F.A.Q. Spamwars

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If you cannot find the answer to your question below, try the SpamWars users’ forum.

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How it works

 How does SpamWars work ?
 What are the different versions of SpamWars and how are they different ?
 Does SpamWars automatically clean out all my spam even if I pick it up via my mail provider webmail ?
 Doesn’t the mechanism used by SpamWars generate alot of traffic on the Internet even though it is highly efficient ?
 Is mail deleted from my account once I’ve read it ?
 What happens if 2 users are protected by SpamWars ? Won’t this cause a ping-pong effect of confirmation mail ?
 I am interested in SpamWars Professional Version, how can I get it ?
 Why should I consider the entreprise version ?

(un)Installation, settings and use

 How do I set up SpamWars when installing ?
 How do I set up my mail client ?
 How can I access SpamWars administration ?
 How can I authorize messages sent by robots (mailing lists , chat groups, on-line shopping sites etc ) ?
 Can I protect more than 1 mail account ?
 How can I protect myself from spam being sent using the same address as one of my white-listed contacts ?
 Can I register my existing contacts manually so they don’t have to confirm ?
 Can I import my address book to create a general rule so that anyone in it does not have to identify themself ?
 How can I save or restore the SpamWars context ?
 How do I use the filtering rules synchronization feature for several SpamWars accounts ?
 If SpamWars sends a large number of identification requests, won’t my ISP treat ME as a spammer !?
 I have a Gmail / Yahoo account, what should I do ?
 How do I ’uninstall’ SpamWars ?

Registering as a SpamWars user

 Why do I have to register if SpamWars Personal Edition is free ?
 How do I register as a SpamWars user once I have installed the product ?
 Is it possible to move a SpamWars professional license onto another computer ?
 What happens if I use Spamwars without registering, or I don’t renew my annual registration ? What happens to my mail ?
 How do I check whether or not I am registered ?

Security and Confidentiality

 As Spamwars authentication messages get through, can’t a robot spammer simply get through the filter by adding the same special header ?
 Can a Spammer access the ’rules’ page ?
 As Spamwars administration is accessible via a browser and doesn’t require a code, can’t anyone get in !!?
 Can’t a robot go to Spamwars confirmation page and confirm himself ?
 As SpamWars sends out a confirmation request won’t this confirm my existence to a robot and incite even more spam ! ?
 Why is SpamWars installed on my PC and not on SpamWars’ site, ASP style ?

Troubleshooting, maintenance and support

 Are any ISPs incompatible with SpamWars ?
 SpamWars édition personnelle est-il maintenu et amélioré ?
 How can I keep up to date with the most recent version of SpamWars ?
 How can I check that I have the latest version of SpamWars ?
 How can I get technical support if I’m having trouble ? ?
 The SpamWars server won’t run OR I can’t connect to administration.
 With Windows Vista, the commands « Run SpamWars » and « Stop SpamWars » in the « Start up » menu are not working, why not ?
 With Windows Vista, why can’t I see a SpamWars icon in the tool bar ?
 I use a Gmail account, but I still seem to have as much spam in my webmail, is SpamWars working ?
 I have just installed Spamwars but I have alot of mail in my ’new’ mailbox, is Spamwars working ?
 Why do I sometimes receive a registration message concerning one of my existing contacts ?

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How it works

How does SpamWars work ?

SpamWars is based on the principal of sender-ID in addition to the usual message content technique.

The truth is, despite advanced methods of analysis, in particular using Bayesian type probability algorithms, spam still gets through classic anti-spam products and more worryingly bona fide mail sometimes gets blocked. Spammeurs have adapted by now sending image based mail, impossible to filter by content alone.

SpamWars however is based on a set of rules housed in a local database on your PC. Rules that define who is white-listed or black-listed.

SpamWars checks the mail on the way to your protected mailbox(es), sends messages requesting confirmation from any unrecognized senders who simply clicks on a link to our website and fills out a specially generated (CAPTCHA) code visible to only him). Once he has done this he will be whitelisted and his mail forwarded. A quarantine system ensures no loss of mail for senders responding at a later date and any that don’t respond (robots etc) will be blacklisted ie blocked and their mail deleted.

