What can you do yourself, before calling the help of a computer expert?

PC Magazine tested spam blockers by bombarding the software on the test computer with tens of thousands of mail, calculating how well a spam blocker identifies spam, as well as how well it properly identifies legitimate mail. PC World performs similar tests, but with fewer spam blockers. There were also good reviews in Consumer Reports magazine, where editors test eight standalone spam blockers as well as Outlook and Apple Mail. Spam blocker software is loaded on a test computer and assaulted with 1,000 e-mails, one-third of which are legitimate. Like PC Magazine and PC World, editors then calculate how well a spam blocker does its job. Ease of use and cost are also factored into the equation.
 

In order to prevent important messages from being shuttled into a spam folder, most whitelist-based spam blocker software offer users a verification mechanism known as a challenge-response test. In response to a message from an unknown address, a challenge message is automatically sent as a reply, asking the sender to manually verify their existence. Check these settings first.

This category is easy to use and it works with any POP3 or IMAP account, and it works with any desktop application software, including Outlook Express, Eudora or AOL mail. You can have your mail downloaded to your e-mail client, or you can access your mail on the Web using the spam blocker features.