# Microsoft Outlook Express Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 5, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398 "2002-05-05T15:12:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398/1 "2002-05-05T15:12:03Z")
I’ve noticed that 95% of the spam I receive comes from 5 omains, namely Yahoo, msn, hotmail, aol and Excite. Is there a way I can tell outlook to automatically ignore mail from those addresses? When I try to make a “mail rule” and it talks about domains, the only domain that comes up as an option is mine. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398/2 "2002-05-05T16:01:30Z")
In my case I click “add” and then type the domain I want to block ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398/3 "2002-05-05T16:11:00Z")
Hmm. Mine doesn’t give me an “add” option. Only 1 acct appears in the dropdown menu. Mine. I have an OK and Cancel button, thats it. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398/4 "2002-05-05T16:27:15Z")
You should be able to do it…I have ignored several addresses using Outlook Express, but I don’t use it anymore so I can’t really guide you through it. Can you manually change the domain? I’d try that, or use the help function - it told me how to do it way back when. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398/5 "2002-05-05T17:14:06Z")
Do this. Select a message from one of the domains that you want to block. From the Message menu click Block Sender. From the Tools menu select Message rules and click on Blocked Senders List. Select the address that you blocked and click the Modify button. Edit the address to just the domain name (e.g., [msn.com](http://msn.com)) and click OK. That should do it. However, I see that the Help says it only works for POP mail and not for HTTP mail (Hotmail). You should be able to block that domain with a mail rule. Just enter the domain name instead of the full address. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398/6 "2002-05-05T18:19:43Z")
In Outlook Express 6 tools - message rules - mail - blocked senders - add ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398/7 "2002-05-05T21:47:18Z")
Got it! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![crawford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cab0a1/32.png) [@crawford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crawford)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398/8 "2002-05-06T02:44:07Z")
Are you sure that you really want to block all incoming e-mail from Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail, AOL and Excite? That probably covers most of the free e-mail services out there. None of your friends use those services? In my experience, most spam doesn’t even originate from those services; the “from” field is spoofed. I wonder whether Outlook would pick that up? ---
**Author:** ![crawford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cab0a1/32.png) [@crawford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crawford)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-outlook-express-question/107398/9 "2002-05-06T02:59:41Z")
Are you sure that you really want to block all incoming e-mail from Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail, AOL and Excite? That probably covers most of the free e-mail services out there. None of your friends use those services? In my experience, most spam doesn’t even originate from those services; the “from” field is spoofed. I wonder whether Outlook would pick that up?