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What are the different versions of SpamWars and how are they different ?

SpamWars comes in 3 different versions for different types of user :

 SpamWars personal version is a single-user version, free for home users, it is strictly for home, non-professional, non-commercial use.
 SpamWars professional version is a single-user version for professionals and can be used in business and commercial fields as well as for personal use. There are extra features specifically designed for professionals and an annual fee of 20 Euros (excluding VAT) per work station applies.
 SpamWars Enterprise is a multi-user version which is set up centrally and is specifically designed to protect company mail accounts. SpamWars Enterprise can work side by side with collaborative Microsoft Exchange type software . The yearly fee is based on the number of users.

The following table sums up the features available with the different versions of SpamWars :

Feature	Personal	Professional	Enterprise
Multi platform (Windows, Mac OS X, Unix/Linux)	×	×	×
POP / IMAP mail pick up	×	×	×
Allows you to manage several email accounts	×	×	×
Possibility to define rules manually	×	×	×
Customizable messages	×	×	×
Auto absence message	×	×	×
Daily activity report;	×	×	×
Allows you to set activity report frequency;		×	×
WEB administration interface	×	×	×
Professional use		×	×
Language recognition of mail to send out confirmation request in corresponding language		×	×
Import address book to the white list		×	×
Access SpamWars POP and SMTP servers from another work station		×	×
Access SpamWars administration from another work station		×	×
Reserve a % of SMTP use for user		×
Send SMTP in 'Express' mode		×	×
Choice of SMTP server to be used (mobility;)		×
Synchronization of several SpamWars work stations		×
Multi-user feature			×
Users defined in a LDAP (Active Directory...) library			×
Transfer of filtered mail to a mail program ;(Exchange, Lotus...)			×
Copy filtered mail to "clean" mail accounts	×	×	×

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Does SpamWars automatically clean out all my spam even if I pick it up via my mail provider webmail ?

Yes, this is the default behaviour.

Mail is deleted from your remote account once the mail is quarantined or the sender is blacklisted. When a sender has confirmed, his mail is reinjected and it will become visible when using your provider webmail.

This behaviour can be modified using the SpamWars management console Accounts tab, Leave messages on server entry. Three choices are available : Filtered mails only (default behaviour), All (quarantined messages included) and None (you can only view and manage your mails from your SpamWars mail server).

Gmail accounts need a special setting, so their default behaviour is different. Please check the subject I use a Gmail account, but I still seem to have as much spam in my webmail, is SpamWars working ? for further details.

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Doesn’t the mechanism used by SpamWars generate alot of traffic on the Internet even though it is highly efficient ?

Spamwars does generate more traffic, but e-mail generated traffic on the Internet is actually quite a small percentage compared to other protocols using the web : in fact e-mail traffic counts for only around 0.4 % of the total traffic on the Internet ! 2007 web traffic figures :
 HTTP : 46% (with increasing video streaming )
 Peer to Peer : 37 %
 News groups : 9%
 Non-HTTP video streaming : 3 %
 On line gaming : 2%
 IP telephoning : 1 %
 e-mails : 0,4 %

Even if every user in the world used SpamWars (dream on !) and traffic doubled, e-mail traffic would still not reach 1% of overall web traffic ! So, don’t panic and rest assured that more people use SpamWars, more Spam will disappear !

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Is mail deleted from my account once I’ve read it ?

It depends on your settings and how the mail has been processed : by default, authorized mail is left on the remote server once read and can only be deleted using your mail client delete function.

This behaviour can be modified using the SpamWars management console Accounts tab, Leave messages on server entry. Three choices are available : Filtered mails only (default behaviour), All (quarantined messages included) and None (you can only view and manage your mails from your SpamWars mail server).

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What happens if 2 users are protected by SpamWars ? Won’t this cause a ping-pong effect of confirmation mail ?

