Email Filter

Microsoft Outlook Express

Microsoft Outlook Express Spam Filter

1. Create New Folder for Spam

  • Select your email account and right click to bring up the context menu.
Spam Filter Step 1
  • Mouseover New... and click once to open the Create Folder Window.
  • Type Spam for the Folder Name and select to create the folder in your email account.
  • Click OK.
Spam Filter Step 1

2. Open the Message Rules Window

  • Click on the Tools menu.
  • Mouseover Message Rules to open the submenu.
  • Mouseover Mail... and click once to open the Message Rules Window.
Spam Filter Step 2

3. Open the New Mail Rule Window

  • The Message Rules Window should now be open.
  • Click the New... button in the upper right to display the New Mail Rule window.
Spam Filter Step 3

4. New Mail Rule Window

  • For the condition check the box for Where the Subject line contains specific words.
  • For the action check the box to Move it to a specified folder.
    While you may be tempted to check Delete It we recommend against this as it is possible legitimate mail will sometimes be filtered.
  • Do not Click Ok.
Spam Filter Step 4

5. Type Specific Words Window

  • The New Mail Rule Window should still be open.
  • In the Rules Description Box click on the link contains specific words to open the Type Specific Words Window.
  • Type the words which you would like to filter. (These will vary depending on the type of spam you typically receive.)
  • Click OK to return to the New Mail Rule Window.
Spam Filter Step 5

6. Move Window

  • Again in the Rules Description Box click on the link specified to open the Move Window.
  • Select the Spam folder you created earlier by clicking once on it.
  • Click OK to return to the New Mail Rule Window.
Spam Filter Step 6

7. Finish

  • Verify the contents of the Rule Description box in New Mail Rule Window looks like the image below.
    Your window will look slightly different though it should contain the words you chose to filter.
    Your folder name may also be different if you gave it a name other than Spam
  • Click OK as many times as necessary to close all the open windows and return to Outlook Express.
Spam Filter Step 7

Congratulations

You have now successfully added a new rule to filter your email. You may add more rules depending on the amount and type of spam you receive. We recommended checking the Spam folder you created periodically to retrieve legitimate emails that have been mistakenly filtered based on the rules you have applied.