[Jbroad572]

I think I have all my rules setup properly to filter my junk mail. I have junk mail filtering on and I have a rule that says move all junk mail to another folder "junk" and another that says move all in the junk category to junk folder. However, when I get junk mail it's not labeled as junk mail so I put it into the junk mail category and it just stays in my inbox, just gray now. My question is how do I get the junk mail moved automatically to the specified folder? I know I right click on it and go to apply rule it does it, but shouldn't it be automatica?

[drcarl]

I currently use Entourage X with the junk mail filter turned off. I use SpamSieve to filter instead. Entourage's filter worked very well for me when it's sensitivity was at its second highest level for several months but the spammers have found ways to get through the filter.

When I did use the Entourage filter, I had a rule set like this:

If:
Execute (if all criteria are met)
(Is junk mail)
Then:
(Move message) (Junk)

I also had a Schedule set up to delete spam from the junk folder after 2 weeks:

When:
(On Quit)
Action:
(Delete Mail) from (Junk) older than (14) days

That seemed to work well for mail that Entourage identified as junk. For spam that Entourage missed, I would just delete it (no need to mark it as junk and file it in a junk folder unless... do you want a spam collection?)

If Entourage isn't filtering well enough, increase the sensitivity or filter with SpamSieve. You could try using Apple Mail instead (it's free), but personally, I prefer Entourage for now.

[car1son]

Note Entourage processes Rules in sequence from first to last. So, if you have a rule that flags messages with specific subjects as Junk, and another rules that moves messages of category Junk to the Junk folder, you want them listed in that order in the Rules dialog (use the arrows to move them up and down the list.)

Also, make sure the Rule that sets the category to Junk does NOT have the "Do not apply other rules to messages that meet these criteria" checked.

[Jbroad572]

Ok on the second rule where I put move all mail with the category junk to a new folder it checks that box and grays out, preventing me from unchecking it. It does it automatically whenver I select move message. Any ideas?

[drcarl]

So is this what is happening?

When you receive mail, Entourage identifies some of your spam as junk mail and moves it to the 'junk' folder.

As you browse the mail in your inbox, which includes some unidentified spam, you manually mark the remaining spam as 'junk' and you expect Entourage to automatically move that mail to the 'junk' folder (but that's not happening).

I think Entourage only applies the rules automatically as mail is received. Since you marked mail as junk after Entourage applied the rules, nothing happens.

If your goal is to eliminate your spam, just delete it, rather than marking it as spam and then applying the rule.

If you want to keep your spam filed away in the junk folder, then I recommend SpamSieve (as mentioned earlier). You'll get better filtering and any spam that is missed will be moved to the junk folder when you mark it as spam.

Hope this helps!

Edit: I don't think Entourage can automatically apply rules after the message has been moved to another folder. Seems like that box grays out whenever you want to change it... very annoying.

[car1son]

Entourage deliberately forces the "Do not apply other rules to messages that meet these criteria" action when you Move or Delete a message. Once you've moved it, you're done.

My previous point, though, is that since the Rules are applied in order, the Move should occur AFTER any Rule(s) that categorize the message as Junk.

E.g. (correct order):
Rule 1: IF subject contains "viagra" THEN mark Junk.
Rule 2: IF message is Junk THEN move to folder Junk.

(wrong order):
Rule 1: IF message is Junk THEN move to folder Junk.
Rule 2: IF subject contains "viagra" THEN mark Junk.

Why doesn't the second work? Because when it considers Rule 1, the message has just arrived and isn't categorized as Junk yet; so it doesn't take the action. When it considers Rule 2, it flags the message Junk, but leaves it in the Inbox.

By the way, you could just make one rule:
Rule 1: IF subject contains "viagra" THEN mark as Junk AND move to folder Junk. (You can add more actions - or "if" criteria - by clicking the plus(+) icon in the appropriate section.) Note if you add a second "if" criteria you will want to check the pull-down menu setting for "if ALL/ANY criteria are met" according to whether you want an AND or OR logical condition.

E.g.
Rule:
IF ANY criteria are met.
IF
subject contains "viagra"
subject contains "credit card"
subject contains "earn money at home"
THEN
mark Junk
move to folder Junk


My personal spam filter is simple:
IF from is not in address book
THEN delete
(Why should I care what strangers send?)

Fine print: Viagra(R) is a registered trademark Pfizer.

[Jbroad572]

So I need to specify a certain word to help entourage identify it as junk, like viagra or money or something?

[car1son]

Depends on what you want...

You can turn on Entourage's Junk filter and it will automatically flag a lot of messages as Junk, but far from all.

You can then either live with it, or add rules to junk subjects/senders/content you want to avoid in the future. (Spammers are pretty creative with their addresses and subjects, so you end up with quite a list. BTW, you probably do want to exclude senders in your address book from being flagged as junk.)
Or, as drcarl suggested earlier, you can install a 3rd-party add-on spam filter.

[tonywriter]

drcarl, I've just installed Spam Sieve, copied all scripts to the Entourage folder and set the Move script up as a rule, but I find that my email is marked as Junk (and copied into the Spam folder) but not moved. I wondered if you had any ideas?

[drcarl]

Originally posted by tonywriter:
drcarl, I've just installed Spam Sieve, copied all scripts to the Entourage folder and set the Move script up as a rule, but I find that my email is marked as Junk (and copied into the Spam folder) but not moved. I wondered if you had any ideas?

Can you show me what your rule looks like?

SpamSieve should mark your spam as junk and move the spam to your spam folder. There should be no copies of your spam in the inbox.

Some spam will not be identified by SpamSieve. Thats when you select that message and click on the appropriate script in the script menu.

[tonywriter]

My rule looks like this:

If (all criteria are met)
All messages
Then (run Applescript)
(Then I selected the 'move to Spam' script that comes with Spam Sieve, after copying it into my Entourage Script Items folder)

What Spam Sieve does is make a copy of the spam and put that in my Spam folder. The original spam stays in my Inbox and gets marked 'Junk' but isn't moved or deleted.

The problem isn't the failure to identify spam - the rate is really good - it's the failure to move/delete it I'm bothered about.

Thanks!

[drcarl]

Originally posted by tonywriter:
My rule looks like this:

If (all criteria are met)
All messages
Then (run Applescript)
(Then I selected the 'move to Spam' script that comes with Spam Sieve, after copying it into my Entourage Script Items folder)

What Spam Sieve does is make a copy of the spam and put that in my Spam folder. The original spam stays in my Inbox and gets marked 'Junk' but isn't moved or deleted.

The problem isn't the failure to identify spam - the rate is really good - it's the failure to move/delete it I'm bothered about.

Thanks!

Have you turned off Entourage's built-in junk mail filter? It's not compatible (nor would you want to use it) with SpamSieve.

[tonywriter]

Yes, the junk mail filter is off

[drcarl]

Originally posted by tonywriter:
Yes, the junk mail filter is off

I'm running out of ideas...

Double check to make sure your rule is to move the spam and not mark the spam. (the filenames for the scripts are long and Entourage truncates them in a way that it is hard to distinguish which script is move or mark)

Consider deleting the rule and starting over...?

[drcarl]

Originally posted by tonywriter:
Yes, the junk mail filter is off

Go to the 'Tools' menu.

Select 'Mailing List Manager'.

Disable any mailing list rules that are present.

If that doesn't work, send an email to the creator of SpamSieve:

[email protected]