Absolutely not, this situation will not cause a toing and froing of confirmation requests as SpamWars inherently recogizes another SpamWars message and lets it through securely. This type of message is however coded to avoid spammers trying to latch on to them to get through.

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I am interested in SpamWars Professional Version, how can I get it ?

If you are not solely a home user and use SpamWars for professional reasons (even from home) you can still download the personal version for a 30 day free trial. This enables to become familiar with the basic product and check that SpamWars suits you. Once this period is up, simply move over to the professional version and access those extra features by purchasing a license on our site our site for 20 Euros per work station (excluding VAT). To buy and use SpamWars Professional version, you will be required to create a client account through which you can buy, generate and manage your licenses. Payment can be made on line by credit card or PayPal or you can send a check. Once you have purchased your license you will able to generate it via your account. We advise you to use the link Move over to professional version in SpamWars administration , that way you receive your product ID automatically and no manual registration is required. The generated license will be delivered straight to the mailbox protected and will activate your professional version of SpamWars giving you access to all those new functions. Licenses need to be renewed annually, but don’t worry, SpamWars will let you know when your renewal date is coming up.

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Why should I consider the enterprise version ?

The enterprise version is installed centrally and can service more than 1 user. It can be used with a mail server (Exchange ...) and a directory (Active Directory ...), and also boasts certain additional business-oriented features (see table of comparative features above). If you are using SpamWars Personal Edition at home, you will find your way around SpamWars Professional version quite easily if this is used in your workplace.

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(un)Installation, settings and use

How do I set up SpamWars when installing ?

Installing SpamWars involves changing some settings on the mail account you wish to protect. Your original settings were initially given to you by the mail account provider. Otherwise, a detailled explanation of the most common e-mail accounts is available on SpamWars forum : - For Thunderbird users. - For Outlook Express users.

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How do I set up my mail client ?

Once SpamWars personal edition has been installed, you will need to modify the connexion settings on your mail client so that it picks up your mail on SpamWars’ POP server, and uses SpamWars’ SMTP server for outgoing messages.

 If you use Outlook Express, go to article on forum.
 If you use Thunderbird, go to article on forum.

Once your settings have been changed, when your mail client next picks up your messages, your password will be requested. Just give your regular password that your ISP gave to you for your main mail account.

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How can I access SpamWars administration ?

SpamWars administration can be accessed via your Internet browser, ( default address http://localhost:8080/spamwars/).

For Windows users, you have direct access from your Start menu -> Programs -> SPAMWARS -> SpamWars administration.

Some systems (Windows 2000, XP, Linux KDE), are set up with a Spamwars icon button on the tool bar which also gives you access to SpamWars administration.

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How can I authorize messages sent by robots (mailing lists , chat groups, on-line shopping sites etc ) ?

Simply add their address to your white list manually i.e. create a rule in advance. Messages coming from this type of sender can be :
 a specific sender : in this case, just create a rule for this sender with the buttons ’add and ’create’,
 a specific receiver or using the specific « Reply to » field : in this case use the buttons ’add’ and ’rule to’.

For more unusual cases, for example when the sender appears in the message header, you will need to create a special filtering rule with the ’special filters’ tab.

Otherwise you can keep an eye on your grey list (messages on hold) and forward any robot style mail that you are waiting for. This automatically puts them on your white list for any future mail. This surveillance is made easier by SpamWars as you receive a daily report in from which you can modify your rules.

Lastly, if you are waiting for confirmation of an on line purchase for example but have no idea what address they’lll be sending from and cannot give them advance access, (these addresses are often false to avoid getting spam themselves) you can always momentarily turn SpamWars off. To do this, click on ’pause’ in the user tab of administration OR select ’deactivate’ in the icon menu of the notification zone of your tool bar. NOTE that the protective filter is still in place, but no new rules are created to blacklist, so your white-listed and on-hold (grey listed ) mail will get through.

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Can I protect more than 1 mail account ?

When installing only 1 account can be set up. This is your ’main account’, but once in place you can add other accounts from the administration console using the ’user’ tab and selecting « Add a new remote email account ». The Personal version protects up to 2 accounts for private home use only. The Professional and Enterprise versions can filter several accounts per user.

