Email folder cleanup function that will delete all empty folders

[Guest]

As saved Outlook emails are gradually archived to the archive.pst file, many
email folders in Outlook gradually become empty. After some time, many of
these folders do not need to be retained in the current Outlook email folder
system.

I propose a function that will identify all empty email folders, and allow
the user to place a check box alongside any that are no longer needed, so the
expanded folder list can be "cleaned up". This will allow the list to retain
only those folders that the user wishes to continue to use to "file" emails
after they are acted upon. A shorter active folder list will allow
subsequent filing of emails to be more efficient as "long lists" will not
need to be spanned to search for the correct folder to file an email.

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...90eff9dcc&dg=microsoft.public.outlook.general

 

[Brian Tillman]

I propose a function that will identify all empty email folders, and
allow the user to place a check box alongside any that are no longer
needed, so the expanded folder list can be "cleaned up".

What's so hard about selecting an empty folder and pressing Delete?

 

[Guest]

In my case, I use a system of folders and subfolders nested 2 or 3 level deep
to categorize all my "filed" emails. For example, one folder and subfolders
might be:
+COMPUTERS
+HARDWARE
+SOFTWARE
Ad-Aware Plus
Adobe
Copernic
Diskeeper

 

[Julian Mattay]

=?Utf-8?B?TWFya1NhbkRpZWdv?=

In my case, I use a system of folders and subfolders nested
2 or 3 level deep to categorize all my "filed" emails. For
example, one folder and subfolders might be:
+COMPUTERS
+HARDWARE
+SOFTWARE
Ad-Aware Plus
Adobe
Copernic
Diskeeper
.
.
etc.

In all, I have probably 100 major folders, and
approximately 200 subfolders in my file system. This
allows me to find something quickly.

To delete empty folders in this group would involve my
going thru the entire list and looking to see which
folders/subfolders were empty, and then individually
deleting those that were empty AND I no longer wante to
retain as "active" folders.

This would be very time consuming. A function to assist
this cleanup would identify all folders that were empty,
and let me just scan this list checking off those I want to
delete, and leaving unchecked all I wanted to retain
despite being empty. It would be a great time saver, and
would allow me to keep my folder system pared down to
include only those topics I had current activity in. This
makes filing new emails more efficient because the "active"
folder system is smaller and has fewer entries to scroll
thru until the desired folder is found.

G'day,

Not quite what you want but it will help you identify empty
folders without clicking on them individually. Right click on,
say, Inbox and select properties\size this will display the
size of all folders/subfolders so you can see which are empty.

Cheers,
Julian

--
Julian Mattay, email: julian x mattay z csiro x au
(where x -> dot, z -> at)
Local IT Bloke
CSIRO, Forestry and Forest Products Ph: +61 8 8721 8118
Mt Gambier, South Australia, Australia Fax: +61 8 8723 9058

 

[Guest]

Interesting way to see empty folders ! However, not practical for deleting a
large number of empty folders because:

1. When this folder/size window is being viewed, you can not delete the
folder from this list.

2. If you attempt to delete the empty folder from the "folders" list, you
find you must close this results box (folder/size) before you can delete any
folders from the folders list.

So, because a lot of back and force is necessary, the method is not
practical for deleting multiple empty folders from a large list of all
folders.

Mark
_________________________________________

 

[Julian Mattay]

=?Utf-8?B?TWFya1NhbkRpZWdv?=

Interesting way to see empty folders ! However, not
practical for deleting a large number of empty folders
because:

1. When this folder/size window is being viewed, you can
not delete the folder from this list.

2. If you attempt to delete the empty folder from the
"folders" list, you find you must close this results box
(folder/size) before you can delete any folders from the
folders list.

So, because a lot of back and force is necessary, the
method is not practical for deleting multiple empty folders
from a large list of all folders.

Mark

G'day Mark,

Perhaps I'm a luddite but I was going to write a list of the
names of the empty folders on a bit of paper
As I said "Not quite what you want but ...."

Cheers,
Julian


--
Julian Mattay, email: julian x mattay z csiro x au
(where x -> dot, z -> at)
Local IT Bloke
CSIRO, Forestry and Forest Products Ph: +61 8 8721 8118
Mt Gambier, South Australia, Australia Fax: +61 8 8723 9058

 

[Brian Tillman]

So, because a lot of back and force is necessary, the method is not
practical for deleting multiple empty folders from a large list of all
folders.

Maybe that's why God created paper and pencil <grin>. Just joking.