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This is a list of common problems, and hopefully their solutions. Please feel free to suggest additional topics. Currently, we have the following problems listed:
Some other resources that may be useful in tracking down any problems:
If you must send someone a mail about SpamBayes, please read this first.
If the toolbar items fail to work, we are facing one of two problems.
First we will try deleting the toolbar, and if that fails, completely reset all Outlook toolbars. Perform the following steps:
If all else fails, you can completely reset the Outlook toolbars by removing the file \Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\outcmd.dat Although this is undocumented by Microsoft, we have never heard reports of problems. If you are paranoid, simply rename this file so that you have a copy.
In this case, when you start Outlook you receive a message indicating that SpamBayes could not be initialized.
This means that SpamBayes has loaded, but struck an error during initialization. If the information in the error message does not indicate the nature of the error, please report a bug (making sure you attach the log file).
If you start Outlook but there was no error message, the SpamBayes toolbar items do not work and new messages have no spam score or filtering applied, then the plugin has probably become disabled.
If you are running from source code, the addin will not appear in the steps below. Please re-register the addin, as per the README.txt file.
If none of that works, please report a bug.
This is when messages arrive, but have no spam field value. Note that this is different from a message having an incorrect or unexpected spam value. This is for messages that have a completely blank spam score. To resolve this:
This is when filtering appears to work OK, except that the spam values are wrong. To resolve this:
In some cases, it may become necessary to reset your SpamBayes configuration, especially if your configuration becomes invalid. SpamBayes attempts to detect this situation, but doesn't always get it right. This section details where critical configuration files are stored - more detailed information is also available.
SpamBayes stores all configuration data in your data directory. The configuration information is stored in a file called [profile name].ini, where profile name is the name of your Microsoft Outlook profile. The default profile name is usually Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Internet Settings, but Outlook can be configured to use any number of profiles, with any name.
Note that, in this directory, you may also find a file named default_bayes_customize.ini - this file is not used to configure the Outlook side of SpamBayes - look for any other .ini files in that directory.
If you delete the configuration file, SpamBayes will be completely reset. Note you will not lose your training data, only your configuration information. The next time you start Outlook, the SpamBayes configuration wizard should appear, guiding you through the configuration process
Your training data is also stored in this directory, but in files with a .db extension. If you ever want to delete your training information, remove the two .db files in this directory.
You may like to consider backing up this directory.
When SpamBayes is installed, by default it is available only for the user who installed it. This is to allow SpamBayes to appear in Microsoft Outlook's COM-Addin list, and therefore able to be activated and de-activated by the user inside Outlook.
It is possible to register the addin so it is available to all users on a particular machine, which can be useful in enterprise arrangements where users have 'roaming profiles'.
To register SpamBayes in this way, you must log on as a user with permissions to modify the system registry, then execute the command (with the correct path substituted):
"c:\Program Files\SpamBayes\bin\outlook_addin_register.exe" hkey_local_machine
Note that the double-quotes in the above command are significant (and should be typed). Because "Program Files" has a space in it, you must surround the entire command name with quotes. Otherwise, you'll get an error something like:
'c:\Program' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
If you check the installation log after performing such an install, you should see the following messages:
Registered: SpamBayes.OutlookAddin
Registration complete.
Registration (in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE) complete.
Note the last line, which does not exist when registration is performed only for the current user. Once you have performed this registration, the Addin will be available for all users - but as noted above, it will no longer appear in Outlook's COM-Addin list.
If you are simply unsure about what SpamBayes is doing, please send a mail to the SpamBayes mailing list with as much information as possible. If you are fairly sure you have struck a bug, then please report it. Please do not mail any of the contributors directly.
This explains some of the processes above in more detail.
If you are running from Python source code, and installed Python, plus SpamBayes as separate components, then you are running the source code version. If you downloaded an installer .exe file, then you are running the binary version.
Determine your installation type. If you are running the source code version, then please see README.txt in the Outlook2000 directory.
If you are running the binary version, the simplest way to get hold of the most recent log is to:
To find the log manually, you'll need to find your Windows temp directory, into which the SpamBayes addin writes the log. This directory is generally \WINDOWS\TEMP for Windows 95, 98 and ME, or \Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temp for Windows 2000/XP.
Note that by default, in Windows 2000 and XP, Windows Explorer will not show the Local Settings directory. You can convince Windows Explorer to show this directory (and therefore allow you to see the Temp directory under it) by doing either:
This directory should be reflected in the Address Bar.
Windows Explorer will then show this folder, and you can open the Temp folder, which is in it.
or
The temp folder will now be visible, and you can then open it. You may like to then reset this option back to the default value.
The log file for the most recent execution of Outlook is named spambayes1.log, the second most recent is named spambayes2.log, and so on for the four previous runs. You can view this file with Notepad. Usually, you will simply see messages which indicate that SpamBayes is doing its job; however in some cases there will be errors in this file. If there are errors, please report a bug.
This probably means that SpamBayes failed to process a large number of (or a few, large) emails. In that case, please perform the following steps:
You should have a new log file containing the error when classifying the test message. If no error occurs processing the test message, the previous large log file will still exist (see above). Either edit the file using a text editor to extract just the error information, or zip it up. If you don't know what that means, please send a mail.
SpamBayes stores all configuration and database information in a single directory. By default, this directory is located under the user's Application Data directory. You can locate this directory by using the Show Data Folder button on the Advanced tab of the main SpamBayes Manager dialog.
If you need to locate it by hand, on Windows NT/2000/XP, it will probably be C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Spambayes, or on other versions of Windows it will probably be C:\Windows\Application Data\Spambayes.Note that the Application Data folder may be hidden, so Windows Explorer may not show it by default, but you can enter the path into the Address Bar and Explorer will open it.
Note that by modifying the configuration files, you can tell SpamBayes to store this data in any directory, so it is possible your data is being stored elsewhere - contact your network administrator if this appears to be the case.
All SpamBayes bugs are maintained in on a page at sourceforge. Please have a check of the bugs already reported to see if your bug has already been reported. If not, open a new bug, making sure to set the Category to Outlook. Please ensure you attach the log file to the bug.
If you are unsure about the bug, or need any assistance, please send a mail.
If all else fails, you may want to send someone a mail. Please make sure you have read this document thoroughly before doing do.
Your mail should be sent to the SpamBayes mailing list (spambayes@python.org). Please do not mail any of the contributors directly! (see "good karma" below).
Please ensure this mail contains:
If you also mention that you read this trouble-shooting guide and are still stuck, then you will be more likely to get answered! (And if you can subscribe to this mailing list and help answer other questions, and good karma will come your way!)