Mailbox Rules stop working - what a drag!

I

intercambi

Hello,

I have created close to 50 mailbox rules so new mails go to specific
folders, according to whom they come from. Out of the sudden the rules
stopped working and everything ends up in my inbox as if I did not
have anything created I tried deleting some of the rules and creating
them again but nothing happens. Anybody has had this problem? any
suggestions?

I have Mac OS 10.4.9 and Office 2004 for Mac

Regards,

Miguel
 
D

Diane Ross

I have created close to 50 mailbox rules so new mails go to specific
folders, according to whom they come from. Out of the sudden the rules
stopped working and everything ends up in my inbox as if I did not
have anything created I tried deleting some of the rules and creating
them again but nothing happens. Anybody has had this problem? any
suggestions?
Click to expand...

You must have a rule that is moving the message. The most likely culprit is
the Mailing List Manager (MLM). It's very easy to set up a MLM rule by
accident, when you are marking a message as 'not junk'. The wording of that
dialog is ambiguous to say the least. Check if there is an MLM entry (look
for MLM entries under the tools menu) with the local Inbox as the target
folder. Mailing List Manager rules run before your other rules.
 
A

andrea

You must have a rule that is moving the message. The most likely culprit is
the Mailing List Manager (MLM). It's very easy to set up a MLM rule by
accident, when you are marking a message as 'not junk'. The wording of that
dialog is ambiguous to say the least. Check if there is an MLM entry (look
for MLM entries under the tools menu) with the local Inbox as the target
folder. Mailing List Manager rules run before your other rules.
Click to expand...

I also have a similar issue - I am also running Entourage 2004 and Mac
os 10.4.9 - as of late - it has started to send some of my emails
(from family and friends and business) that are in my address book
directly into my trash.... I don't know why - and I can't seem to fix
this. Even some of my own emails from my home email are going into
the trash. What can I do to address this problem? I have no MLM
entries at all.

Thanks,
Andrea Levine
 
D

Diane Ross

I also have a similar issue - I am also running Entourage 2004 and Mac
os 10.4.9 - as of late - it has started to send some of my emails
(from family and friends and business) that are in my address book
directly into my trash.... I don't know why - and I can't seem to fix
this. Even some of my own emails from my home email are going into
the trash. What can I do to address this problem? I have no MLM
entries at all.
Click to expand...

What about your Rules. The destination folder on one of your rules must be
catching the mail and misdirecting it.
 
B

busterv

I'm having the same problem,and wondered if one of Apple's recent updates
might have created the problem.

I've checked my MLM and have unchecked the two items which were there and
still have the same problem.

What is weird is that even my outgoing messages are ending up in my Inbox on
my computer. I also have about 50 rules, both for incoming and outgoing
messages and they are currently all going to the same place.

I can't see that I accidentally created an email rule, and have nothing
active in my MLM folder. But I also see that stuff happens that I'm not
aware of!

Should I go through my rules and check a mistake somewhere? My difficulty
with that is I can't imagine what rule would send everything to the same
folder.

I'll look through them, and would also appreciate any other ideas.

Thanks!
 
B

busterv

I was thinking after posting that last message that I have been using the
Junk mail icon more lately than in the past.

If that was creating problems with the rules where would I start looking to
correct it?

Thanks!
 
D

Diane Ross

What is weird is that even my outgoing messages are ending up in my Inbox on
my computer. I also have about 50 rules, both for incoming and outgoing
messages and they are currently all going to the same place.

I can't see that I accidentally created an email rule, and have nothing
active in my MLM folder. But I also see that stuff happens that I'm not
aware of!
Click to expand...

Rules run from the order they are listed. (Top down in the list) Start at
the top rule and check destination and criteria. Something has changed in a
rule that¹s catching all mail and once it¹s acted on by the rule none of the
other rules can run on those messages.

There are 3 different kind of rules in Entourage:

Mailing List Manager (MLM)
Junk Mail Filter
Rules (custom rules you create)

They run in this order. The custom rules also run in the order they are
listed. (top runs first)

Use the MLM for all lists. Use rules for the remainder. Try to use
categories instead of individual addresses when possible. When an address is
added assign a category then it will automatically be acted on by the rule.

1) POP Rules act on a message ONLY when it first arrives in the Inbox (On My
Computer), NOT when it arrives in any other folder. Once it's moved to
another folder it won't be seen by rules.

2) IMAP Rules are meant to act on a message ONLY when it first arrives in
the IMAP INBOX, not when moved to another IMAP folder.

3) Exchange Rules act on a message ONLY when it first arrives in the
Exchange Inbox.

See "Using Rules with Entourage" for help and examples:

<http://entourage.mvps.org/rules/index.html>
--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
One of the top five MS Entourage resources listed on the Entourage Blog.
<http://blogs.msdn.com/entourage/>
 
B

busterv

Thanks, this totally solved the problem for me. I appreciate your help very
much.
 
F

FarmerBob

Hello,

I have created close to 50 mailbox rules so new mails go to specific
folders, according to whom they come from. Out of the sudden the rules
stopped working and everything ends up in my inbox as if I did not
have anything created I tried deleting some of the rules and creating
them again but nothing happens. Anybody has had this problem? any
suggestions?

I have Mac OS 10.4.9 and Office 2004 for Mac

Regards,

Miguel
Click to expand...

Most everything of mine in Entourage 2004 now 11.3.3 (Hoping that one
of the next updates would fix the damage that 11.2.3 did. Nope.):
Rules, MLM, the lot, stopped working once I did the 11.2.3 update.
Prior to all was well and beautiful. For the longest time all the
Rules that were set up prior to the 11.2.3 update worked and those
made after did not. Now no matter when the rule was made they work
haphazardly, if not at all. The ones that I really need, won't work. I
have read all the FAQ's and tried it all and no luck.