Note that you do not need to register with SpamWars again !

Warning, SpamWars will pick up the messages of all distant mail accounts you have set up and direct them all to the 1 local account that you use to pick up your mail.

If you want to keep mail separate you can always set up some mail sorting rules so that mail from different accounts arrives in different sub-folders based on the original destination.

If you want to manage several accounts separately we invite you to use SpamWars Enterprise version, which is a multi-user version. Contact us for further information

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How can I protect myself from spam being sent using the same address as one of my white-listed contacts !?

Firstly, this type of spam is extremely rare as it implies a spammer focusing on you specifically. However it is possible to add this protection by editing the rule in the white list concerned selecting the option « Use the name ». With this on, it’s the NAME that appears in front of the sender’s e-mail address that is used to evaluate the rule (ot the address) ; for example : «Jean Dupond <jean.dupond@domaine.fr>». This name is normally defined in your contact’s mail-settings (whether he uses Outlook, Thunderbird etc), so it is always the same for each contact. You can also define a rule concerning your OWN mail name, so that spam using YOUR address but with «Buy Viagra!!! <jean.dupond@domaine.fr>» will be blocked.

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Can I register my existing contacts manually so they don’t have to confirm ?

Absolutely, the administration console enables you to add, modify, even delete filtering rules.

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Can I import my address book to create a general rule so that anyone in it does not have to identify themself ?

This function is only available in the professional version. It enables you to import LDIF or CSV format files (standard export formats of most common mail accounts).

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How can I save or restore the SpamWars context ?

Saving and restoring SpamWars context can be useful in case your disk crashes or you need to reinstall SpamWars. An auto-task triggers a daily backup of the context to be saved in a file situated in SpamWars DB_BACKUP directory by default. The back-up directory can be set by adding a property named db-backup-dir found in the Preferences -> Preferences advanced tab in Administration. It is also possible to trigger a manual back-up using the System -> Advanced Functions -> Save database tab in Administration. The resulting back-up file needs to be copied outside the SpamWars directory and restored at a later date on a new installation for example. To restore the context you just need to place the file in the back-up directory and carry out ’restore’ using the same admin. form as for a manual back-up. This form also enables you to delete old back-ups, although there also an auto-purge and a limit to the number of back-up versions stocked (30).

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How do I use the filtering rules synchronization feature for several SpamWars accounts ?

If you have more than 1 computer monitored by SpamWars professional edition you can synchronize the filtering rules database. The main use for this feature is for people working away from the office on different computers and wanting to avoid having their contacts identify themselves to each account. Synchronization requires just 2 steps. Firstly creating a synchronization archive in administration, using the tab Rules and auto Database update on other stations, (on startup of SpamWars or when active again after being in economy mode). Synchronization is incremental to any existing rules so is only carried out if something has changed. The back-up synchronization archive is saved in your client space ansd each time one of your work stations starts up, or becomes active after being in economy mode, SpamWars checks to see whether any archive is present and makes any necessary up-dates before activating the filter.

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If SpamWars sends a large number of identification requests, won’t my ISP treat ME as a spammer !?

It could happen that after a long period of absence, (eg. vacation) when your mail hasn’t been picked up, for Spamwars to suddenly need to send out a large number of confirmation requests to respond to a large number of accumulated messages. Although most ISPs do not have an upper limit on the number of messages sent per hour, a few do ( Free limits to 100 messages per hour for example). SpamWars can be set to allow for this kind of limitation ; go to Max. send frequency in Preferences tab. This value enables you to space out sending so you do not exceed the imposed limit.

The professional version enables you to reserve a certain number of messages for user use only, which avoids having your messages put at the end of the list of confirmation requests waiting to be sent. To set this go to System->Server configuration tab. There is also an express delivery service in the System->Advanced Features-> Mail waiting to be sent tab. In express mode, the message is not sent via the ISP’s SMTP server, but by connecting directly to the recipient’s SMTP server.

