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filters sending everything to Junk folder

  • 2 replies
  • 3 have this problem
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  • Last reply by JeanneR

JeanneR
JeanneR
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I'm at quite a loss about filters. I've used TBird for decades but this was never as important as it has become. Anyway, I have about a half-dozen filters. Each of them contains multiple addresses and I've clicked to match ANY of the following. Each is set to mark the message as NOT junk and send it to a specified folder.

In all cases, I've checked to apply the filter when MANUALLY RUN and GETTING NEW MAIL . Next to the latter, I've chosen FILTER BEFORE JUNK CLASSIFICATION. But now I'm wondering whether I actually understand this last part.

I'm wondering because I set up a FINAL filter to mark a message from every sender who is NOT in my personal address book OR in collected addresses as JUNK and send the message to the junk folder. Further, I've set this to execute BEFORE junk classification.

But virtually all of my mail is getting branded as junk and going to the junk folder. That is, mail from a person who is in my personal address book AND is listed in a previous filter is STILL going to junk. So am I misunderstanding just what "filter before [after] junk classification" really means? I assumed (famous last words) that the filter would be applied before TBird's own heuristic (?) operation. Or is that final filter my problem? When I disable that, I get some improvement. Of course, it's hard to test every variable in a short period of time.

What am I missing here? Where should I look first/next?

Many thanks, Jeanne Windows TBird 102.7.2 (32-bit)

I'm at quite a loss about filters. I've used TBird for decades but this was never as important as it has become. Anyway, I have about a half-dozen filters. Each of them contains multiple addresses and I've clicked to match ANY of the following. Each is set to mark the message as NOT junk and send it to a specified folder. In all cases, I've checked to apply the filter when MANUALLY RUN and GETTING NEW MAIL . Next to the latter, I've chosen FILTER BEFORE JUNK CLASSIFICATION. But now I'm wondering whether I actually understand this last part. I'm wondering because I set up a FINAL filter to mark a message from every sender who is NOT in my personal address book OR in collected addresses as JUNK and send the message to the junk folder. Further, I've set this to execute BEFORE junk classification. But virtually all of my mail is getting branded as junk and going to the junk folder. That is, mail from a person who is in my personal address book AND is listed in a previous filter is STILL going to junk. So am I misunderstanding just what "filter before [after] junk classification" really means? I assumed (famous last words) that the filter would be applied before TBird's own heuristic (?) operation. Or is that final filter my problem? When I disable that, I get some improvement. Of course, it's hard to test every variable in a short period of time. What am I missing here? Where should I look first/next? Many thanks, Jeanne Windows TBird 102.7.2 (32-bit)

All Replies (2)

Matt
Matt
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There are many sources of mail going to junk. The providers mail server can classify it, various scam/spam tools in antivirus products and then there is Thunderbird.

My "guess" is this is not a Thunderbird issue as such and probably relates to either your provider or your antivirus product. To try and clear that up a little, have a look at the messages in junk. Do they have the orange flame icon in the list? or a grey one?

JeanneR
JeanneR Question owner
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They all have a red-orange flame, definitely not grey.

When I disabled that last filter, my best friend's e-mail came sailing through, unlike an hour or so earlier when it landed in Junk. Again, it landed in junk even tho her e-mail address is in previous filters and in my address book. Just now, some real junk went to the junk folder so that's good. Mail has been a little light, so I'll keep monitoring.

So I may be barking up the wrong tree, but what about that final filter? If the sender is not in my address book, it's junk. Why is that making every sender's mail go to Junk? Even those who are in my address book, let alone those who should have been filtered out before TBird got to the final filter.

I'd still like to understand filtering before/after junk classification. But it doesn't seem to be creating a problem. It seems that last filter is messing everything up.