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TIP: After installing Cactus Spam Filter, set the "Probability" to 85% or 90% - This will decrease the time it takes to "Train" the filter algorithms.

Reviewed by: CNET Staff

You won't get pricked by this helpful e-mail spam filter, but training it to recognize spam takes a little patience. Cactus Spam Filter's interface is a lesson in simplicity, with plain text and logical controls. The program's installation had to be one of the easiest we've found in this genre. The filter works almost instantly for 12 major and minor e-mail clients.

That said, you still have to train the filter to recognize spam. If you already have hundreds of spam e-mails in your deleted folder, you'll jumpstart the training process by choosing an e-mail in Cactus Spam Filter's Training Arena and clicking "Spam" or "Good." After following that process a couple hundred times, the utility becomes proficient in finding spam.

With select e-mail clients, you can choose to automatically place the found spam in a special folder or automatically delete it. No matter where you put the e-mail, the program alters the e-mail's subject line to identify it as spam.

The user's manual barely takes up a page, but that's a testament to how easy the program is to use. A few potential users will be disappointed that it only filters POP3 clients. Nevertheless, anyone who uses an e-mail client will find this freeware easy to install and use. Simply put, Cactus Spam Filter dries up your spam.