. Then, under Undo Send, click Enable. Note that your Google Apps administrator must enable Labs for your domain for this feature to be available.

I've heard Gmail search is really powerful. How does it work?

To search for messages, type a word that the messages contain. Note, however, that Search matches "whole words" only—that is, it doesn't recognize partial or similar matches. For example, if you search for benefits, Search won't find benefit or benef. Also, Search doesn't recognize special search characters, such as square brackets, parentheses, currency symbols, the ampersand, the pound sign, and asterisks. By default, Search doesn't look in your Trash or Spam folders. To search those folders also, click Show search options next to the Search field, and then, in the Search drop-down list, select Mail & Spam & Trash. You can find more information about using Search in the Google Apps Help Center. A list of the advanced search operators is available in the Google Apps Help Center. You can also print out this reference sheet.

Can I import my old email from Outlook or Lotus Notes to Google Apps?

Yes. Data Migration tools will assist with this task.

Can I make Gmail the default email program when I click email links?

Yes, if Google Talk is enabled for your domain. In that case, specify Gmail as your default email program as follows:

Open Google Talk.
Click Settings in the upper-right corner of your contacts list.
In the General dialog box, select Open Gmail when I click on email links.
Click OK.

Note, however, that this setting doesn't work for all email links. If Google Talk isn't enabled, you can use Gmail Notifier (available with the free edition of Google Apps, only.)

Can I reply to or forward just a single message in a conversation?

Yes. Open the conversation and expand the individual message. At the bottom of the message card, click Reply or Forward.

Can I delete a message from a conversation?

Yes, you can delete one or more messages in a conversation as follows:

Open the conversation and expand the message you want to delete.
Click the down arrow next to Reply in the upper-right corner of the message card.
Select Delete this message.

Can I open a message in a separate window from my main Mail window?

Yes, if your browser is set to display pop-ups in a new window, you can do the following:

If you're reading a message, click the New Window link in the upper-right corner of the message.
If you're composing a new message, click the "pop-up" icon in the upper-right corner of the message.

How can I spell-check a message I write?

Click Check Spelling at the top of the message you're composing. Misspelled words are highlighted in yellow. Click a misspelled word to see suggested corrections.

Is there a size or type limitation for file attachments in Gmail?

Yes. To help prevent viruses, Gmail won't accept file attachments that are executable files. There's also a 25 MB size limitation for attachments. For details, see the Google Help Center.

Can I drag and drop a file to attach it to a message?

Yes, if you're using a Chrome browser. Otherwise, you must browse to a file to attach it.

How can I copy a file attachment from one message to another?

Because Gmail is a web-based system, you can't drag a file attachment from one message to another. As a workaround, you can do the following:

Open the message or conversation that contains the file attachment.
If the file is attached to a single message, click Forward (at the bottom of the message). If it's attached to a message in a conversation, click Forward all on the right.
Delete all the "forwarded" content from original messages, which appears at the bottom of your new message. Note that the file attachment remains with the forwarded message.
Then compose your new message and send it.

Alternatively, you can download the attachment and then upload it to another message.

Can I attach a message or conversation to a new message?

No, you can't embed one message into another directly. As a workaround, you can do the following:

To attach a single message, open it and click Forward (at the bottom of the message). To attach a conversation, open it click Forward all on the right.
Then compose your new message and send it. The earlier message will be included below your new message.

Alternatively, you can copy the text from the earlier message and paste it into a new message.

There are no folders in Google Apps Email. How do I organize my messages?

Instead of folders, Gmail has a "labels" feature. Labels are similar to folders, but are more powerful and flexible, because you can add multiple labels to a message to categorize it in several ways. For details, see the Google Help Center .

How many labels can I create?

You can create up to about 200 labels.

Can I apply more than one label to a single email message?

Yes, you can apply any number of labels to a message: Select the message in your Inbox, or open it, and select one or more labels in the Labels drop-down list at the top of your Mail window.

Can I nest labels like I nested folders in old mail program?

Yes, by enabling the Nested Labels lab in Gmail. This feature lets you build a label hierarchy, just like you can with folders. To enable the feature, click Settings in the upper-right corner of your Mail window, and then click Labs. Under Nested Labels, click Enable. Note that your Google Apps administrator must enable Labs for your domain for this feature to be available. If Labs aren't enabled, you can simulate a folder tree with labels, as follows:

Use a character, such as a forward slash (/) to separate your top-level label from sub-labels.
Create sub-labels by appending them to your top-level labels using the separator.

