Topics Map > Features and Functionality > Client Capabilities > Desktop
Office 365 (Thunderbird) - Working with folders
This document contains instructions on using a non-Microsoft email client, such as Apple Mail or Thunderbird. Microsoft does not recommend these clients for use with Office 365, and there are often significant limitations in client functionality as a result. Because of this, the DoIT Help Desk is only able to offer best effort support for these clients, and certain issues may require the use of a Microsoft client in order to be resolved. For more information on Office 365 client support, please see: Office 365 - Which clients/protocols will be supported?.Best Effort Support Only
By default, messages that are sent to you are stored in your Inbox. But you can organize your messages into a hierarchical folder system and adjust it as your needs change.
Default folders
Your account starts with these default folders:
- Inbox Incoming messages arrive in your Inbox unless you've created an Inbox rule to redirect them to another folder, or they're identified as junk email.
- Drafts If you create or respond to a message, but can't finish it right away, it will automatically be saved to your Drafts folder. You can come back to the message later to continue editing it, and then send it.
- Sent By default, a copy of every message you send is put in your Sent Items folder.
- Trash When you delete a message, it's moved to the Deleted Items folder.
Important: Office 365 uses different folders for Sent and Trash. Please make sure you have modified your Thunderbird configuration to use your Office 365 folder structure: Office 365 (Thunderbird) - Configure Thunderbird
You may see other folders that have been created by your administrator.
Thunderbird also contains Local Folders of Trash and Outbox. A Local Folder is one that is stored on the computer you are working on, you will not be able to access any Local Folders from any other location.
Your default folders will be accessible from all locations.
Right-click menu for folders
Most of what you can do with a folder will be found in the right-click menu. Actions you can take include:
- New Folder/New Subfolder Use this to create a new folder in your inbox or a new sub-folder in the folder you right-clicked.
- Rename the folder. You can't rename the default folders, such as the Inbox folder.
- Delete Delete the entire folder. Delete will move the folder to the Trash folder.
- Mark Folder Read Marks every item in the folder as read.
- Search Messages Allows you to search all messages in the folder.
- Subscribe Allows you subscribe to other default folders on the server.
- Properties Allows you to review your storage, permissions, and other settings related to your account.
Creating folders
You can create additional folders to organize your messages any way you want. For example, you can create a folder for a specific project, or for all messages sent by a particular person, or all messages sent to a distribution group that you're a member of.
To create a new folder, right-click the parent folder you want to create the new folder in. If you want a top-level folder (a folder at the same level as your Inbox), you would use your mailbox as the parent folder.
To create a folder within your account:
- Right-click your account.
- Click New Folder.
- Type the name you want to use for the folder and press the Enter key.
Moving folders
Click the folder you want to move and drag it to where you want it.
The Trash folder
When you delete a message, it's first moved to the Trash folder. You can let messages stay there, or you can choose to manually empty the Trash whenever you want. Your administrator may have set up a policy to empty items from your Trash folder after they've been there for a preset number of days. For example, there may be a policy that removes anything that's been in your Trash folder for 30 days.
Recover deleted items
If your administrator has enabled the recover deleted items feature, you can use it to recover items that have been deleted from your Trash folder. How long items will be recoverable depends on settings that are controlled by your administrator.
To recover items that have been deleted from your Trash folder, you must use Outlook Web App. After you have logged into your account, follow instructions for recovering the delete messages.
The item will be moved to its default location. Messages will go to your Inbox, calendar items will go to your Calendar, contacts to your Contacts folder, and tasks to your Tasks folder.
What else do I need to know?
- The folders you create can be at the same level as your default folders, for example, the Inbox or Sent folders. Or, you can create sub-folders within any existing email folder.
- If you want to create a personal information folder as a sub-folder to a mail folder, you can create the folder and then move it to the location you want. Some folders, for example, the Inbox, can't be moved to another location.
- Some folders, for example, the Inbox, can't be renamed. If the folder can't be renamed, the Rename option in the menu will not appear.