Roosl's Mail Filter
Current version is 5.1 (February 23, 2010)
See details below regarding the improvements in recent updates!
Got SPAM?
It was not sent from this domain! Read This
Frankly, I am amazed. I continue to read in the newspaper and consumer advocate magazines about the SPAM problem, and all the trials and efforts ISPs and consumers go through to fight it.
One problem is the how-to. With the myriad of crap coming at us, how to block the bad and still get our mail. Most people expect a magic bullet that will solve their spam problem with no work on their part. They expect their ISP to do it for them (as though it's their provider's fault). The expect their e-mail program to make it easy to block spam, finding that trying to add blocks and filters just makes it harder (and by the time your e-mail client is applying a filter, the message is already downloaded to your PC). Any product such as this, in order to be effective, requires some attention and interaction on your part. E-mail and spam are not static in content. You cannot expect one small set of rules to magically block all the possible variants of spam, any more than you can expect all the traffic to be exactly the same each day as you drive to work. I'm confident that you'll find my product effective right away, and as you get comfortable with it, find it easy and easier to work with.
OK, I don't advertise a lot, and only a few hundred folks have downloaded this program. But if only the word got out about how effective this one is, well... a lot more happy folks would be laughing along with us at the idiot losers whose crap is not delivered.
You might ask: With all the other good stuff in the main Software Services page, why does Roosl's Mail Filter have this document to itself? The answer: This is my flagship product, it addresses a real need these days, and it addresses it very effectively. First released in 2003, this product has had several improvements, and the current version includes the most effective approaches yet.
Download links and instructions are below, following this product description and list of features.
Roosl's Mail Filter is a Feature Rich POP3 E-mail monitoring and blocking filter / Anti-Spam tool designed for PC users running Windows.
Still getting a lot of SPAM? There is even spam trying to sell other spam filters (for TWICE the price)! What's up with that? I won't spam you trying to sell my products. My hope is that you found this through "word of mouth", or a search for a good product at a nice price. You also get a FREE 30 day trial, AND personal support from the author.
No E-Biz hype here... Just a good but humble product...
Spam is going nowhere. With or without "Can Spam" laws, we'll never be rid of it. Notice how much spam comes from domains outside the USA? More and more of my blocking rules have been for domains ending with .de (Germany), .fr (France), .jp (Japan), and many more. This product supports blocking these entire country code top-level domains, AND IP addresses. Read on for many more details...
If you use an e-mail client (such as Outlook) on your PC and download your mail from a POP3 server, this program is for you. If you use web-based e-mail, you're not in as much danger of downloading unwanted data to your PC. However, if you have POP access to your e-mail, you can still use this program.
If you are fed up with receiving unwanted mail (such as SPAM), this program is for you!
If you want an easy way to optionally review your mail (sender and subject) before you start your e-mail client, and an easy way to automatically delete unwanted mail from the server, this program has it all.
This program has nothing to do with your e-mail program. It doesn't matter what client you use to download, read or send mail. Hence, Roosl's Mail Filter does not integrate into your Outlook (or whatever you use). It does not know or care whether or not (or when) your e-mail client is running. This program can be left running in your system tray 24x7 (best if you use DSL or cable), or you can just start it up to go clean up your mail on the server before you start your mail client.
If you (like I would without this program) get a lot of garbage in your mail these days, you may want to leave it running. It will go check your mail at whatever frequency you want. You may always check the logs to see what it's been deleting for you, and easily see what it's missing and add new rules to keep up with those idiots.
Many nice features! Try this great product.
Features
Preview before you download your mail.
Allows you to preview and delete mail at the server.
Allows immediate auto-blocking and automatic rules update.
Simple Blocking Rules
Block unwanted mail by IP address, sender and subject.
Blocking rules are easily maintained in plain text files.
Rich subject matter wildcard blocking.
IP and Domain name wildcard blocking.
Add new rules on the fly while the program is running.
