University Computer Help Desk

Using junk mail controls in Thunderbird 2.0 to filter spam email

Thunderbird 2.0 has excellent built-in junk mail controls. If you get a lot of spam, use Thunderbird so junk mail is automatically filtered for you.

Mozilla Thunderbird has one of the best junk mail filters available. Members of Illinois State University can download Thunderbird from the University Computer Help Desk website. This version of Thunderbird is preconfigured with the University's mail settings.

Adaptive Junk Mail Controls

Adaptive junk mail controls are enabled by default in Thunderbird 2.0. However, the default setting only flags messages as junk—messages aren't moved to the Junk folder.

You may want to run Thunderbird with this default setting for a period of time. You can closely monitor Thunderbird's junk mail controls to determine if it is properly flagging spam messages as junk. When Thunderbird identifies an email as junk, it flags the message with an icon that looks like a flame. (Figure 1)

Training Thunderbird to Get Better

To begin with, Thunderbird might only catch a few spam emails. To improve Thunderbird's effectiveness, locate the spam emails it missed and mark them as junk mail.

  1. Find a junk email message in your Inbox.
  2. To mark the message as junk, do one of the following:
    • Click the dot to the left of the Date column.
    • Right-click on the message and choose Mark > As Junk.
    • Select the message and click the Junk button on the tool bar.
  3. The dot to the left of the date is replaced with a flame icon, which means the message is flagged as junk mail. (Figure 1)
  4. After marking a message as junk, you may delete it or manually move it to the Junk folder.

As you continue to train Thunderbird, it will get better at identifying spam. Thunderbird needs to receive spam emails and legitimate emails to improve its junk mail recognition.

Configure Junk Mail Controls

Thunderbird 2.0 can be configured to automatically move junk email to a Junk folder. We recommend you evaluate and train Thunderbird's adaptive junk mail controls first. After you are confident Thunderbird is accurately identifying junk mail., configure it to automatically move junk email to the Junk folder.

To configure Thunderbird 2.0 to move junk email it identifies to the Junk folder, do the following:

  1. Open Thunderbird.
  2. Click Tools > Account Settings....
  3. Click Junk Settings on the left, underneath your account.
  4. Put a check mark next to Move new junk messages to:.
  5. The first option, "Junk" folder on: <YourAccount>, is selected by default. We recommend you use this setting.
  6. Click OK.

When you check email with Thunderbird, it will evaluate each email message that you receive. If it thinks the message is junk mail, it will move the message to your Junk folder.

To configure Thunderbird 2.0 to move email you mark as junk to the Junk folder, do the following:

  1. Open Thunderbird.
  2. Click Tools > Options....
  3. Click Privacy at the top of the window.
  4. Click the Junk tab.
  5. Put a check mark next to When I mark messages as junk:.
  6. The first option, Move them to the account's "Junk" folder, is selected by default. We recommend you use this setting.
  7. Click OK.

You should periodically delete all the junk emails in your Junk folder. Thunderbird does not need them—once you've marked a message as junk, the spam information is stored in a training.dat file.

False Positives, or Missing Email

Rarely, Thunderbird might think a legitimate email is junk mail. You should periodically open your Junk folder and browse its contents to make sure no real emails were accidentally marked as Junk.

  1. Open your Junk folder.
  2. Locate a legitimate email that should not be classified as junk mail.
  3. Mark the message as not junk by doing one of the following:
    • Click the flame icon to the left of the Date column.
    • Right-click on the message and choose Mark > As Not Junk.
    • Select the message and click the Not Junk button on the tool bar.
  4. Move the message back to your Inbox or to another folder.

 

Article Information

  • Article ID: 1175
  • Last Review: Feb 2, 2009
  • Type: Instructions

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