I get a fair bit of spam email, is there a way I can get Outlook Express to filter them for me?

Outlook Express is a fairly old programme and doesn't have a great many features.

It is recommended that you start using a different email programme if you are getting a lot of spam. A free programme to try is Thunderbird from Mozilla.com . If you have a copy of Microsoft Office you will have an email programme called Outlook.

Both Thunderbird and Outlook have a reasonably good spam filtering systems, as long as they are turned on.

Outlook Express is a little bit harder.

Spam Filtering Installed 

If you have a spam filtering programmed installed on your computer that just flags spam so you don't look at them, it is a reasonably simple process.

In Outlook Express, click on the "Local Folders" just above the "Inbox".

Go to the "File" menu and go down to "New" and across to "Folder...".

Type in the name of the new spam folder, preferably "Spam" and click on "OK"

Next go to the "Tools" menu and go down to "Message Rules". Then go across to "Mail...".

You will then be given a window to choose what conditions and actions you want Outlook Express to take.

In the box next to "Where the Subject line contains specific words" put a tick inside by clicking in there.

You will notice at the bottom of that windows in the section marked "3. Rule Description (click on an underlined value to edit it):" you will see "Where the Subject line contains specific words".

Click on "contains specific words".

A smaller window will open. In the top area of this new window type in part of what you spam filtering software puts in the subject line of any emails it thinks are spam, usually along the lines of "SPAM".

Click on "Add" and click on the "OK" in the small window.

In the white are of the window under "2. Select the Actions for your rule:" click on the small box next to "Move it to a specified folder"

You will notice at the bottom of that windows in the section marked "3. Rule Description (click on an underlined value to edit it):" you will see "Move it to a specified folder" has appeared.

Click on the word "specified" to bring up a new window.

Either make sure the new folder "Spam" you made earlier is selected, or select it now and click on the "OK" button in that small window.

In the small white section of the window under "4. Name the rule:" type in the name for the rule, eg. "Spam rule" and click on the "OK" button.

In the "Message Rules" window you will see the new rule you have just programmed.

To make it work on the emails you already have click on the "Apply Now..." button.

Once it is done, click on the "OK" button to close the "Message Rules" window.

No Spam Filtering Installed 

If you don't have a spam filtering piece of software installed on your computer it is a bit more complicated. 

In Outlook Express, click on the "Local Folders" just above the "Inbox".

Go to the "File" menu and go down to "New" and across to "Folder...".

Type in the name of the new spam folder, preferably "Spam" and click on "OK"

Next go to the "Tools" menu and go down to "Message Rules". Then go across to "Mail...".

You will then be given a window to choose what conditions and actions you want Outlook Express to take.

In the box next to "Where the Subject line contains specific words" put a tick inside by clicking in there.

You will notice at the bottom of that windows in the section marked "3. Rule Description (click on an underlined value to edit it):" you will see "Where the Subject line contains specific words".

In the box next to "Where the message body contains specific words" put a tick in there by clicking in it.

You will now notice at the bottom  it has added a blue underlined "and" and "Where the message body contains specific words".

Click on the "and".

In the new window that opens up change where the dot is by clicking in the circle next to "Message match and one of the criteria". and click on "OK" in that small window.

Click on the first "contains specific words".

A smaller window will open. In the top area of this new window type one of the words you usually see only in the subject line of the spam you get.

Click on "Add".

Keep on typing in the words and clicking on the "Add" button for words you only see in spam emails subject line.

Once you have finisihed click on the "OK button"

Click on the second "contains specific words".

A smaller window will open. In the top area of this new window type one of the words you usually see only in the message of the spam you get.

Click on "Add".

Keep on typing in the words and clicking on the "Add" button for words you only see in spam emails messages.

Once you have finsihed click on the "OK button"

In the white are of the window under "2. Select the Actions for your rule:" click on the small box next to "Move it to a specified folder"

You will notice at the bottom of that windows in the section marked "3. Rule Description (click on an underlined value to edit it):" you will see "Move it to a specified folder" has appeared.

Click on the word "specified" to bring up a new window.

Either make sure the new folder "Spam" you made earlier is selected, or select it now and click on the "OK" button in that small window.

In the small white section of the window under "4. Name the rule:" type in the name for the rule, eg. "Spam rule" and click on the "OK" button.

In the "Message Rules" window you will see the new rule you have just programmed.

To make it work on the emails you already have click on the "Apply Now..." button.

Once it is done, click on the "OK" button to close the "Message Rules" window.

It might be a long process but it will make your email reading a lot easier and safer, with most spam emails being sent to folder you won't look at all the time.

You should from time to time check in the spam folder to see if any emails you have sent there are actual emails and not spam at all. No process is fool proof but it is safer and easier to keep spam out of your Inbox.