Auto Blocking
Built-in easy to use rule editor.
Safe list (Preferred senders)
Blocked Senders and Domains (users, aliases, domains, IP, wildcards)
Blocked Subjects (wildcards, words, phrases)
Sort feature
"Safe" Sender Alerts
Be alerted when you have mail from preferred senders.
(This can also be used as your "safe sender" list)
Easy Setup
Easily set up multiple e-mail accounts to scan.
Stay in Tray Mode
Quietly works in your system tray.
Automatically scans your e-mail at intervals you set.
Set Passive mode to only delete blocked mail when you are looking (preview).
Easily wake on demand to view logs, go check mail (and allow deletions when in passive mode).
Optional "gadget" displays latest scan results.
Detailed log keeping
Logs all activity, including a record of each message deleted.
Logs all mail headers.
Extensive, Detailed User Guide in HTML format is included.
Roosl's Mail Filter scans your e-mail headers at POP3 servers, and compares senders' addresses and message subjects to lists you define in simple text files. Senders and subject matter which match your lists cause the e-mail to be deleted from the server.
You have complete control. Many anti-spam tools cause you to lose mail you don't intend to miss. Well, turn those (some ineffective, some overkill) things off, and get yourself into this one. In no time, you'll see and control exactly what's going on with your e-mail. In passive mode, it will keep track of it all, but not delete it until you want it to, also allowing blocked messages through on demand.
A detailed user guide is provided in HTML format and included with the program, available anytime offline. For more detail than is described on this page, Read the User Guide here.
The short version of how it works:
You'll see how you may have this program just quietly monitor your mail, keep your receipts clear of garbage, alert you when you have mail from preferred senders, and not even run your e-mail client unless or until you want to go get your mail. Everything is logged, including what messages get deleted, as well as every mail header detail.
Here's a typical scenario:
I start my filter or (if it's running) glance at the monitor gadget, or view the log before I start my Outlook client. It scans my mail on the servers for my two accounts, and shows me what's there (typically, 80 to 100 messages, mostly spam). In the display, I see what's already blocked (to be deleted), and I can select new spam I want to block. These senders and/or subjects then get added to my rules, and they get deleted too. Or, I can select messages tagged for deletion, and allow them to remain on the server for download. In the log, I can see what's been deleted. Now I have a dozen or so messages waiting, and I start my Outlook client, and download what I want.
I usually just leave the filter running quietly in the system tray as I work, or even while I'm away 24x7, set to check my server each hour. It keeps my receipts clean, and tells me when there is mail from anyone on my "preferred (safe)" list. I can go check the log anytime too, to see what it's been seeing and doing, and wake it up for an on demand peek at the servers, adding new blocking rules on the fly.
Sound good to you?
Feature rich!
Easy to use Rule Editor Or, you can edit your rules with any text editor. View, sort and edit your rules with ease using the new dedicated interface. Along with the enhanced AutoBlocking feature, it's a click to edit and add new blocking rules via the preview window.
Exclusive! Logs ALL mail headers for easy viewing at anytime. Each mail message's complete header information is logged for each day. Via the log view, you may also view the current day's header info. Keep them as long as you want, or delete them with one click. Headers contain valuable data about e-mail's routing, origin (IP addresses), sender and domains. This data is also a nice companion to my WhoIs utility.
Nice! Wildcard domain blocking now includes support for country code top-level domains (CCTLD). This enhancement can greatly reduce the size of your blocked senders list. Allows you to completely block all mail from all domains under a CCTLD using only one entry.
Really Nice! IP address blocking is spoof-proof. Allows you to completely block all mail from all domains under any range of IP addresses with only one entry. For example, block 86.112.130.23 or kill them all under 86.112.*.*! You may notice a lot of mail "from" various senders (but it isn't really from those addresses - they're spoofed), and all manner of subject matter (or no subject at all) comes from the same range of IP addresses. Now you can have it deleted from the server without even fighting with multiple sender names or subjects.
