I have two questions. Does anyone know how to use the rules setting feature to set up outlook express to receive only emails from individuals in my address book? My second question is, my in-laws just had a computer built and their windows xp theme looks different than mine. There theme looks a lot like Win98 on the start menu and control panel. When you click on start the menu that pops up lists settings to get to control panel and had one list of items. On my computer when I click on start I have two columns that list the control panel on the right, along with my pictures, my music, my computer. On their computer you have to go to setting to get to control panel and my music or my pictures is not even listed. When I checked the settings under themes both are set to Windows xp. Just wondering why they are different. Sorry if this is confusing, it is kind of hard to describe what they look like.

Their Start Menu is set to the 'Classic' mode. Right click the Start button and select Properties to see the option. Do yourself a favor BACKUP!

different window themes: your computer has the default xp theme while your in-laws are using windows classic and classic start menu. to change the former, right click on desktop > properties > themes ... there you can choose from windows xp theme or windows classic. to change the latter, right click on the taskbar > properties > start menu ... there you have 2 options: start menu & classic start menu. and as for the message rules, i don't think, outllok has any options to create rules using something like 'does not contain'. i'm using a little program called mailwasher, here i can blacklist unwanted senders or even domains ... using this baby for a fortnight or so will have your 'usual suspects' s---listed and those mails will be deleted from the email server BEFORE your email client is retrieving only those mails you really want. try it. http://www.snapfiles.com/get/mailwasher.html Today's subliminal thought is: 'Calm down ... it's only ones and zeros.' icq 10183575

In response to your first question, you will receive all emails that are sent to your email address. A rule only sorts these emails and puts them in specific folders for you. The only way you will not receive email is to put specific email address in your block senders list. If it is spam you are referring to, you are wasting your time. It never comes from the same address twice.

Thanks I appreciate everyone's input.