For example, with the top-level label "Projects," your sub-labels might be "Projects/Artwork" and "Projects/Brochures."

When should I delete a message vs. archiving it?

Deleting or archiving a message removes it from your inbox. If you delete a message, it's placed in the Trash and then permanently removed from your Google Apps account after 30 days. If you archive a message, it's moved to All Mail (your archive), where you can easily find it in the future, using Google's powerful search feature. Since you have plenty of space for storing all your mail (7+Gb), we recommend that you archive messages rather than permanently deleting them.

How long do messages stay in my archive?

Messages remain in your archive forever, unless you choose to delete them

How long do messages stay in the Trash?

Messages remain in the Trash for 30 days. After that, Gmail permanently deletes them.

How do I move a message out of the Trash?

Find the message in the Trash and select it. Then, in the Move to drop-down list at the top of the Mail window, select Inbox.

Why does a message I archived or deleted show up again in my Inbox?

If someone replies to a message you archived or trashed, that message reappears in your Inbox as a conversation, bringing the message you archived or deleted, with it. If the message has already been permanently deleted from the Trash, you'll see an option at the bottom of the message to view the deleted messages in the conversation.

Should I delete or archive message in my Sent folder?

There's no need to delete or archive messages in the Sent folder. Messages remain in this folder forever, unless you delete them. But, because you have 7+ GB of storage space, you can keep messages in this folder to refer to them later, if needed. Also, note that messages in the Sent folder are actually archived in All Mail, so even if you archive these messages, they stay in the Sent folder.

Does Gmail have an Out of Office feature?

Yes, in Gmail, you can set up your "vacation responder," which is similar to the Out of Office feature in Otulook or Lotus Notes. For details, see the Google Help Center.

Can I share my email with another employee?

Shared mailboxes aren't supported. However, you can easily set up an email filter (rule) to forward specific types of messages to another employee.

Does Gmail have keyboard shortcuts?

Yes, Gmail includes a full set of keyboard shortcuts. First, you must enable keyboard shortcuts:

In the upper-right corner of the Mail window, click Settings.
Under Keyboard shortcuts, select Keyboard shortcuts on.
Click Save Settings.

Then, to see the shortcuts, press SHIFT+? while viewing your list of messages in the main Mail window.

Does Gmail support shared mailboxes?

Not exactly. But as a workaround, you can create your own mailing list (called a “group”) for all the employees who want to share an email address. This requires that your administrator has enabled User-Managed groups for your domain. If user-managed groups aren't available, then you should ask your Google Apps administrator to set up a mailing list (group) for all the employees who want to share an email address. Or if email delegation is enabled for your domain, you can use that to allow up to 10 other users access a single email account.

Does Gmail have a "tasks" feature that lets me add messages to a list for follow-up?

Yes, the Google Tasks gadget is available in Gmail and Calendar. Just click the Tasks link in the pane on the left to open the Tasks gadget. Use the gadget to create one or more task lists. To add an email message to a tasks list, open the message and then click More Actions > Add to Tasks. The subject of the message appears at the top of your tasks list, with a link to the message content.

How long do messages remain in my Spam folder?

Messages remain in the Spam folder for 30 days. After that, Gmail permanently deletes them.

How do I prevent messages from specific senders from being tagged as spam?

If messages from a sender outside your domain are being incorrectly tagged as spam, you can prevent this from happening by creating an email filter using the Never send it to Spam option:

In Gmail, click Settings > Filters > Create a new filter.
Enter the person's address in the From field, and then click Next Step.
Select Never send it to spam, and then click Create Filter.

My new Google calendar is empty. How do I get my meetings back on my calendar?

You have a few options for migrating old calendar data to Google Apps. For details, see Data Migration.

How do I set the time zone for my calendar?

To change the default time zone and other settings, follow these steps:

Access Google Calendar.
In the upper right of the page, click Settings.
On the General page, in the Language section, select a language.
In the Country and Your current time zone sections, select the appropriate options.
In the Date format section, select an option.
In the Time format section, select an option.
Click Save at the bottom of the page.

Does Google Calendar have event reminders?

Yes, by default, Google Calendar displays a pop-up reminder 10 minutes before an event. You change the reminder time by editing the settings for your calendar.

I set up reminders but still don't see them. Why not?

To receive event reminders, make sure your Calendar window is open.

Can I show more than one time zone on my calendar?

Yes, you can view two time zones in Google Calendar. To add another time zone to your calendar view, click Settings. On the General tab, under Your current time zone, select another time zone in the Additional time zone list.