This option is to be used with precaution. Some ISPs (orange.fr around Paris in particular) will not allow any direct delivery ie you have to go via their SMTP server. For some others (free.fr in particular) you can unlock this block by modifying your Internet access settings ( the default ’outgoing SMTP block activated’ can be turned off on FreeBox, for example). For further information, see instructions from your ISP. Note that some anti-spam products will not accept mail that has not transited via an identified SMTP server (reverse DNS). Also note that when using the express delivery mode your machine’s own IP address will be tested. As a precaution, make sure that your correspondent does not use this kind of protection system and that your mail is getting through to him.

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I have a Gmail / Yahoo account, what should I do ?

Most webmail accounts offer POP access to your mail account, but this must be enabled in advance.

For Gmail : use « Settings » top left of your screen, then « Transfer and POP/IMAP », go into « POP download » and activate ’download’.

For Yahoo : use « Options » top left of your screen, then « Transfer and POP access »

Next use your local mail client to pick up your mail by POP protocol.

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How do I ’un-install’ SpamWars ?

If you decide that you no-longer wish to use SpamWars :
 For Thunderbird or Outlook type users, modify the POP and SMTP servers settings (go back to the original settings supplied by your mail account provider)
 Turn SpamWars off (for Windows : Start menu -> Programs -> SPAMWARS -> Shutdown)
 Uninstall SpamWars :
— For Windows, use ’add/ delete programs’ in the settings panel, then complete uninstalling by deleting the SpamWars folder (default location C :\Program Files\SPAMWARS).
— For Unix/Linux type systems, you just need to delete the SpamWars installation folder.

You will not be required to un-register on the SpamWars site.

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Registering as a SpamWars user

Why do I have to register if SpamWars Personal Edition is free ?

SpamWars personal edition is free for any non-commercial use and thus open to a large number of users. We may need to contact you for any major corrections or new versions of the product. If you do not renew your inscription yearly, we will consider that you are nolonger using SpamWars and not send you any more updates.

The initial registration is also required if at a later date you wish to move over to the professional version. If you wish to use SpamWars in a business context you can first try out the free version to evaluate and become familiar with the product.

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How do I register as a SpamWars user once I have installed the product ?

Once SpamWars installed you will need to register on the SpamWars website, www.spamwars.eu. Registration can be accessed via :
 the message that SpamWars displays at the end of the installation process (you will receive this automatically as soon as your mail client has been set up to pick up your mail from SpamWars server)
 SpamWars administration : tab « Index -> Licence -> SpamWars product registration ». (how to access administration)

On the registration form, give the e-mail address of you main mail account to be protected by SpamWars. When registration is complete, you will receive a message containing a one-year activation key. This message will be picked up and processed by SpamWars which will be activated automatically !

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Is it possible to move a SpamWars professionnel license onto another computer ?

Yes. If you want to move SpamWars onto another computer, for example if you replace it with a new one, it is possible to delete the license generated for the old installation and then to generate a new one for the new installation. The SpamWars installation for the deleted license can nolonger be used because the product ID will be declared invalid if you try to use it again and confirmation requests will nolonger be delivered. To carry out this ’license transfer’ you will need to connect up to your account at : SpamWars Professional, then select the license concerned via its date link and delete it. To generate the new license, again connect to your account (we advise that you do this from the administration of the new installation via the link move over to professional version that way your ID will be filled out automatically) and generate a new license. The license will be sent to you by mail automatically and will activate your Professional edition.

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What happens if I use Spamwars without registering, or I don’t renew my annual registration ? What happens to my mail ?

Your mail will not be lost, as SpamWars will just forward all the messages without filtering them as if it were not installed.

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How do I check whether or not I am registered ?

The settings concerning registration can be found in administration : tab« Index -> License ». This page lists the the type of license, personal or professional, number of users (Licenses downloaded) and the expiry date. For professional licenses, client ID is also indicated.

If you are registered correctly, the number of licenses downloaded should be « 1/1 » and the expiry date should correspond to installation/last renewal date + 12 months.

You will receive automatic notification just before your license expires so that you can renew for the following year.

