Windows

check out CoffeeCup Spam Filter. try before you buy for $30. free upgrades for life. get it from www.tucows.com search for 'spam filter'. following is excerpt from sales pitch (ps i vote against doing the bounce back emails to spammers as it won't help and just makes more clogged mail servers. i think this spam is going to cost us more from our isp's soon....
<snip>
Stops 98% of unwanted e-mail (right after install!)
Stops Viruses before they get to your inbox
Send 'Bounce Back' Messages to Spammers
Create your own word filters to stop bad e-mail
Checks Multiple Email Addresses
Import Friendly Addresses from Outlook & other programs
Block entire countries from sending you mail
Blacklist e-mail addresses and complete domains
Create Friendly E-mail lists to protect wanted mail
Reads both Text and HTML mail and can stop both

Are you using MS Hotmail. I had to create all my rules/filters on the web site for them to work. I hope this helps

The problem with doing the spam killing at your end is that you still receive these over your connection.

I recommend going with an email provider who offers better spam blocking at the POP server. There are a number of them available, from free to big bucks.

Yahoo pushes most of the spam into a bulk folder you will have to empty on a regular basis. You also need to put any newsletters, many automated services, and emails with large distribution addresses in your Yahoo address book or they may be diverted to bulk as well. You can filter out domains, and add 50 other filters as well. They have added "disposable" addresses to make it harder for spammers to find you.

MSN (Hotmail) also lets you control which emails come to you. You can limit it to addresses in your address book, or block addresses or domains.

Do a Google search on "email service+spam control" to get a large list of options.

check http://www.mailwasher.net/

there are a couple of free ones at download.com
http://download.com.com/sort/3120-2001-0-1-3.html?qt=spam&author=&titlename=&desc=&li=49&os=&swlink=


also norton has a product too.

the best thing to do however is to have 2 email adress one for your trustworthy contacts and another for dubious ones or information that you have to enter at websites , etc.

Leopold