Remove empty Personal Folders list
I've configured Outlook with my e-mail account and that works just fine. However, the mails arrive in a separate Personal Folders file and leaves the one above it (holding Outlook Today) empty.
Can I remove this emty folder set or otherwise configure Outlook to use it instead of the separate Personal Folder set below it?
The answer depends on the type of email account that you are using; you cannot remove it when using IMAP but you can when using a POP3, Exchange or Outlook Hotmail Connector account.
IMAP
If you are using an IMAP account, then you cannot remove this Personal Folders set. Outlook needs it for Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes, Journal support; folder types which are not part of an IMAP account.
As an IMAP account syncs its folders with the mail server, you cannot set the IMAP account to use the Personal Folder set either without breaking the synchronization.
What you can do is set Outlook to start in the Inbox folder of the IMAP account instead of starting in Outlook Today or the empty Inbox folder of Personal Folders;
- Outlook 2007 and previous;
Tools-> Options…-> tab Other-> button Advanced Options…-> option: Startup in this folder - Outlook 2010
File-> Options-> section Advanced-> option group: Outlook start and exit-> option: Start Outlook in this folder
Changing the startup folder in Outlook 2010.
POP3, Exchange or Outlook Hotmail Connector
If you are not using an IMAP account, then you can set Outlook to use the folder set of your configured mail account as the default and get rid of the empty folder set.
To set the folder set of your mail account as the default use;
- Outlook 2007 and previous
File-> Data File Management…-> select your preferred data file-> button: Set as Default - Outlook 2010
File-> Account Settings-> Account Settings-> tab Data Files-> select your preferred data file-> button: Set as Default
After restarting Outlook (required), you can disconnect the empty folder set via;
- Outlook 2007 and previous
File-> Data File Management…-> select the empty Personal Folders file-> button Remove - Outlook 2010
File-> Account Settings-> Account Settings-> tab Data Files-> select the empty Personal Folders file-> button Remove
Setting your account's folder as the default folder set (click on image to enlarge).
