Printer-friendly version

 

How to Setup Spam Filter

Quicknote # 90

October 2007

 

Introduction:

This Quicknote is written as a tool to assist University of Michigan-Flint Students, Staff, and Faculty in reducing the amount of spam email messages present in their Outlook Inbox.

 

Table of Contents

¨       Introduction

¨       Before You Begin

¨       Setting up the Spam Filter

¨       Using the Junk Senders List

¨       Additional Resources

 

Before You Begin:

Please note that this Quicknote is compatible with both Outlook XP, and 2003.  If you are running an older version of Outlook please see Quicknote #83 for instruction on upgrading.  Also remember that our spam filter is not perfect and will catch most but not necessarily all spam messages.

 

Setting up the Spam Filter:

A new folder will have to be created in your Outlook Folder List, please follow the steps below to complete this.

 

1. In Outlook go to File, and select New.  A new menu will appear to the right, and in this menu select Folder.

 

 

 

2. A “Create New Folder” window will appear, and in this window type in Spam in the “Name” field.  In the “Folder Contains:” field make sure Mail and Post Items is selected.  Finally under “Select where to place this folder:” select your name at the top and click OK.  An example of this process appears to the right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Finally you will see that you have a “Spam” folder in your Folder List now, just as it appears to the right.

 

Now that the folder is created you can now setup the Spam filter, follow the directions below to complete this.

 

1. In Outlook go to Tools, and select “Rules and Alerts.”

 

 

 

 

 

2. Click “New Rule…” button at the top of the window.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  Click “Start from a blank rule” at the top of the window and click Next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Check the box that says “with specific words in the message header.”

In the box below labeled “Step2: Edit the rule description” click the link titled “specific words.”

 

 

 

5. In the Search Text window enter in X-Spam-Status: Yes in the “Specify a word or phrase box” and click Add.

The text will now appear below in the “Search List” and select Ok.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.  In the box titled “Step 2:” click the link that says “specified.”

 

 

 

 

 

7.  Select the Spam folder you created previously and click Ok.

 

8. Click Next on the Rules and Alerts window, confirm that “Turn on this rule” is checked and then click Finish.

9. Click Ok on the original Rules Wizard.

Using Junk Senders List:

Outlook gives the ability to block known spammers through their junk senders list.  The instructions below describe how to setup this functionality.

 

  1. In Outlook go to the Actions menu, and select Junk Email, then select Junk Email Options.
  2. In the Options window that opened, select Low and Click Ok.
  3. Now if Junk Email is found in your Inbox, right click the message and select “Junk Email” then select “Add sender to Blocked senders list.”

You will no longer get any email from the sender you just specified.

Additional Resources:

ITS Quicknotes are available in the Student Computer Lab in 206 MSB, at the ITS HelpDesk in 207A MSB or on-line at http://www.umflint.edu/its/helpdesk.  

 

If you found this Quicknote helpful, we recommend these related Quicknotes:

For Students:

Quicknote 52 - Installing Pegasus Mail for Windows

Quicknote 22 - Student Access to Progdata

 

For Faculty/Staff:

Quicknote 07 - Installing MS Outlook for Windows at Home

Quicknote 23 - Faculty & Staff Access to Progdata

 

This documentation is maintained by the ITS HelpDesk

a division of Information Technology Services at The University of Michigan-Flint.

ITSHelpDesk@umflint.edu ¨ 810.766.6804 ¨ http://www.umflint.edu/Helpdesk