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FAQs

The Basics

Account Management

Employees who are students

Spam Management

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The Basics

Who can use MASONLIVE?

MASONLIVE is available to anyone who is a student at George Mason University. It is the official Mason e-mail account which replaces the student's current MEMO (Mason Enterprise Messaging Online) mail system. MEMO remains the official e-mail application for Mason employees (Faculty or Staff).


Do you have any information on MASONLIVE for Faculty & Staff ?

Yes. Please download this PDF document which provides detailed information about MASONLIVE for Faculty & Staff.


Why use the MASONLIVE student e-mail?

Your George Mason University e-mail account is the official means of campus communication.  Important information regarding registration, billing, coursework, and other university announcements will only be delivered to this account.


What is included with the MASONLIVE account?

Your MASONLIVE student e-mail account provides e-mail and more. Your student e-mail is very similar to the Windows Live Hotmail environment.  What is included:

MASONLIVE also includes access to the following Microsoft services for students only:

cautionPlease note: George Mason University manages only the e-mail feature of the new environment; all other services are provided directly by Microsoft.


Can students access MASONLIVE student e-mail accounts via the Mac?

Yes. Macs can access MASONLIVE student e-mail accounts via Safari 3.1 and later versions and Firefox 3.0.1 and later versions. Other browsers will allow you to view your MASONLIVE e-mail, but not provide you will the full feature set (your e-mail will open in the light version).


What is my MASONLIVE e-mail address?

Your e-mail address will be your username (Mason NetID) followed by @masonlive.gmu.edu. (if your username (Mason NetID) is 'student' then your e-mail will be student@masonlive.gmu.edu). 


What is my password for my MASONLIVE student e-mail?

You have two different passwords for MASONLIVE student e-mail, depending on your method of entry to MASONLIVE. If you connect via http://masonlive.gmu.edu, your password is your Patriot Pass password. 

The Microsoft Personal Password will allow you to log in to your MASONLIVE e-mail directly through http://www.outlook.com and will also be used to set up your e-mail forward to your smartphone, another e-mail account, or an e-mail client application. Your initial Microsoft Personal Password is your G Number (including the capital G).


How do I log in to my MASONLIVE student e-mail account?

After you set up your MASONLIVE e-mail (which you will do the first time you connect to MASONLIVE—please see the instructions and more details on our 1st Login Instructions page), you will be able to connect to your MASONLIVE account in several different ways:

  1. Through the MASONLIVE web site
    Log in through http://masonlive.gmu.edu. You will need to log in with your username (Mason NetID) and your current Patriot Pass password. 
  2. Through the myMason portal
    Once you connect to http://mymason.gmu.edu, you can click on the e-mail link in the portal for direct access to your MASONLIVE e-mail.

Please note: Be sure to log off any other Windows Live accounts, i.e., Hotmail, before logging in to your @masonlive.gmu.edu student e-mail account. 


Can I use Google Docs with MASONLIVE e-mail addresses?

Yes. However, to access materials through Google Docs, you must create an account (register your MASONLIVE e-mail address) with Google Docs.


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Account Management

How do I reset my password?

To change or reset your Patriot Pass password, please visit the Password Management web site.

To update your Microsoft Personal Password, please visit "Options," then "Change your Password" within MASONLIVE (detailed instructions can be found in the tutorials section).


Can I forward my e-mail out of the MASONLIVE student e-mail account into another account?

Yes. But if you forward your MASONLIVE student e-mail to another account, official e-mail may get caught and eliminated by the spam filters used by the receiving account. You may choose to either forward your account via a rule in MASONLIVE (this can be found under the "Options" menu) or set up a pull from the system where you want to have your MASONLIVE e-mail forwarded (if supported). For more information, please see the tutorials page.


How can I use mail clients such as Thunderbird, Outlook, or Entourage with my MASONLIVE student e-mail?

You can use POP3 and IMAP4 to access e-mail from your MASONLIVE student e-mail in Outlook, Thunderbird, and other e-mail clients. Detailed instructions can be found at: http://help.outlook.com/en-US/140/cc875899.aspx?r=ia&s=EDU_I_Own_Hybrid_E14_R3.


Can I check my e-mail using my mobile phone?

Yes, if your phone supports it. Please use your phone site's instruction for this. MASONLIVE supports POP and IMAP standards and can be pulled into mobile devices. In addition, Mason has developed the following tutorial to provide information on getting your e-mail on your mobile phone. Remember, when configuring MASONLIVE e-mail you must use your full e-mail address @masonlive.gmu.edu and your Microsoft Personal Password. If you need to learn how to set your Microsoft Personal Password, please review the information found on the tutorials page.


What happens if I change my name?

Please see the "How do I change my name?" question on the records services page of the Office of the Registrar web site http://registrar.gmu.edu/records/index.html for information. Once your name has been updated in PatriotWeb, if you would like a new NetID/e-mail address that matches your new name, you will need to contact the ITU Support Center to place the request to have a new account created for you.


I need an accessible version of MASONLIVE. How do I switch to it?