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Security and Confidentiality

As Spamwars authentication messages get through, can’t a robot spammer simply get through the filter by adding the same special header ?

No, because the value of the header (checked when message arrives) is calculated by an algorithm specific to SpamWars based on message content and headers. If all the values do not check out, the message is a ’false’ SpamWars and processed as such. As a general rule, any administrative exchanges concerning SpamWars cannot be tampered with.

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Can a Spammer access the ’rules’ page ?

No, because the rules are stocked in the database of the SpamWars server installed on your PC and not on the SpamWars website. In practical terms, when a contact identifies himself on the website a message is sent to your SpamWars server which adds the appropriate rule to your white list. Once a day, SpamWars sends you a report with any new rules, but this message cannot be intercepted by a third party as it goes straight into your SpamWars mailbox locally and does not leave your machine.

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As Spamwars administration is accessible via a browser and doesn’t require a code, can’t anyone get in !!?

No, although you access via a browser you are automatically identified in fact if your browser is running locally on the same machine as SpamWars. On the other hand, if you which to administrate from another computer, you will have to sign in with your account settings first. In addition, with the personal edition, SpamWars internal web server only responds to local connexions rendering it impossible to connect from another computer.

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Can’t a robot go to Spamwars confirmation page and confirm himself ?

No, because the confirmation weblink sent by e-mail contains encrypted data, which ensures that the data really does come from a bona fide SpamWars instance (transaction). Furthermore, to then go on and register on the confirmation page, you have to type in a code that has been generated randomly.

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As SpamWars sends out a confirmation request won’t this confirm my existence to a robot and incite even more spam ! ?

Yes and no. It is true that returning a confirmation request from your address confirms you exist. On the other hand spammers usually use false addresses to avoid being identified and so just lead to an ’address unknown’ message. In any case, even if a spammer does get hold of your address, you are protected by SpamWars and any secondary spam he tries to send won’t get through !

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Why is SpamWars installed on my PC and not on SpamWars’ site, ASP style ?

Stocking messages, rules and information on your contacts on a third party server opens you up to dangerous breaches of confidentiality that most users are not willing to risk. Any such ASP type offers are not free because of the cost to ensure a high-security infrastructure. In addition it allows you to take advantage of a free personal anti-spam product OR an attractively priced professional version, rather than a costly ASP style offer that takes into account the cost of the infrastructure.

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Troubleshooting, maintenance and support

Are any ISPs incompatible with SpamWars ?

Hotmail accounts are not compatible, because they are not accessible via POP nor IMAP protocol . A specific plug-in for Hotmail users is currently being developed.

If you encounter any difficulties with other ISPs, please let us know and a specific plug-in may be developed.

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Is SpamWars personal edition maintained and improved ?

Yes. SpamWars personal edition is a by-product of SpamWars professional edition which is based on part of our leading product Jeebop an EAI (Enterprise Application Integration) housing a BPM engine (Business Process Management). SpamWars personal edition benefits from all the developments occurring further up the ladder with these commercialized products which are maintained, improved and embellished with new functions.

As a general rule a major new version appears once a year.

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How can I keep up to date with the most recent version of SpamWars ?

As of version dated 23/09/2008, SpamWars now periodically runs an auto-check for the availability of new versions, and asks you if you wish to download it if a new one has been released since you last connected up. The check is run by the agent of the task bar under Windows and by SpamWars itself for other systems. Once the download complete, the update will be applied next time you reboot. If you still have an old version of SpamWars you will have to update manually.

You can also check availability manually via SpamWars Administration clicking on ’Update’ in ’System’ tab.

SpamWars forum also has the latest updates available for immediate download and details of how to apply these downloads.

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How can I check that I have the latest version of SpamWars ?

The version of SpamWars is indicated in Administration, by going into Server tab, then Server information, Version setting. Your current version is indicated in date form YYMMDDHHmm. If this date precedes the date of the last update given on SpamWars forum, you are not up to date and we strongly recommend that you update your software as indicated on the forum. If the option ’Version’ does not appear in the server information, this also means you are not up to date.