Can I book rooms and resources using Google Calendar?

Yes, if they've been set up by your Google Apps administrator. In your invitation, click the Check guest and resource availability link. In the Find a Time window that appears, you can search for a resource or browse the list of resources.

Can I book multiple rooms at once?

Yes, you can book more than one room or resource for your event invitation.

Can I invite a mailing list from our corporate directory to a meeting?

Yes, you can invite any mailing list (group) in our corporate directory to a meeting. Each member of the group will receive an email invitation. Note, however, that the email invitation won’t show all the members of the group. Also, the group members will appear in the invitation on each attendee’s calendar only if you have permission to view the group’s member list.

Can I invite attendees from outside of my organization's domain?

Yes, you can send meeting invitations to any email address.

Will I get a notification if an attendee accepts my meeting invitation?

By default, notifications are turned off. But you can turn reminders on, and choose whether to receive a pop-up notification or an email notification:

Access Google Calendar.
In the upper-right corner of the page, click Settings.
Click the Calendars tab.
Under My Calendars, click the Notifications link for your calendar.
Choose the settings you want.
Click Save.

Can I see a list of attendees who have accepted my invitation?

Yes, open the event details to see who has accepted your invitation.

What's the maximum number of invitees for a meeting?

The maximum number of invitees is 500. However, if you need to invite more than 500 people to a meeting, contact your Google Apps administrator who might be able to provide you with the "magic meeting maker tool," which allows inviting more attendees.

Can I set up a recurring meeting?

Yes, Google Calendar fully supports recurring meetings. To set one up, in your meeting invitation, select an option in the Repeats drop-down list.

Can I invite an optional attendee to a meeting?

Google Calendar currently does not include the option to specify optional attendees. As a workaround, you can indicate which attendees are optional in the Description field.

Can I create "live" links in my event description?

Yes, but only if you don't let attendees edit the invitation (don't select the Guests can modify event check box). Note that, as the host, you always can edit the invitation, the links won't appear as "live" on your own calendar. However, you'll see the live links in the event confirmation message you receive. To create a link to a website in the event description, simply type the URL, such as http://www.google.com. You can also create linked text by using HTML tags. For example, to create the link Product Info, you would use HTML code in the format Product Info . If the HTML code is valid, Google Calendar hides the HTML when you save the event (but shows the text "Product Info"). It then creates the link in the invitation that attendees receive.

Can I edit just one instance of a meeting in a recurring meeting?

Yes. Open the instance that you want to edit, make your changes, and click Save. Google Calendar then asks you whether you want to apply your changes to just the selected meeting, all meetings, or all meetings moving forward.

Can I make a meeting private?

Yes, Google Calendar has privacy settings. In the event details, select Private so only others with Make changes to events privileges (or higher) for your calendar can see the event and its details.

Can I attach files to a meeting invitation?

Yes, you can attach files to a meeting invitation by adding links to documents in your Google Docs directory. For example, you can create a document in Google Docs, and then add a link to it in your invitation. Or, you can upload many types of files—such as Microsoft Office and PDF documents—to Google Docs. Google Docs generates a URL for the uploaded file, which you can then add to your invitation. Here are a few other ways to add file attachments to your meeting invitations:

Alternative 1: Schedule the meeting, and then send the attachment in a separate email message.
Alternative 2: Post the document on the intranet and add a link to a document in your meeting invitation.
Alternative 3: Schedule the meeting through Gmail: Compose a new email message addressed to your attendees, add the attachment, and then click Invitation. Next, enter details about your meeting and send your invitation. Note that if you want to book a room for your meeting, you’ll first need to create a separate invitation on your calendar. Once the room is booked, you can add the room to your email message and send the invitation.

Will I get attachments from meetings scheduled in Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes?

Yes. If someone using Outlook or Notes sends you a meeting invitation that includes an attachment, you'll get the attachment in the email invitation. However, the attachment won't appear in the event on your calendar.

What level of access do others have to my calendar? Is my calendar public?

By default, your calendar is shared with everyone in your domain, and they can see your calendar's free/busy information only. However, you can turn off calendar sharing. If you share your calendar with everyone at your domain, you can specify whether they can see only free/busy information or all event details. You can also share your calendar with specific people and give them one of the following levels of access:

See free/busy information only
See all event details
Make changes to your calendar
Make changes and share your calendar with others

If I want to access my manager's calendar, does that person need to give me permission?

Yes, if you want to access another employee's calendar, that person must give you permission, by editing the settings for the calendar.

If someone shares their calendar with me, can I get emailed when people accept that person's invitations?

