The corporate version of Microsoft Outlook used at Lancaster University has 'Junk E-mail filters' built in. These filters are designed to move 'Spam' (marked or unmarked) into a folder. where it can be easily deleted (after checking that no genuine email has been accidentally filtered).

The Microsoft Junk E-Mail Filter in Outlook 2007

Outlook 2007 (& 2003) has a useful 'Junk E-mail' (Spam) filter. The filter depends on users running in Outlook in 'cached' mode. 'Cached Mode is switched off by default but users can switch on 'Cached mode' in Outlook. This enables users to:

• use some Outlook functions while the Exchange server is not available.
• use the Microsoft Outlook 'Junk E-mail' feature.

Switch-on Outlook Cached-mode - to switch on Outlook's cached mode.

Switching On Microsoft Junk E-mail Feature

To configure the Microsoft Junk E-mail feature:

1. from the main Outlook window: click 'Actions' menu, 'Junk E-mail' option, then 'Junk E-mail Options' option - see multi-tab dialog.
2. choose the option that best suits you:

   -  No Automatic Filtering option - will switch off the 'junk E-mail' filter.
   -  Low option - the Microsoft Junk Mail filter is switched on - RECOMMENDED.
   -  High option - the Microsoft Junk Mail filter is switched on high sensitivity - danger of causing false positives.
   -  due to 'False Positives' (see below) ISS does NOT recommend the:
      Permanently delete suspected junk e-mail instead of moving it to the Junk E-mail folder option.

3. click OK.

False Positives

The Microsoft Junk E-mail' feature sometimes wrongly identifies certain messages as Spam. It has been found that if you receive a lot of messages from one person, the filter may assume that you are being 'Spammed' and will send future messages to the 'Junk E-mail' folder. You do have to check your 'Junk E-mail' folder before deleting Spam. To reduce the number of false positives generated by the Microsoft Junk E-mail' filter you can do the following:

Add Lancaster domains to the 'Safe Senders' list:

1. from the main Outlook window: click 'Actions' menu, 'Junk E-mail' option, then 'Junk E-mail Options' option - see multi-tab dialog.
2. click on the 'Safe Senders' tab.
3. click on the 'Add' button - see 'Add Address or Domain' dialog.
4. type: @lancaster.ac.uk
5. click OK

All mail sent from the official Lancaster University 'domain' is now safe from being classified as Spam. But there are various other domains in Lancaster that you should add.

repeat the above instructions to add the following domains to the list of safe senders.

• @lancs.ac.uk
• @unix.lancs.ac.uk
• @comp.lancs.ac.uk
• @lists.lancs.ac.uk

you may add domains that you know will email you regularly to the list.

Below is a screen grab of my own 'Safe Senders' list. This is provided for 'illustration only and should not be copied, for example the '@Exchange.lancs.ac.uk' entry is unnecessary as those are addresses are treated as safe by default.

Add Individuals to the 'Safe Senders' List:

There is an easy way to add individuals to your 'safe senders' list.

To use this 'properly' you need a Spam 'false positive' to identify as safe, but in the absence of that, we are going to use an exist 'good address' in our example.

1. go to your Inbox (if you were doing this 'for real' you would go to the Junk E-mail folder).
2. right-click on any 'good' email - see pop-up menu.
3. (left) click on the 'Junk E-mail' option then click on the 'Add Sender to the Safe Sender List'.
4. click OK

Moving Mail To Inbox

You can either move false positives by dragging them from the Junk E-mail folder to your Inbox or by doing the following:

1. right-click on the message - see pop-up menu.
2. click on the 'Junk E-mail' option then 'Mark as Not Junk' option.
3. click OK - see your message moved.

After moving the falsely identified message out of Junk E-mail into your Inbox messages from that address will no longer be treated as Spam.

you could also have added the senders 'domain' to the list of safe domains.

If you accidentally add a 'wrong' address or wish to edit the list for whatever reason you can:

1. from the mail Outlook window: click 'Actions' menu, 'Junk E-mail' option, then 'Junk E-mail Options' option - see multi-tab dialog.
2. click on the 'Safe Senders' tab.
3. click on an address/domain to edit or remove.
4. click on the 'Edit' or 'Remove' buttons as appropriate.
5. when finished, click OK.

©Lancaster University   ISS Governance   Computer User Agreement   Privacy & Cookies Notice