Of all the spam filtering options Windows Live Mail and Windows Mail offer, this is the most aggressive: only mail from senders you have previously authorized makes it to your Windows Mail Inbox; everything else goes to the Junk E-mail folder (where you can pick it up, of course).

If you exchange mail only with a known circle of friends, colleagues and business partners, or if you want to see messages from people you know and trust first and want to go through all the rest later, this approach may be just right for you, of course.

Make Windows Live Mail or Windows Mail Accept Only Mail from Your Contacts and Safe Senders

To have Windows Live Mail or Windows Mail move all messages not from one of your contacts or trusted senders to the Junk E-mail folder:

• Select Tools | Safety options… (Windows Live Mail) or Tools | Junk E-Mail Options… (Windows Mail) from the menu.
• Go to the Options tab.
• Make sure Safe List Only: Only mail from people or domains on your Safe Senders List will be delivered to your Inbox. is selected under Choose the level of junk e-mail protection you want:.
• To ensure all your contacts are automatically allowed:
  • Go to the Safe Senders tab.
  • Make sure Also trust e-mail from my Contacts or Also trust e-mail from my Windows Contacts is checked.
• To ensure all people you mail are automatically allowed:
  • Go to the Safe Senders tab.
  • Make sure Automatically add people I e-mail to the Safe Senders List is checked.
• Click OK.

You can always add individual senders or domains to your Windows Live Mail or Windows Mail Safe Senders List, of course.