New Outlook: Move/Copy Items to Public Folders

Question

In Outlook Classic, it is possible to move/copy an item to any Public Folder.

In Outlook New, the displayed target locations show only Public Folders that have been made Favorites, and while some of our Public Folders have been made favorites, I have many (50+) that have not.

With Outlook Classic being retired, what is the best way to deal with this issue?

Thanks for suggestions!

Answer 1

Hi @Anthony R. Lantz 

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum 

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this concern. I truly understand how it can be when a familiar workflow changes, especially when you rely on a large number of Public Folders to support your daily tasks. 

As you transition to the new Outlook for Windows, Microsoft has introduced a design change that directly affects how Public Folders can be accessed. Specifically, the new Outlook only displays Public Folders that have been added to Favorites, and it no longer supports browsing the full Public Folder tree. This behavior is outlined in Microsoft guidance, which confirms that the public folder hierarchy will not appear and that folders must be added to Favorites to remain accessible. 

Because of this, I completely understand how challenging it can be when you’re working with dozens of Public Folders. And while the new Outlook doesn’t currently offer a more flexible way to browse or select them directly, there is a reliable and widely used workaround that many customers have adopted. 

To make these folders available for actions like Move or Copy, you can add the necessary Public Folders to Favorites, either from the new Outlook desktop app or, even more efficiently, through Outlook on the Web (OWA). Using OWA often makes this process smoother because you can fully expand and navigate the entire Public Folder tree. Here’s how to do: 

• Sign in to Outlook on the Web. 
• Right‑click Folders (or use the three‑dot menu). 
• Select Add public folder to Favorites. 
• Expand All Public Folders and choose the folders you want to include. 
• Once added, they will automatically appear in the new Outlook’s Favorites section and will then be available as Move/Copy destinations. 

For users who work with many Public Folders, OWA is typically the most efficient method because it allows you to browse the entire structure before adding folders to Favorites. These changes then sync seamlessly back into the new Outlook. 

While Microsoft acknowledges that this isn’t ideal for organizations that depend heavily on large numbers of Public Folders, this workflow is currently the only supported method in the new Outlook experience. 

If you'd like more detail or step‑by‑step visuals, you can refer to this resource: For more information, please refer to the following link: Use Public Folders In new Outlook | Slipstick Systems  

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I look forward to your update. 

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Answer 2

I am also going to look at the possibility of using either a shared mailbox or Teams to hold the data I am currently storing in Public Folders. Maybe New Outlook will make them easier to access there.