I also get more crashes resulting in the crash reporter that I never
knew was there until the 11.2.3 update, because I never had a crash. I
pray and hope that the next update will fix the problems, but no.

Entrouage 11.3.3 on 10.4.9 (it's own disaster)
 
D

Diane Ross

Most everything of mine in Entourage 2004 now 11.3.3 (Hoping that one
of the next updates would fix the damage that 11.2.3 did. Nope.):
Rules, MLM, the lot, stopped working once I did the 11.2.3 update.
Prior to all was well and beautiful. For the longest time all the
Rules that were set up prior to the 11.2.3 update worked and those
made after did not. Now no matter when the rule was made they work
haphazardly, if not at all. The ones that I really need, won't work. I
have read all the FAQ's and tried it all and no luck.

I also get more crashes resulting in the crash reporter that I never
knew was there until the 11.2.3 update, because I never had a crash. I
pray and hope that the next update will fix the problems, but no.

Entrouage 11.3.3 on 10.4.9 (it's own disaster)
Click to expand...

If you have a backup copy of your Identity you can replace the Rules file.

The destination folder gets changed when there are problems with Entourage.
A rebuild can change the destination folder for Rules for example. This
requires you to go into each rule and check the destination folder. Be sure
to check the Mailing List Manager (MLM) rules too.

If you are still having problems with Entourage, I suggest you run ³Remove
Office² then install from the CD (You¹ll need your CD Key) then update.

For best results do the following in this order:

1. Run ³Remove Office²
2. Run Apple latest combo updater --You;ll find download links here:
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/combo.html>
3. Install Office from your CD
4. Update to 11.3.5
5. Restart
6. Run Repair Permissions

Using Repair Permissions after installing MS Office or any application that
uses an installer is often advised. To use Repair Permissions:
1. Open Disk Utility in your Applications/Utility folder.
2. Click on the First Aid tab and select Repair Permissions
3. Click on the icon for your boot volume.
4. Click the repair permissions button.

Don¹t run from CD. Updates contain a newer versions of the application¹s
permissions.

Let me know if you see improvements.
 
F

FarmerBob

If you have a backup copy of your Identity you can replace the Rules file.

The destination folder gets changed when there are problems with Entourage.
A rebuild can change the destination folder for Rules for example. This
requires you to go into each rule and check the destination folder. Be sure
to check the Mailing List Manager (MLM) rules too.

If you are still having problems with Entourage, I suggest you run ³Remove
Office² then install from the CD (You¹ll need your CD Key) then update.

For best results do the following in this order:

1. Run ³Remove Office²
2. Run Apple latest combo updater --You;ll find download links here:
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/combo.html>
3. Install Office from your CD
4. Update to 11.3.5
5. Restart
6. Run Repair Permissions

Using Repair Permissions after installing MS Office or any application that
uses an installer is often advised. To use Repair Permissions:
1. Open Disk Utility in your Applications/Utility folder.
2. Click on the First Aid tab and select Repair Permissions
3. Click on the icon for your boot volume.
4. Click the repair permissions button.

Don¹t run from CD. Updates contain a newer versions of the application¹s
permissions.

Let me know if you see improvements.
Click to expand...

I have cleaned out the few Mail List Rules which really changed the
behavior of incoming mail. Now everything goes to Junk Mail which is
great, but about 20% of it is good mail. Now instead of having to
clean out both the Inbox and Junk Mail folders, I only have to hit the
Junk Mail folder. And here is where one of my original problems is
still happening. I select a piece of mail and click "not junk", get
the pop up window, and select what to do. I always choose #3, to add
the domain to the list of whatever is on the list will "never" be
classified as junk. Wrong. I am finding the same mail in the junk mail
folder and repeating the same junk mail selection process over and
over again. Also some mail that shouldn't be there that I have put in
Safe Domains List that is still showing up the junk folder, when I do
"not junk" it just goes to the Inbox without the "what to do"
selection process.

Now I am grateful that the mail is now going to one place and that
Rules to delete obvious junk is working. But why are the domains on
the Safe Domain List still going to the junk folder? If I can get this
fixed I will be back to where I was before the 11.2.3 updater trashed
everything.

Once again as always, any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

.. . . fb
 
D

Diane Ross

I have cleaned out the few Mail List Rules which really changed the
behavior of incoming mail. Now everything goes to Junk Mail which is
great, but about 20% of it is good mail. Now instead of having to
clean out both the Inbox and Junk Mail folders, I only have to hit the
Junk Mail folder. And here is where one of my original problems is
still happening. I select a piece of mail and click "not junk", get
the pop up window, and select what to do. I always choose #3, to add
the domain to the list of whatever is on the list will "never" be
classified as junk. Wrong. I am finding the same mail in the junk mail
folder and repeating the same junk mail selection process over and
over again. Also some mail that shouldn't be there that I have put in
Safe Domains List that is still showing up the junk folder, when I do
"not junk" it just goes to the Inbox without the "what to do"
selection process.

Now I am grateful that the mail is now going to one place and that
Rules to delete obvious junk is working. But why are the domains on
the Safe Domain List still going to the junk folder? If I can get this
fixed I will be back to where I was before the 11.2.3 updater trashed
everything.

Once again as always, any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

I've had mixed results using Safe Domains.

I suggest added the address to the Address Book instead of using Safe
Domains to manage your mail. Assign a category to the contact and now you
have a surefire way to deal with your mail with rules.
 
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