Message Rules working erratically?

[Rick]

I'm finding that my Message Rules sometimes don't work -- a message will end
up in Inbox or Junk Mail rather than the folder I've specified.

 

[Guest]

Me Too! This same problem existed in Outlook Express on XP. I switched to
Thunderbird for about 2 years until Vista came out. I thought I'd give the
new Windows Mail a try. Though there are improvements over OE, the mail
rules are still broken. I may be switching back to Thunderbird again. Their
rules always work and their search is far far far superior. I believe MS has
spread their developers too thin. There are so many bugs that have been
around for years. Though their new stuff is cool, it would be nice for them
to concentrate on reliability rather than glitz.

 

[Rick]

Have you been able to narrow it down? Recently I thought I understood what
was happening, that WM's internal junk mail filter was processing messages
before my own rules could grab them. But then I realized that SOME messages
ARE correctly routed to their folders, and that it seems entirely random
which ones are and which aren't. Now I think it's just absolutely erratic.
Really annoying. And before getting your message I thought I was the only
one!

 

[Guest]

It's seems completely random to me. I see no rhym or reason. I've found no
pattern. Also, some rules just don't get applied at all, but only to SOME
messages. I think MS needs to take a hard look at the code (or possibly just
rewrite it).

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

Have you been able to narrow it down? Recently I thought I understood
what was happening, that WM's internal junk mail filter was processing
messages before my own rules could grab them. But then I realized that
SOME messages ARE correctly routed to their folders, and that it seems
entirely random which ones are and which aren't. Now I think it's just
absolutely erratic. Really annoying. And before getting your message I
thought I was the only one!

Your rules are processed after the junk mail filters and therefore will only
apply to items that pass through the junk mail filters.

All rules that move mail to a folder or delete it must be placed first and
must also have the action "Stop processing more rules" or a later rule might
override them.

 

[Guest]

(Should we top or bottom post?)

Thanks. That's good information. However, sometimes, some of my messages
don't get a rule applied to them at all. They're just left, sitting in the
root of the inbox, when there is a rule to handle them. I've deleted and
recreated the rule(s) that apply to them an even tried adding rules to other
rules, but some of the messages just sit there no matter what. I have to
manually drag them over myself.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

I don't have a solution for the message rule issue, but regarding your
other question, both top or bottom posting are accepted in this
newsgroup. You'll find top posting more common in the Microsoft
newsgroups, while it is often denounced by old-timers in the
non-MS newsgroups.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

(Should we top or bottom post?)

Thanks. That's good information. However, sometimes, some of my messages
don't get a rule applied to them at all. They're just left, sitting in
the
root of the inbox, when there is a rule to handle them. I've deleted and
recreated the rule(s) that apply to them an even tried adding rules to
other
rules, but some of the messages just sit there no matter what. I have to
manually drag them over myself.

Does the rule that should have affected the message have "Stop processing
more rules" as one of the actions?

 

[seiram]

I just found this link..and here I thought I was either doing something wrong
and/or I was the only one experiencing the problem. Here it is December 8
2007 and I am still experiencing the same problem with message rules that I
now know many others are also having a problem with. In addition, when I try
to move the errant message to the folder myself, if it is to go to anything
but the inbox (and not the folders set up within the inbox) I am unable to
open the inbox to access the folder I want to move the message to. Does
anyone know whether there has been any solution offered to this problem yet?
Thanks.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

It's been a while since I looked into this, but I believe the internal spam
filter works before your message rules do. One way to defeat this is to
add all your correspondents to the Safe Senders list, or else shut off the
spam filter.
As always, each message rule must be terminated by "Stop processing
more rules." Without that, you'll get erratic behavior.

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM]

I just found this link..and here I thought I was either doing something
wrong
and/or I was the only one experiencing the problem. Here it is December 8
2007 and I am still experiencing the same problem with message rules that
I
now know many others are also having a problem with. In addition, when I
try
to move the errant message to the folder myself, if it is to go to
anything
but the inbox (and not the folders set up within the inbox) I am unable to
open the inbox to access the folder I want to move the message to. Does
anyone know whether there has been any solution offered to this problem
yet?
Thanks.

Instead of asking us to figure out exactly what your problem by reading
posts from other people, start a thread of your own and describe your
problem.

Note: To see folders which are "in" the Inbox, click the triangle in front
of the Inbox in the Folder List.