Create a new Special Folder?

Question

There a dozens of tutorials and forum topics about how to restore the original Special Folders, or how to make their Location tab point elsewhere, but I want to create a new one.

I've searched for a solution, but can't find one that works. Any ideas?

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-- Nigel M

Answer 1

No, there is not a way to create a new shell folder by default using the Windows interface, and is not a supported end-user scenario.  For this reason, this discussion might be better suited to the TechNet or MSDN development forums rather than this Answers site.

That being said, there are 3rd party programs that create new shell folders.  Some programs, such as Norton, do this for their own purposes.  Other programs,such as this one, allow end users to create their own.  There are also resources from Microsoft about how to leverage the underlying file system and features to create your own shell folder without a 3rd party tool.  These can be found here:

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms997573.aspx

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969312.aspx

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144090(VS.85).aspx

This Wikipedia article also has some valuable information and links regarding shell folders.

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Answer 2

You cannot create a new shell folder.

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Answer 3

This is a very old post and you may have figured it out by now, but there is a way to create a new "special folder" in Outlook 2010. I'll go ahead and post this in case anyone else is trying. This answer is specifically for creating new "special" folders in different PST files. For example, I add a GMAIL account and I want the "special folders" in the PST file as well as my original.

Open the account settings and set the email account you are wanting to add the folders to as the default account. Here is the important part, go to data files and select the PST file you want to add the "special folders" to and set that PST as the default. You will get a warning message, but click past the warning box. Close settings and restart Outlook. When Outlook restarts the new PST will have ALL of the "special folders." You can then reverse the process to set your original PST as the default for everything and the new PST file will keep the new folders.

Warning, this will create ALL of the "special folders" in the new PST file and they calendars, contacts, etc, will not stay synced. If you create a new item in one connection, you will have to manually add it to any of the other accounts you want to use.

Answer 4

• Marked As Answer byLisa- Support Engineer<abbr class="affil">Microsoft Support</abbr><abbr class="affil">, Moderator</abbr>Monday, December 20, 2010 9:57 PM
• Unmarked As Answer byNigel Ma few seconds ago

How can it be an Answer, when it simply says I can't do what I want.

There must be a way to do this, but it seems you guys don't know how.

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-- Nigel M