Not only is all mail header data available for you, each message's originating IP address is apparent as well as the sender and subject.
Here is a sample of an actual single day's log, which shows the effectiveness of these blocking features. You can easily see the extent of unwanted messages and the varying forms of effective blocking. For example, messages from several "addresses" (spoofed), but actually from the same IP address. Subjects hiding behind ISO coded foreign language support. In this one session were 145 spam messages deleted for me while I was doing other things.
Be sure to download my newest blocking rules, too! I've been developing these lists since 2003, and they're very effective! Available here, you may download my blocking rules lists for your own use. The lists are uploaded periodically, and are the same lists I use myself. (The lists included with the program may be older than these.) They may contain entries you don't want, so check them and add your own. The Blocked Subjects file contains crude language. These are each plain text files. Using the CCTLD and IP address range blocking, the updated lists are trimmed down for faster loading and parsing. Return here anytime to get the latest updated lists.
Here is the official list of country code top-level domains. Please reference this list in deciding which, if any CCTLD you want to block. Don't let the abbreviations fool you. For example, is .de Denmark? No, it's Germany! Is .ch China? No, Switzerland! The official list link is a good thing to check.
Here is the latest Blocked Senders List.
Here is the latest Blocked Subjects List.
Revision Notes
Version 5.1 update
Added "Passive" mode. When the program runs in background (in the tray), it wakes up at preset intervals and deletes e-mail at the server which matches any of your blocking rules. While effective, this can cause you to lose e-mail you may want, though weren't necessarily looking for. For example, a rule which blocks any mail from a block of IP addresses (known to send a lot of spam), while effective, may delete that one (of hundreds) message that you may want to see. This is also useful if you're watching for something, but don't know what address it might be sent from. You may still keep the filter running so that you'll get your safe sender alerts, and can glance at the gadget to see how many messages are there, and when it last scanned them. Then, when you wake it from the tray to run a scan, you may view and allow or disallow any deletions to occur.
When passive mode is selected, blocked mail will only be deleted when you are running attended preview mode. When the program is running in the background (in tray), it will not delete mail even if it is blocked (and would be deleted if passive is unchecked). This allows you more control over what gets deleted, in case something you might want happens to match a blocking rule. Note that by using this feature, you must check the Preview box when started (as recommended). Of course, this means that if left unattended for a length of time, all unwanted messages are still on the server, so be certain to look before you allow your client to download. Another benefit of this feature is that all the messages which would be deleted remain identified (tagged) as such and remembered. So when you do go check, that scan will be very fast.
Version 5.05 updates
This update fixes a timing issue with the monitor gadget. You may notice a delay starting the program when the gadget is enabled. I also made changes to sender address checking, due to certain annoyances from the likes of FaceBook, where the sender address is replete with nonsense punctuation such as "+" signs.
Version 5.0 updates
This update adds the companion monitor gadget, and rolled up all the other minor tweaks and bug fixes found since the last release. This version has been fully tested on: Workstation running XP pro 64bit, laptop running Vista Home Premium 32bit with UAC enabled.
The gadget monitors program scan activity and displays, in a small separate window, the number of messages scanned, deleted, and the number of messages from safe senders for each account, and totals. The window title displays the time of the last scan, and indicates when it detects a new scan in progress. The values displayed are those of the last scan, not cumulative counts. With the gadget, you don't need to mouse-over the taskbar icon or view the log just to see this information. It's available at a glance! The gadget window is sized depending on the number of servers (accounts) you have defined. You may resize it to some degree without losing displayed information, and position it anywhere on your desktop. If you move it or resize it, it will return to that size and desktop location next time. If you change the number of servers to scan, you may need to adjust the gadget to readjust the display. It supports the standard minimize, restore, maximize and close title bar buttons (though maximizing it is a silly thing to do). The gadget can be closed anytime, and will close when the main application is closed.
