Items in Junk Mail with filter off

[Plegron]

I use a server-based spam filtering product (Cloudmark) that works really
well so I have Outlook client Junk Mail filters turned off.

I get regular Security Alerts from our Netgear router advising and have an
active rule to move these to a separate folder called Automated Mail when
they arrive.

Despite the Junk E-mail filter being switched off AND a specific rule to
move these to a specified folder, some items end up in Outlook's Junk E-mail
folder. This makes no sense at all and I can't see how or why it's
happening.

I've tested the rule by running it manually on the Junk E-mail folder and it
works fine and moves the erroneously placed items to the correct folder.

Any ideas what's going on? Does the Junk E-mail folder have special
properties apart from the different icon in the task pane?

 

[F. H. Muffman]

I use a server-based spam filtering product (Cloudmark) that works really
well so I have Outlook client Junk Mail filters turned off.

I get regular Security Alerts from our Netgear router advising and have an
active rule to move these to a separate folder called Automated Mail when
they arrive.

Despite the Junk E-mail filter being switched off AND a specific rule to
move these to a specified folder, some items end up in Outlook's Junk
E-mail folder. This makes no sense at all and I can't see how or why it's
happening.

I've tested the rule by running it manually on the Junk E-mail folder and
it works fine and moves the erroneously placed items to the correct
folder.

Any ideas what's going on? Does the Junk E-mail folder have special
properties apart from the different icon in the task pane?

Well, yes, sort of. Items that Outlook puts into the junk e-mail folder
automatically do not have rules run against them, so, the question is, why
are they going to the folder.

Do you have any Blocked Senders defined?
Also, just to verify, Tools - Options - Junk E-Mail is set to 'No Automatic
Filtering' not 'Low'?
What type of mail server?

 

[Plegron]

Thanks FH.

It makes sense that the Junk E-mail folder isn't subject to rules.

The alert messages are generated automatically by our Netgear router and
have my email address in the From field. Checking in the blocked senders, I
can see that this address is listed in the Blocked Senders list. Not sure
how it got there but it shouldn't be there so I've removed it. This may be
the problem but filtering is definitely 'No Automatic Filtering' not 'Low',
so I'd expect the lists to be inactive, wouldn't you?

Our mail server is Exchange 2003.

 

[F. H. Muffman]

It makes sense that the Junk E-mail folder isn't subject to rules.

The alert messages are generated automatically by our Netgear router and
have my email address in the From field. Checking in the blocked senders,
I can see that this address is listed in the Blocked Senders list. Not
sure how it got there but it shouldn't be there so I've removed it. This
may be the problem but filtering is definitely 'No Automatic Filtering'
not 'Low', so I'd expect the lists to be inactive, wouldn't you?

Our mail server is Exchange 2003.

Well, actually, I wouldn't expect it to be inactive. It pretty clearly says
'No Automatic Filtering. Mail from blocked senders is still moved to the
Junk E-mail folder.'

 

[Plegron]

I'd still like to know why an entry in the blacklist makes any difference
when Junk Mail filtering is disabled.

 

[F. H. Muffman]

I'd still like to know why an entry in the blacklist makes any difference
when Junk Mail filtering is disabled.

Well, the simple answer is because it says it does right there on the screen
next to 'No Automatic Filtering'.

Further, note that it doesn't say 'No Filtering'. It says 'No _Automatic_
Filtering'. There is a difference. That means Outlook won't make it's
automatic decisions about defining items as spam. However, you defined
certain addresses manually to be blocked. That isn't automatic. That isn't
Outlook making a decision. That's something you did.

 

[Plegron]

D'oh!

Thanks for pointing out the (should have been) obvious.

I've cleared my blacklist now so I won't have any more problems.

The reason I don't want Outlook's Junk Mail filtering is that I've recently
installed Cloudmark's excellent server-based spam program. I've tried many
in the past, but this is by far the best I've ever seen.

Thanks again.