I can close it from the view menu. But as soon as I switch folders and return
to inbox it opens up again. How can get it to stay closed.

Try modifying the default messages view where the preview pane is off.

View > Current View > Define Views > select Messages > Modify button > Other
Settings button > set reading pane off

Note: I would start Outlook 1 time with the /cleanviews command line switch.
This will delete all custom views and reset the built-in ones back to their
defaults. Then use the above to turn off the reading pane. That should
make it global for you.

"Brian" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:BE452A6C-BA46-4BDB-AC4B-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I can close it from the view menu. But as soon as I switch folders and
>return
> to inbox it opens up again. How can get it to stay closed.