Since I had built 4.7, but never released it, and had done other fixes and cosmetic changes over the last several months, I decided to write the gadget and add it to the package. Hence, 5.0. Details regarding the gadget can be found in the updated User Guide.
Version 4.6 updates
This update is primarily to address some issues with Vista, but readily applies to XP as well.
During install, I used to search your system for older versions. Since newer systems have such large (or numerous) drives, this feature is now turned off (it just takes too much time). This means that if you install an update, and any shortcuts (for example) point to an older version, it's up to you to correct the problem. I won't find it for you.
When errors occur during install, pop-ups have been enhanced to remind you about Vista UAC (also see notes below). Most installation and run-time issues are directly the result of Vista UAC.
Now fully supports standard uninstall via Control Panel/Add or Remove Programs (to remove older versions, you would just delete the files from the installation folder).
Version 4.5 updates
This prior major upgrade consists primarily of enhancements to the interface appearance and behaviour. Previous versions carried old support for legacy systems and die-hard Windows 95/98 users. Toward support for Vista and the improvements in XP SP2 (and driven by my own recent upgrades regarding display resolution and the like), I've removed much of that troublesome screen positioning effort, and redesigned many of the windows and how they display. You'll find these improvements easier on the eye, as well as your mouse! You'll notice new icons as well.
Legacy support for Dial-up has been removed. The program now simply assumes you're online.
This version and newer may run under earlier versions of Windows, but is designed for XP and newer. Legacy versions are "not supported".
All performance improvements introduced in 4.2 below are here, and were enhanced only slightly in support of the interface improvements for 4.5 and up.
Enhanced startup, preview scanning and rule parsing give you a detailed look into what's working.
New, detailed load and scan progress indicators.
Automatic multi-pass scans prevent server time-outs when more than a preset threshold (a number of messages you set) awaits.
Improved rule memory management.
Improved rule parsing provides better speed during each scan.
Each scan remembers new messages, providing more improved speed in subsequent scans.
Also, some features that were disabled during the free trial in previous versions are now functional during the free trial.
Instructions:
While you're downloading, review the extensive User Guide. The current version is linked on this page just for that purpose.
When your download is complete, just extract the executable (.exe) file from the Zip file and open (run) it (if you have a previous version, be certain it is not running). A setup routine will ask you to choose the installation folder and create a desktop shortcut. An update will replace the old one. Everything it needs is automatically placed into whatever folder you install it. Be certain to read the User Guide, easily opened from the "User Guide" button on the setup screen.
Notes for Vista users!
- If you want to install any software under "Program Files" on your system drive (example: C:\Program Files\Roosl Mail Filter), keep in mind that UAC (user access control) will not allow you to do so unless you (1) turn off UAC, or (2) run the program as administrator.
- If you turn off UAC during install, you should re-enable it afterward. However, then keep in mind that the program may not run as a standard user, because you still won't have permission to write data in the system folder.
- If you choose to not always run the program as administrator, I suggest you install it within your own user folders, instead of a system folder such as C:\Program Files.
- Where ever you decide to install it, keep in mind that during the install (or sometimes during an update or upgrade) licensed software will need to update your registry, which also is only allowed by administrator. However, this is a one-time thing, not every time you run the program.
- I do not yet have certificates for my software (largely due to the unbelievable fees those rapists charge for them). So, when your system pops up warnings (ad nauseum) about being from an unknown source, just click OK though it all!
Check back often for updates and upgrades. Licensed users also receive Email update notices. If you have any problems with your download, or with the program once you get it home, you must let me know!
If you would like a preview first, please read the User Guide here to see how it works! The user guide (included with the download) has also been updated, and (like this page) upgraded to standard HTML 4.01. Be certain your local browser (where you'll use this software) is up to date and standards compliant.
The guide provides all the setup instructions and very detailed descriptions of the process and several screen shots.
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Download.com (CNet)
tucows.com
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