A user's Prune Rules tell VPOP3 to automatically delete a user's messages based on certain rules.

If the Use global Prune Rules box is checked, then you cannot configure user-specific prune rules. Instead the user uses the default prune rules defined in Settings -> Database -> Message Store.

If the Use global Prune Rules box is not checked, then you can configure user-specific rules instead.

To add a rule, press the Add Rule button.To remove one, select it, then press the Delete Rule button.

•The Folder column indicates the folder for the rule to act on. Use * to mean all folders

•The Age column indicates the age of messages which should be deleted - eg 365 will delete messages over 365 days old.

•The Size column indicates the size of messages which should be deleted (blank means any size)

•The Read column indicates whether read messages should be deleted (can be set to Read, Unread or Either)

•The Flagged column indicates whether flagged (starred) messages should be deleted (can be set to Flagged, Unflagged or Either)

•The Deleted column indicates whether only IMAP4 deleted messages should be (really) deleted, or all messages. If this is checked, the prune rule will only delete messages which have been marked as IMAP4 deleted.

•The Spam column indicates whether only messages which VPOP3 detected as spam should be deleted, or all messages. If this is checked, the prune rule will only delete messages which VPOP3 detected as spam.

All conditions must match for a message to be deleted. Deleted messages are put into the Message Recycle Bin so can be undeleted if you get the Prune Rule wrong and discover it in time.

 

For instance, you could set:

•Folder = *

•Age = 30

•Size = <blank>

•Read = Either

•Flagged = Either

•Deleted = checked

•Spam = unchecked

 

This will really delete (IMAP 'purge') all messages which have been marked as deleted in an IMAP client after 30 days. This can be useful if you have an email client such as older versions of Microsoft Outlook which does not handle IMAP4 deleted messages very well.

 

A common problem is due to people leaving the Deleted and Spam checkboxes checked. When adding a new rule, VPOP3 checks these boxes for the new rule to make it unlikely to delete any wanted messages, but if you leave the boxes checked, then VPOP3 will only delete messages which were both marked as spam by the spamfilter, and messages which have been marked as IMAP4 deleted already. It will not delete messages which the user has not marked for deletion.