Yes, you can set up notifications for a shared calendar. However, by default, notifications are turned off. Here's how to turn them on:

Access Google Calendar.
In the upper-right corner of the page, click Settings.
Click the Calendars tab.
On the Calendars tab, click the Notifications link for the calendar.
Choose the settings you want.
Click Save.

If someone shares their calendar with me, can I hide the calendar?

Yes, you can hide the calendar by clicking it in your list of calendars on the left of your calendar view.

If I'm invited to a meeting, can I propose a new time for it?

Not directly. But there's an easy workaround. First, open the invitation and, under Are You Coming?, select Maybe. Then do one of the following:

To propose a new time to the host only, enter your proposal in the Add a Note field.
To propose a new time to all the attendees, click the Email guests link in the upper-right corner to send your new proposal in an email message to one or more attendees.

Can I forward an invitation to another employee?

Yes, if the meeting host selected the option to allow guests to invite others. If so, in your meeting invitation, click Add guests, type the address to which you want to forward the invitation, and then click Save. Google Calendar will ask you if you want to send an invitation to the new guest. The new guest will then always receive updates to the meeting from the host. Note that the meeting host is notified by email that you invited another attendee.

Can I accept invitations on Google Calendar that are sent from another calendar program?

Yes. If someone outside your domain sends your an invitation from another type of calendar, you can typically accept the invitation from Google Calendar. If possible, Google Calendar inserts an Add to Calendar link in the invitation. Simply click the link, and the invitation is added to your Google calendar. Otherwise, if the invitation is in the standard .ics format (such as Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes invitations), you can download the .ics file and upload it to Google Calendar.

How do I access my list of contacts in Google Apps?

In your Gmail window, click Contacts on the left.

Can I find contact addresses when composing messages or inviting people to a meeting?

Yes, you can access Google Apps contacts picker, which includes the email addresses of all the Google Apps users in your organization. Access the contacts picker when composing an email message: Click the To: link.

Can I see the members of a mailing list in our company directory in Google Apps?

No, you can't view the members of a mailing list that was added to Google Apps.

Can I transfer my personal contacts from Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes to Google Apps?

Yes. To see your options, see Data Migration.

Can I automatically add new contacts based on people I've corresponded with?

Yes. Whenever you send an email message to someone, the Google Apps contacts manager adds that person's email address to your Suggested Contacts list. You can then select the addresses you want to add to your personal contacts, as follows: On the left of your Mail window, click Contacts, and then click Suggested Contacts. Select the addresses you want to add, and then click Move to Contacts.

Can I add a contact or contact group that's in the company contacts list to my personal contacts?

Yes, if you've already sent email to the contact or group, you can quickly add it to your personal contacts:

Open your Contacts list, and in the Search contacts field, start entering the contact's name or email address.
When the contact appears, select it, and then click Move to My Contacts (above the contact's details on the right).

If you haven't yet sent email to a contact or group, you'll need to create a new contact and manually enter all the contact's information, including the email address.
Note: After you add a corporate contact to your personal contacts, you can add additional information to the contact's details. This information appears only in your personal contacts, not the corporate contacts.

Can I upload a mailing list from Outlook or Lotus Notes to my Google contacts?

Not directly, but you can recreate the mailing list in Google Apps as follows:
Open Outlook or Notes and display the addresses in the mailing list.
In your Google contacts, click the New Group button.
In the Add to group field, start typing the email address of a contact in the Outlook or Notes mailing list (refer to the open mailing list for the addresses).
When the contact appears, select it. Google contact manager adds the contact to the new group.
Continue adding contacts to the group.

Can I create my own mailing lists in Google Apps?

Yes, you can create "contact groups" by accessing your Google Apps contacts picker, and then creating a new contact group. Your contact group then appears in your personal contacts manager in Google Apps. To access the contacts picker:

When composing an email message: Click the To: link.
When creating a meeting invitation: In the event details window, click Choose from contacts under Add Guests.

For details, see Create groups and mailing lists.

Yes, you can import the following types of documents into Google Docs:
Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pps)
Rich Text (.rft) * Plain text (.txt)
HTML (.html) * PDF (.pdf)
Comma-separated values (.csv) * Tab-separated values (.tsv)
OpenDocument Text (.odt)
OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods)
StarOffice (.sxw)

Destinations

Google Migration FAQ

Google Apps for Education @ NOBTS Frequently Asked Questions About Google Apps for EDU@NOBTS

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Google Apps for Education @ NOBTS
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Apps for EDU@NOBTS