How to change the default destination when saving attachments from emails in Outlook

Question

How do I change the default destination when savings attachments from emails in Outlook 365. The default is set to save attachments to OneDrive. I want the default changed to a specific folder on my C Drive.

Answer 1

Thanks for sharing the details! Try to turn off OneDrive’s “Save Outlook attachments” integration

Outlook often saves to OneDrive because OneDrive backup/integration is enabled, not because of Outlook itself.

Steps:

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray (bottom-right).

Click ⚙ Settings → Settings tab.

Go to Sync and backup (or Backup depending on version).

Turn OFF:

• Save Outlook attachments to OneDrive
• Back up Documents / Desktop / Pictures (optional but recommended)

Restart Outlook.

After this, Outlook will revert to local folders (usually the last-used folder on C:).

Outlook remembers the last manually selected folder.

See if this helps. If you need further assistance just let me know.

Best regards,

Kimberly

Answer 2

To change the default destination for saving attachments in Outlook 365, you will need to modify the registry settings. By default, attachments may be saved to OneDrive, but you can set a specific folder on your C Drive instead. Here are the steps to do so:

1. Open the Registry Editor:
   • Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the Outlook Options:
   • Locate the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Options.
3. Create a New String Value:
   • On the Edit menu, point to New, and then select String Value.
   • Name this new value DefaultPath.
4. Set the Path:
   • Double-click the DefaultPath value and enter the path to the folder on your C Drive where you want to save attachments.
5. Exit the Registry Editor:
   • Close the Registry Editor to save your changes.

Make sure to back up the registry before making any changes to avoid potential issues.