It is simple to switch to an accessible version of MASONLIVE. After you log in to MASONLIVE, please select the OPTIONS menu under the SETTINGS area in the GENERAL tab. To switch back to the full version, please select the OPTIONS menu and then choose Accessibility from the list. Uncheck the box and click the save icon. The next time you log in, you will be back in the full version.


Why don't I see the menu options on my MASONLIVE account / Why does my MASONLIVE mail look different?

You may either be using the accessible version of MASONLIVE or viewing it via an older browser. Older browsers such as Internet Explorer v6 (IE6) do not support all the features of the MASONLIVE system. To see the most recent version of MASONLIVE, please upgrade your browser to at least IE7 or choose an alternate browser. If you are using the accessible version, you may opt to change back to the full version. After you login to MASONLIVE, please select the OPTIONS menu and then choose Accessibility from the list. Uncheck the box and click the save icon. The next time you log in, you will be back in the full version.


Can I search my individual MASONLIVE student e-mail account?

Yes. There are a variety of useful and powerful, searching capabilities available to MASONLIVE student e-mail users through the web and rich clients—MASONLIVE can also take advantage of Microsoft's operating system search capabilities for integrated desktop search.


Who do I contact for Support for MASONLIVE?

For questions or issues with MASONLIVE e-mail, please contact the ITU Support Center at 703-993-8870 (x38870 from on campus phones) or at support@gmu.edu.

Other areas of the product are supported directly by Microsoft and may be found within the applications themselves.


Will Microsoft provide restoration of e-mail accidentally deleted?

Deleted e-mail are moved to the trash folder where you can retrieve them for up to thirty days. After that, the e-mail is deleted from the servers and cannot be restored.


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Employees Who Are Students

I'm both a student and a Mason employee—will I have both a MASONLIVE and a MEMO account?

You may—it depends on what type of employee you are (see the table below). As a student, you have a MASONLIVE account, and as an employee (Faculty and/or Staff), you will have a MEMO account.


Why should I set up MASONLIVE if I already have a MEMO account?

If you do not set up your MASONLIVE account, you may miss important messages from your professors. You can always forward your MASONLIVE account to your MEMO mail account—please see I have both a MEMO and MASONLIVE account—how can I get my e-mail in one spot? for information on how to set up forwarding.


How do you determine who has both a MASONLIVE and a MEMO account?

The following table outlines the process for determining e-mail accounts at MASON:

 
I am a:
   MASONLIVE account:   MEMO account:   Mail sent to NetID@gmu.edu
goes to*:
  Student only (full-time or part-time)  
X
 
MASONLIVE
  Student & university employee (student wage employee only)  
X
      
MASONLIVE
  Student & university employee (including classified, admin faculty, teaching faculty, and adjunct faculty)  
X
X
  
MEMO Mail
  Teaching faculty only (including full-time, adjunct)  
X
  
MEMO Mail
  Employee only (full- or part-time, including classified, admin faculty, or wage staff)  
X
  
MEMO Mail
*Note: If you have a MASONLIVE account, you may always receive e-mail directly at user@masonlive.gmu.edu

Where did my timesheet reminders go? How can I get them in MASONLIVE?

Your timesheet reminders are sent to your NetID@gmu.edu address—please see the table above to determine to which e-mail system this e-mail address will be directed. If you wish to see all your e-mail in MASONLIVE, please refer to the question I'm both an employee and a student. How can I get my e-mail in one spot? In addition, both accounts are available via single sign-on links within the myMason portal (http://mymason.gmu.edu).


I have both a MASONLIVE and a MEMO account—where do I receive my e-mail?

For users with accounts on both mail systems, e-mail is received in the following way:

  Mail Sent to:   Is received in:
  NetID@masonlive.gmu.edu   MASONLIVE inbox (http://masonlive.gmu.edu)
  NetID@gmu.edu   MEMO inbox (https://mail.gmu.edu)


I have both a MEMO and MASONLIVE account—how can I get my e-mail in one spot?

Users may always set up a rule in MASONLIVE to forward e-mail to their MEMO account.

As an employee, if your department allows it, MASONLIVE also provides the capability to link other accounts in the MASONLIVE web client.

Both of the above options are available from the OPTIONS link within MASONLIVE. For more information, please see the MASONLIVE tutorials.

Additionally, you may use an e-mail client application such as Outlook or Thunderbird, which allow for multiple accounts to be accessed via single application while keeping the mailboxes themselves separate. Some smartphones also provide this functionality (e.g., multiple e-mail accounts accessed via a single iPhone).


I have both a MEMO and MASONLIVE account—where should I tell people to send my e-mail?

If you would like to keep your mail separated, you can tell people to send your student e-mail to NetID@masonlive.gmu.edu. To receive your work e-mail in your MEMO account, have them send to the e-mail to NetID@gmu.edu.


What happens if I am no longer a Mason employee—will my MEMO account go away?

At this time, if you are still active at Mason, your MEMO account will remain active, even if you are not currently employed. This prevents constant switching and confusion over where e-mail will be received. It is recommended that you set up an e-mail forward or a link between your MEMO account and MASONLIVE so that you are sure to receive your e-mail.


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Spam Management

Will I receive daily Spam Quarantine digest messages?

Yes, you will receive IronPort Spam Quarantine digests daily (when you have messages that were marked as Spam).

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