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Mail Filters in Outlook Express

Operating System: Windows XP

E-Mail Filtering: Learn how to set up mail filtering rules in Outlook Express.

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Setting up mail filters (or rules as they are called in Outlook) in Outlook Express is very easy. Open Outlook Express. Click on Tools menu and go to Message Rules, and then select Mail...

That will open the "New Mail Rule" window.

This is where you create the rule that will filter a specific kind of email. In this example we'll filter email as it arrives and automatically delete the mail that matches our rule (or filter). To do that

• In the first window, "Select the Conditions for your rule", place a check beside "Where the From line contains people".
• In the second window, "Select the Actions for your rule", place a check beside "Delete it".
• In third window, "Rule Description (click on an underlined value to edit it)"you will want to click on "contains" and you'll see the "Select People" box.

For this example we're going to have any mail that comes from microsoft.com deleted. In the first box beside the Add button type @microsoft.com, and then click the Add button. Click ok. Then click ok again. This will bring up the "Message Rules" box.

Click on OK to close this screen and go back to reading mail, or click on any of the other buttons to add more rules/filters, modify or delete any existing rules/filters. For complete information about how to create rules please refer to the online help provided with Outlook Express.