Finding your junk-mail folder

This is a problem for some people just starting out with junk email filtering. Here are two possible 'quick fixes' followed by detailed instructions for common email client programs.

Quick Fix 1

Refresh the list of folders
The list of available folders may need to be "refreshed". That is, the email program has an out-of-date list of what folders are available. Usually, email programs have a "reset" or "refresh" command.

With Outlook Express, you can refresh your folder list by taking the following steps:

In the Folders list, select the "UW Internet Mail" directory (in some cases it may have a name like "uw_netid.deskmail.washington.edu") to select it.
Pull down the View menu to Refresh (or press F5).

Scroll up and down in the folder list to see if it is there. If you do not see it, go to the next step.

Quick Fix 2

Use the WebPine email program which will show junk-mail in your folder collection. You'll find WebPine in the Email box on MyUW at https://myuw.washington.edu

Detailed Instructions for Specific Email Programs

Make the folder list visible
The first question is whether the list of folders is showing.

With Outlook Express, the following steps to make the folder list visible:
1. If the "Folders" window is not showing, look just below the "Create Mail" button and you will see the words "Outlook Express" followed by a little triangle pointing down.
2. Click on the words and a pull-down list of all your folders will appear.
3. To get it to stay down, click on the little stick pin in the upper right corner of the folder menu pull-down list.
In that list should be a folder named "UW Internet Mail" (or in some cases a name like "uw_netid.deskmail.washington.edu"). In the list below that folder should appear "junk-mail". Scroll up and down in the folder list to see if it is there. If you do not see it, go to the next step.
Unhide the junk-mail folder
Many email programs have the ability to hide or show folders so that the list of folders you see is not the complete list of folders available on the email server.

Windows Outlook Express has the ability to hide or show folders. In many cases where an OE user cannnot find their junk-mail folder, the folder is just hidden. You can make it appear in your UW Internet Mail folder by taking the following steps:
1. Pull down the "Tools" menu to "IMAP Folders." A pop-up box will appear.
2. In the pop-up box, click on the "Visible" tab. This will display the list of folders currently visible (not hidden). Scroll down the list and see if "junk-mail" is on that list.
  1. If "junk-mail" does show in the "Visible" list, go on to the next step
  2. If "junk-mail" does not show in the "Visible" list, click on the "All" tab and scroll down to "junk-mail". Click once on "junk-mail" and then click the "Show" button. A little envelope icon should appear next to "junk-mail".
3. To see all your visible folders look in your "Folders" window.
4. To view the messages in any of the folders in the folder list, just click on the name of the folder.
  - The folders under "Local Folders" are located on your computer.
  - The folders under "UW Internet Mail" are located on the central UW email servers.
Check your email configuration
If you still do not see a junk-mail folder after taking the above steps, your email program is probably not configured the recommended way.

To correct your email configuration, you can do the following:
- Upgrade to the latest software by obtaining and installing the UW Internet Connectivity Kit (UWICK). The UWICK is available on CD from the UW Bookstore or can be downloaded from the Software Guide. UWICK software is preconfigured to work properly with the UW central email systems.
- Check the configuration of your email program by referring to the information on the Getting and Setting Up Email Programs page. The specific settings are a little complicated so you might want to get a technical person to help.
- Send email to UW Technology consultants.