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Create and Manage Folders

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Applies to: Office 365 for professionals a, Office 365 for enterprises, Microsoft Friends and Family, Microsoft Exchange, Live@edu

By default, messages that are sent to you are stored in your Inbox. But you can organize your messages into a hierarchical folder system and continue to adjust it as your needs change.

How do I create a new mail folder?

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click e-mail Mail to view the list of all folders in your Inbox.
  2. Right-click the folder in which you want to create a new folder. For example, to create a subfolder in your Inbox, right-click Inbox. To create a new folder at the same level as your Inbox, right-click your name at the top of the folder list.
  3. Click Create New Folder.
  4. Type a name for your new folder.
  5. Press ENTER to save your changes.

How do I create a new calendar folder?

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click Calendar Calendar.
  2. Click Create New Calendar.
  3. Type a name for the new calendar.
  4. Press ENTER to save your changes.

How do I create a new contacts folder?

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click contact Contacts.
  2. Click Create New Folder.
  3. Type a name for the new contacts folder.
  4. Press ENTER to save your changes.

How do I create a new tasks folder?

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click task Tasks.
  2. Click Create New Folder.
  3. Type a name for the new tasks folder.
  4. Press ENTER to save your changes.

How do I delete a folder?

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click e-mail Mail to view the list of all folders in your mailbox.
  2. Right-click the folder you want to delete.
  3. Click Delete Delete in the menu.

How do I rename a folder?

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click e-mail Mail to view the list of all folders in your mailbox.
  2. Right-click the folder you want to rename, and then click Rename.
  3. Type the new folder name, and then press ENTER.

How do I move or copy a folder?

You can move or copy folders two different ways.

By dragging

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click e-mail Mail to view the list of all folders in your mailbox.
  2. To move a folder, drag it to the location you want to move it to.
  3. To copy a folder, hold down the CTRL key as you drag the folder to the location you want to copy it to. A plus sign will appear next to the pointer as you drag the folder.

By using the right-click menu

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click e-mail Mail to view the list of all folders in your mailbox.
  2. Right-click the folder you want to move or copy, and then click move folder Move Folder or copy folder Copy Folder in the menu. A new window will appear that shows the folders you can move or copy to. Select the folder you want to move or copy to, and then click Move or Copy.
  3. You can also create a new folder to move or copy to by clicking Create New Folder in the Move to Folder or Copy to Folder window.

What else do I need to know?

  • The folders you create can be at the same level as your default folders, for example, the Inbox or Sent Items folders. Or you can create subfolders within any existing e-mail folder. For example, you can create subfolders within your Inbox. Folders that are created in Calendar, Contacts, or Tasks are created as subfolders of their parent folders. Subfolders are created as the same type as the parent folder. For example, if you create a subfolder of your Calendar folder, the new folder will also be a calendar folder.
  • You may need to refresh your browser to view a folder that you just created in the folder list.
  • If you want to create a personal information folder as a subfolder to a mail folder, you can create the folder and then move it to the location you want. Some folders, for example, the Inbox, can't be moved to another location.
  • Some folders, for example, the Inbox, can't be renamed. If the folder can't be renamed, the Rename option in the menu will appear dimmed.
  • After you delete a folder, it's moved to the Deleted Items folder. The folder isn't permanently removed until you empty the Deleted Items folder or manually delete the folder from the Deleted Items folder.

What if I want to know more?