How to verify the Intelligent Message Filter SCL rating in Outlook 2003

The Microsoft Exchange Server Intelligent Message Filter (IMF) evaluates incoming messages for recognizable patterns. Then, the IMF assigns a spam confidence level (SCL) rating to the message. This rating is based on the probability that the message is unsolicited commercial e-mail ("spam"). This SCL rating is used to determine how the Exchange IMF handles messages.

Sometimes you may have to know whether the IMF works by checking the SCL rating of incoming messages. This article describes how to verify IMF functions by checking messages' SCL rating values in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003. This article discusses the following topics:

• How to install the SCL Extension Form in Outlook 2003
• How to add the SCL rating field into the column header of Outlook folders

How to install the SCL Extension Form in Outlook 2003

To read the SCL rating from messages in Outlook 2003, install the SCL extension Form first. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Notepad. To do this, click Start, click Run, type notepad.exe, and then click OK.
2. Copy and then paste the following text into Notepad.

   [Description]
   MessageClass=IPM.Note
   CLSID={00020D31-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
   DisplayName=SCL Extension Form
   Category=Standard
   Subcategory=Form
   Comment=This forms allows the SCL to be viewed as a column
   LargeIcon=IPML.ico
   SmallIcon=IPMS.ico
   Version=1.0
   Locale=enu
   Hidden=1
   Owner=Microsoft Corporation
   Contact=Your Name
   [Platforms]
   Platform1=Win16
   Platform2=NTx86
   Platform9=Win95
   [Platform.Win16]
   CPU=ix86
   OSVersion=Win3.1
   [Platform.NTx86]
   CPU=ix86
   OSVersion=WinNT3.5
   [Platform.Win95]
   CPU=ix86
   OSVersion=Win95
   [Properties]
   Property01=SCL
   [Property.SCL]
   Type=3
   NmidInteger=0x4076
   DisplayName=SCL
   [Verbs]
   Verb1=1
   [Verb.1]
   DisplayName=&Open
   Code=0
   Flags=0
   Attribs=2
   [Extensions]
   Extensions1=1
   [Extension.1]
   Type=30
   NmidPropset={00020D0C-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
   NmidInteger=1
   Value=1000000000000000

3. Save this text file as Scl.cfg, and then exit Notepad.
4. Save the Scl.cfg file to the following location:
   \Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\FORMS\1033
5. Start Outlook 2003 by using a profile that is configured for the mailbox on the server that is running Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 together with IMF.
6. On the Tools menu, click Options.
7. On the Other tab, click Advanced Options.
8. In the Advanced Options dialog box, click Custom Forms.
9. In the Options dialog box, click Manage Forms.
10. In the Forms Manager dialog box, click Install.
11. Locate the Scl.cfg file. Then, click OK to confirm that the file was installed. If you successfully installed it, the SCL Extension Form item is listed in the Personal Forms library.

How to add the SCL rating field into the column header of Outlook folders

After you install the SCL extension Form, you still will not see the messages' SCL rating values right away. You have to add the SCL rating field to the column header. When you do this, you can automatically check the messages' SCL rating values that are listed in the SCL column in Outlook 2003.

To add the SCL rating field, follow these steps:

1. In Outlook 2003, click Inbox.
2. On the View menu, click Arrange By, and then click Custom.
3. In the Customize View: Messages dialog box, click Fields.
4. In the Show Fields dialog box, click the Select available fields from list, and then click Forms.
5. In the Select Enterprise forms for this folder dialog box, click Personal Forms on the list.
6. Locate SCL Extension From in the left pane, and then click Add to add it to the right pane. Click Close.
7. In the Show Fields dialog box, locate the SCL in the left pane, and then click Add to add it to the right pane.
8. Click OK two times.
9. In the Inbox, you will see a new column that is named SCL in the column header. All the messages in the Inbox show their SCL rating values under the SCL column.

Note You can also use this procedure in folders that are separate from the Inbox to check the SCL rating values for the messages in these folders.

For more information about Exchange Intelligent Message Filter, visit the following Microsoft Web site: For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: