Rules aren't working how I'd expect

[d d]

What I want (and have had on my previous PC using the same version of
Outlook) is that each time an email arrives, all my rules are run, and
the mail will match the sender against one of the rules. That rule will
then execute and will play an audio file (e.g. if the mail is from john,
it will play an audio file that speaks "email from john"). I've had this
working in the past, but can't get it going on this new machine.

Each rule is setup like this:

Apply this rule after the message arrives
from Smith, John
and on this machine only
play email_from_john.wav
and stop processing more rules

In my Windows XP control panel, I have sounds setup so that it doesn't
play any audio file on New Mail. I know that would interfere with things.

Right now I have about 6 rules like the one above, and instead of
playing the appropriate wav file, I just get the system default beep
file get played.

If I disable 5 of the rules, so that only the Smith, John one is active,
then it works just fine. If I have more than one of these identical
rules enabled, then I get the system default beep wav instead.

Any ideas ? I'm fairly sure that each individual rule itself is fine,
but if I have them all enabled then somehow I get the default beep.

Config: XP/SP2 with Outlook 2003.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

are you using stop processing in the rules?

 

[d d]

are you using stop processing in the rules?

Yes, I've tried with "stop processing more rules", and tried without. It
doesn't seem to make a difference.

Just to clarify, in case I wasn't clear earlier. I have right now 6
rules, each of which matches one person in my address book and plays the
appropriate wav file that speaks their name. Each of these rules will
work if it's the only one enabled (with the check box in the rules
dialog box). When there's more than one enabled, then 99% of the time, I
get no rule match and instead I hear the system default beep. When no
rules at all are enabled, I hear nothing (no default beep).