"stop processing more rules" why?

[Rob]

I made a rule to permanently delete a message based on the subject but I
cannot uncheck the option to stop processing more rules? Everytime I do it
auto checks itself again. Can I disable that?

 

[F.H. Muffman]

I made a rule to permanently delete a message based on the subject
but I cannot uncheck the option to stop processing more rules?
Everytime I do it auto checks itself again. Can I disable that?

Actually, no, you can't. The reason is to prevent Outlook from breaking by
trying to run a rule further down the stack on a message that it just
deleted. If there are other rules you want to run before this message gets
deleted, move this rule down below those rules in the list.

Basically, imagine the following steps:

1) Buy an apple.
2) Destroy the apple.
3) Eat the apple.

You'd sort of break if you tried to follow the steps.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I made a rule to permanently delete a message based on the subject
but I cannot uncheck the option to stop processing more rules?
Everytime I do it auto checks itself again. Can I disable that?

Think about it. If the action is to permanently delete the message, then
the message is gone and no further rules can act upon it. This is exactly
what "stop processing" accomplishes, so a permanent delete implies stop
processing.

 

[Rob]

I guess I misunderstood the function. I thought it applied to all rules not
just the one because it seemed like a couple of rules don't work sometimes.

 

[F.H. Muffman]

I guess I misunderstood the function. I thought it applied to all
rules not just the one because it seemed like a couple of rules don't
work sometimes.

Well, if you have some rules that have 'stop processing more rules' in them,
and that rule is fired off by a mail, then reading from the top of the list
to the bottom of the list, any rules that come after that rule that might
also have fired off won't fire off, so it could still be the cause of some
rules not working.