Spam Buster FAQ's

1. How does Spam Buster decide if an email is a spam?

Spam Buster compares the email header information with the options selected in the Spam Settings. To determine if an email is a spam Spam Buster employs the following procedures:

1. First the exception list is searched to see if the sender is a friend or known user. If found, then the remaining strategies are skipped.
2. Starting at the top of the Spam Settings Subject Strategies, Spam Buster searches from the top to the bottom until it runs out of strategies or it matches the email with a check mark. If a match using a check mark strategy was found then the remaining strategies are skipped.
3. The Spam Settings Size, Spam Settings Header, Spam Settings Sender , Spam Settings Valid Domain, and Spam Settings Non English, are all checked from top to bottom for a match. If a match is found anywhere the remaining strategies are skipped.
4. Finally if none of the strategies matched, the blacklist of known spammers is then searched.

If the email is on the exceptions list, it can be marked with an icon that you select as specified on the exception list page If the email appears to be included on any item except the exception list, then the spam is marked with a red checkmark. If the email does not contain any information in any of these settings, then the email is not marked.

2. I cannot get Spam Buster to work with AOL, MSN, Juno, or free web based email services. What's wrong?

Spam Buster requires a POP3 email account. None of these services are POP3 accounts, or they have their own proprietary email service. Web based email falls into the same category. Some services such as Yahoo mail do allow you to set up a POP account, and as such could be used with Spam Buster.

3. Which email programs can I use with Spam Buster?

Spam Buster checks the email at the server before it reaches your email program. Therefore it doesn't matter which email program you use, because the spam has already deleted before you start your email program. The only requirement is that you have a POP3 email account.

4. What is the correct setting for my mail server and my mailbox?

Spam Buster will attempt to complete some of the information for your setup of the email accounts to check. However it is impossible to obtain your password. You should verify this information with your internet service provider.

5. Ever since I've used Spam Buster all the spam I thought I'd get rid of seems to be getting through. Why?

This could occur for a number of reasons: Assuming that you are using Spam Buster before your email program, either the filters that you are using aren't matching the type of spam messages you're receiving, or you've added too many types of messages to the Exceptions list. If you have automatic checking turned on in your email program, you may be retrieving new messages with your email program before Spam Buster has had a chance to filter them. To prevent this, you should switch off automatic checking in your email program. Also you may want to check the Spam Settings tabs you have activated to see if they are too inclusive of the types of email that you receive.

6. All of my email is being marked as spam. How can I fix this?

This could occur for a number of reasons: you may have inadvertently entered all of the domains that you normally get email from as being spam. To check the list of Spam Settings, go to Spam Settings Senders to make sure that the mail that you want to receive is not being listed as being a spam domain.

7. I received an email that I want to add to the Spam filter list for the future. How do I do this?

All you need to do is to highlight the email message and right click to display the popup option to select to add selected message to spam list. Then choose whether to add the subject or the sender to the spam list.

8. What if you accidentally delete an email message?

The activity log displays the subject and email address of all deleted email messages. If you accidentally delete an email message, you can at least use the subject line to request a re-emailing from the sender.