Outlook - filter known addresses

Is there a quick and easy way to filter emails from anyone in my address
book into a folder, so as to leave only emails from anyone I do not know in
my inbox. (I am trying to avoid putting all email addresses in one at a
time, then having to manually add any new ones)
Pete

To move all:  Highlight one and Ctrl + A will highlight them all. - Drag
to folder.

To move a section: Highlight the first one you want to delete. Scroll down
to the last one and click on it while holding the Shift key down. - Drag
to folder.

To move multiple messages that are interspersed: Hold down the Ctrl key
while you click on each message to highlight.


You can create a message rule to do this automatically for new incoming
messages.

How to set up OE Message Rules:
http://www.timeatlas.com/mos/Email/Outlook_Express/Creating_Rules_in_Outlook_Express/

Some Message Rule tips
http://www.insideoe.com/tips/rules.htm

Message Rules not working?
http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/why.htm#rules
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Oct. 1, 2004 ~ Sept. 30, 2010
Imperial Beach, CA

Thx Bruce, but not quite what I want to do - my fault for a poor
description. I want to set up a message rule which will check all messages
that have not already been filtered into folders, and if any of those are
from people in my address book they will be filtered into a defined folder,
leaving in my inbox, only emails from people I do not know (ie mostly spam,
which can then be checked manually)
Pete

Make a variant of this rule. This will put only people in the Address Book
in your Inbox and no one else. But you can change it to the opposite.

Start with the Address Book only rule and as you get messages you want
from people not in your Address Book, (E-mail from businesses, bills, your
ISP, etc.), you can add them to the rule.

Tools | Message Rules | Mail | New.

Box 1 - Where the From line contains people {check it}

Box 2 - Check: Delete it & Stop processing more rules if you want messages
not in the Address Book to go to Deleted Items, or you can create a Junk
folder and direct them there.

You can choose Delete it from server, but be careful as you will never
have any messages downloaded to any folder if you choose this option.

Box 3 - Click on the blue words Contains People

Click on the first address to highlight it. Scroll down to the end and
hold down the Shift key while you click on the last address. This will
highlight them all. Right click on them and click on From in the menu that
appears.

Now click Options and Choose: Message *does not contain* the people below
in the top Options box, and choose: Message matches any one of the people
below in the bottom Options box.

OK your way out of the new rule.

Now, only addresses you entered will be downloaded to your Inbox. You will
not see any other e-mail.

Don't forget, if you add someone to your Address Book, you will have to
add them to the rule. It will not be added automatically.

--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Oct. 1, 2004 ~ Sept. 30, 2010
Imperial Beach, CA

Thanks, Bruce.
I have done a modified version of that, filtering all mails from addresses in
my address book into a separate folder.
However I have discovered another problem. My message rules are not being
applied in order (I thought the topmost rule was applied, then the second,
then third, etc) If this is not the case, can this be set up?
Thx
Pete

You may have to move them around. In general:

Have all rules that Delete it from server first.

Rules that divert mail to folders next.

All others last.

***Make sure that every rule also has Stop processing more rules checked,
unless that option is grayed out.***
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Oct. 1, 2004 ~ Sept. 30, 2010
Imperial Beach, CA

All the rules which I have are to send mail either from certain addresses or
with certain subjects to specific folders and they are in the order which I
want them actioned. For example the first rule filters all "read"replies
into a folder then a later rule directs the mail from a firm called "abc"
into their folder. I am experiecing a siyuation where a "read message"
notification from "abc" is getting into the "abc" folder. Hope that makes
sense.
You say to check Stop processing more rules, surely that is the opposite of
what I need?
Peter

I am a bit confused. A rule cannot move all read replies unless you use
Apply Now. You can have messages marked as read as they arrive. Clarify
that and get back.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Oct. 1, 2004 ~ Sept. 30, 2010
Imperial Beach, CA

the rule you refer to looks for the word "read in the subject of all
incoming mail. If it finds one that mail is placed in an appropriately named
folder - simple!
Pete

Sorry, I thought you meant messages marked as read and OE does not put that
in the Subject line. As I said, if you just read, or mark a message as
read, no rule will pick up on that since it is already in a folder.

Where is this "read message" notification coming from? Is it a
confirmation of a read request made by you? I am still confused, but you
can have one rule to filter from ABC to a folder, and another where the
subject has the word read in it to another, but if and ABC message has
read in the subject, the rules will conflict.

I think you are trying to do something that cannot be done. Messages cannot
be moved twice automatically. You could have a rule where if the message
is From ABC and the subject line contains Read, move it to a specified
folder and stop processing more rules.

I hope that helps. I am missing something.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Oct. 1, 2004 ~ Sept. 30, 2010
Imperial Beach, CA

Perhaps I have picked a confusing example.
I was under the impression that rules were executed in order "from top to
bottom"
Perhaps the following is a better example
Rule 1 - all mails with subject "xyz" are sent to folder X
Rule 2 all mails from "abc" are sent to folder A
With the above rules I would expect a mail sent by "abc" with the subject
Some such mails are finishing up in the folder A
Hope that is clear. I have about 20 rules along those lines, in the order in
which I hoped they would be executed.
Following your previous help, I have added a rule at the bottom of the list
such that any emails which have reached that far which are from anyone in my
address book are sent to a "known senders" folder. This has worked fine
except that some mails from senders which I expected to have been filtered
out by higher rules filtering by sender are finishing up in the "known
senders" folder
Peter

Try combining that in one rule.

Where the message is from ABC *and* the Subject is XYZ
Move it to the specified folder and stop processing more rules.


The messages are supposed to be checked from top to bottom, but that does
not always work. By combining the steps in one rule, you can check stop
processing more rules and no other rule will touch it.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Oct. 1, 2004 ~ Sept. 30, 2010
Imperial Beach, CA

Thanks for that advice, Bruce, but not quite that simple as the total number
of combined rules would come to about 50 - it is easier to sort out the
mis-filing manually, it does not amount to too many emails.
I am still confused by your suggestion to stop processing more rules. Why?
Surely the point is to process all rules, but by including the "stop" rule,
only the first rule will be executed.
Most of my message rules are there to sort mails (mostly from various forums
and Yahoo groups) into appropriate folders.
Thanks again
Peter