As of version dated 23/09/2008, SpamWars now periodically runs an auto-check for the availability of new versions, and asks you if you wish to download it if a new one has been released since you last connected up. The check is run by the agent of the task bar under Windows and by SpamWars itself for other systems. Once the download complete, the update will be applied next time you reboot. If you still have an old version of SpamWars you will have to update manually.

You can also check availability manually via SpamWars Administration clicking on ’Update’ in ’System’ tab.

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How can I get technical support if I’m having trouble ?

SpamWars has a F.A.Q. page (you’re on it !) which is kept up to date based on user experience and the most common questions we’re asked. Always look here first, but if your problem is not mentioned you can always log on to our forum where you should find the necessary information. You can even leave a message if you feel you are still having problems and our technical support team will get back to you with an answer.

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The SpamWars server won’t run OR I can’t connect to administration .

SpamWars uses your local network connexions for certain inter-modular communication . Some fire wall don’t allow this and prevent the server from running or your browser from connecting to the administration server at http://localhost:8080/spamwars/. So make sure you add the necessary ’permission’ in your fire-wall settings.

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With Windows Vista, the commands « Run SpamWars » and « Stop SpamWars » in the « Start up » menu are not working, why not ?

You need to have administration rights to execute these commands because SpamWars is a Windows service : you need to right click on the command you wish to execute and select « Execute as administrator » in the menu.

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With Windows Vista, why can’t I see a SpamWars icon in the tool bar ?

Due to a problem with Java 6 under Vista, the SpamWars Icon was not visible in the tool bar. The problem has been resolved for versions after 30 june 2008 by adding a small executable SpamWars agent that runs when a user session is opened.

The choices Startup SpamWars and Stop SpamWars in the menu of the icon only work if the Users Account Control is deactivated on the system, otherwise you have to access via the startup menu, (see previous subject). However, even if the UCA is activated you can still stop the agent with Close SpamWars Agent in the icon menu and run it from the startup menu by right-clicking on the command to run and selecting Run as Administrator, which will validaet all the administrators choices. If the SWAgent does not appear in SpamWars startup menu, because your original installation is an older one, you can update it by clicking twice on create-shortcut.bat in SpamWars bin .

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I use a Gmail account, but I still seem to have as much spam in my webmail, is SpamWars working ?.

SpamWars processes the messages it reads from your mail provider based on the existing filtering rules : either passing it through, quarantining it at the most for 15 days while waiting for the sender’s confirmation, or by blocking it in the black list for three days prior to deleting it. Gmail, with the account default settings, leaves the messages on the server so when using Gmail webmail, you will see all your messages including spam. If you use a mail client as Outlook, Thunderbird ... connected to the SpamWars mail server you can fully benefit of the filtering.

If you want to also filter your Gmail account you have to change your Gmail default settings. To do this, in the Gmail account Settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab you have to have the POP Download enabled and the 2. When messages are accessed with POP entry set to delete Gmail’s copy.

Another option is to create a new, clean account where SpamWars will forward the filtered messages which you can access using the Gmail webmail. You must specify this account in the SpamWars management console, Accounts tab as the Forwarding address.

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I have just installed Spamwars but I have alot of mail in my ’new’ mailbox, is Spamwars working ?

Don’t worry, when you first run SpamWars it picks up all the mail that has come in in the last 48 hours since/before you installed it, and it forwards this mail without creating any new rules. This leaves you the option to create your first rules manually concerning all your regular contacts so they do not need to register.

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Why do I sometimes receive a registration message concerning one of my contacts ?

When a registration message is sent to one of your contacts, he is invited to register on our site www.spamwars.eu. This registration triggers a message from our server to your mailbox with a coded header. SpamWars recognizes this code and automatically moves the contact over from the grey list to the white list : so normally you never see this step. If you do see one from time to time, this is because you have turned SpamWars off at some point or your contact did not manage to register in the given time period, so the confirmation mail is visible in your mail box as the cycle was not completed. No action is required on your part.

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