Computer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) -- Creating Microsoft Outlook Rules

• An event triggers the rule. For example, you can select Check messages when they arrive as the event.
• A condition specifies the messages that the rule will apply to. For example, you can select sent
• or where my name is in the Cc box as conditions. You can select one or many conditions. If you do not select any conditions, it is the same as selecting all conditions.
• An action specifies what should be done with qualifying messages. You can select one, many, or no actions. For example, you can select delete it if you do not want to read messages that have the word "jokes" in the Subject line.
• An exception specifies which messages will not be affected by the rule. You can select, one, many, or no exceptions. A rule is not applied to a message if any one of the exceptions you specify is met. For example, you can delete all messages with the word "jokes" in the Subject line, except those from your cousin (whose jokes you like). Additional information regarding rules maybe found at microsoft.com.

Steps

1.  On the tool bar, select "Tools", "Rules Wizard....." as shown in Figure 1.

2.  The Rules Wizard screen displays, click the "New" button as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

3. Select the radio button "Start creating a rule from a template" as shown in Figure 2.

4. Highlight the "Move Message based on content".

Figure 2

5.  Click the link "specific words" in the Rule description box and enter the specific words to be filtered. The Search Text window displays as shown in Figure 3.

6.  Enter the Words or phrases to search for in the subject or body of the email. Avoid conditions and exceptions that search for words in the message body. Unless your e-mail messages are short, this search could take a long time. Click the "Add" button. Below are some examples of words to use in filters.

Figure 3

• Free
• Embassy
• China
• Help Me
• Dear Friend
• US
• USD
• $USD
• Zimbabwe

7.  Click the "OK" button to complete.

8.  Click the link "Specified folder" as shown in Figure 4. The "Specified folder" allows you to select an existing outlook email folder or create a new folder for the spam messages to be stored. Spam Messages are to be counted and the results of those counts emailed to ISSS at Security.mail.

Figure 4

Figure 5

9.  To create a new subfolder under the Microsoft email folders, Highlight the folder to as shown in Figure 5, and click the "New" button.

10. Enter the name of the new subfolder and click the "OK" button as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6

11.  Select "Yes" to add the subfolder to the shortcut bar or "No". When "No" is selected the folder appears under the "Folder List view" only as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

12. The new subfolder is created, click the "OK" button to complete.

13.  Click the "Next" button to continue.

14.  Click in the check box for the specific condition or conditions you want checked. The option "with specific words in the subject or body" as shown below will check the subject of the incoming email and the body of the message for the specified words as shown in the Rule description. as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8

15.  Click the "Next" button to continue.

16.  Click the check box in the "move it to the specified folder" and click the "Next" button to continue as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9

17.  Click the check box for the specified type of exception from the list. An exception specifies which messages will not be affected by the rule. You can select, one, many, or no exceptions. A rule is not applied to a message if any one of the exceptions you specify is met. For example, you can delete all messages with the word "jokes" in the Subject line, except those from your cousin (whose jokes you like). additional information regarding rules maybe found at microsoft.com.

19.  Enter the name of the Rule and select "Turn on this rule". If you have emails already in your  inbox to be checked.

20.  Click the "Finish" button to complete creating the Rule.

21.  You are returned to the "Rules Wizard" main menu, click the "OK" button to leave the menu or click the "Run Now" button to run the rule now.