How to Stop Spam in Outlook

Go to the menu item named "Actions," select "Junk Email" then click on "Junk Email Options." On the screen, the first screen you see will have four radio buttons. Recommended: Select "High: Most junk e-mail is caught, but some regular mail may be caught as well. Check your Junk E-mail folder often."

Then check the bottom item: "Disable links and other functionality in phishing messages." Then click "OK" until you're back to the main Outlook program.

Go to the menu item named "Tools," and select "Options." On the box that pops up, select the "Security" tab, and look for the section labeled "Download Pictures." Click on the button next to it, which is labeled "Change Automatic Download Settings."

(Whew! Is this complicated? Not really, just follow along.)

Now check the two primary items: "Don't download pictures or other content automatically in HTML e-mail" and "Warn me before downloading content when editing...." Then click "OK" until you're back to the main Outlook program.

Go to the menu item named "Tools," and select "Options." (Same starting point as the last recommendation.) On the box that pops up, make sure you are viewing the "Preferences" tab, and click on "E-mail Options." On the next screen, find the button labeled "Tracking Options" in the center of the screen, and click it. (Hang in there! We're almost there.) Now look for the radio button that says "Ask me before sending a response," and click it. Then click "OK" until you're back to the main Outlook program.

This will one way to keep Outlook for sending messages that you don't intend to send, which helps hide your real email address from spammers.

Spam filtering is just one of the service services that protect your email and your computer. Trend Micro and Norton 360 are two popular programs that have been around for years.

Here's how to activate the spam filter in PC-cillin: Go to the control panel, and select the "Antiphishing & Content Protection" tab. (Yes, that is confusing.) On this screen, which is labeled "Spam and Fraud Filters," check "Check for spam and fraudulent messages." Then set the slider to "High."

Suggestion: Click "Manage Exception List" to fine-tune the spam filters.

(By the way, I used PC-cillin Internet Security for five years. I've found it to be very reliable, quietly operating in the background. Very few spam messages end up my Inbox. Its automatic updates work very smoothly. The labels on the control panel are confusing at first, but it's easy to find what you're looking for. For the past two years, I've used Norton 360 because we have a family subscription. It's a little more awkward and seems to let a bit more spam through.)

Don't depend on Outlook or a spam filtering service to protect your emails completely.

• Don't click on links in emails from people you don't know.
• Delete emails that seem "fishy" - or "phishy."
• Use the private message function on public forums instead of posting your email address online.