Microsoft Outlook Experts - How Do I Delete Duplicate Folders? (1 Viewer)

[joker]

My work laptop crashed in the middle of an emergency work project and IT configured a new one for me. For some reason, they couldn't "clone/reimage/whatever it's called" my old hard drive, so an Outlook .pst was imported. Something went wrong on the import and now I have duplicates of almost every folder in my Outlook. I didn't want to bug IT again since they did a rush job to get me a new laptop within a few hours, so I looked online to see if there's an easy solution. So far, I've come up empty other than some duplicate software that I'm not sure works or not. The "Clean Up Folder" option from the HOME choice hasn't worked (or I'm doing it wrong), so right now I'm looking at a looong time of right-clicking and choosing "delete folder" for what is likely over a thousand folders.

So do I have any options? Could I delete my entire inbox and then import the .pst again? I know the export function has an option to either replace duplicates or not export them, but does the import function have that same option? Would that recreate my inbox with only one set of folders? If that's not an option, does any of the third-party software actually work?

 

[MTskibum]

I cannot picture what you are talking about.

Can you not delete the duplicate folder's manually?

If you have a backup of the save you can try to delete everything and try again. You might risk losing emails you have received today though.

 

[3C's]

Can't you right click the folder and select delete?

 

[joker]

I can right-click and pick delete, but we're talking 500+ folders. Not sure my finger or my sanity could handle that misery

 

[Harry Frogfish]

Give your kid 20 cents for every right-click and pick delete and tell them you'll be able to check their work, it ALL has to be done. Make it sound bigger by asking if they want to make an easy 100 bucks? Or of their younger, you can maybe bait them with 50 bucks is all. But is that worth the possible mistakes?

Anyway, easy solution. If it's more than 500 as you say, just cap the job at a crisp 100. That will get them booze and a nice bag of weed and everyone's happy.

 

[AAABatteries]

Can’t you hold down like Alt or Shift and multi-select and then delete? Say 2 seconds per selection at worst - take about 15 minutes

 

[3C's]

Apparently the way to do multiple folders is to create a temp folder, drag all the folders to delete into that, and then delete the temp folder.

 

[Rustoleum]

My work laptop crashed in the middle of an emergency work project and IT configured a new one for me. For some reason, they couldn't "clone/reimage/whatever it's called" my old hard drive, so an Outlook .pst was imported. Something went wrong on the import and now I have duplicates of almost every folder in my Outlook. I didn't want to bug IT again since they did a rush job to get me a new laptop within a few hours, so I looked online to see if there's an easy solution. So far, I've come up empty other than some duplicate software that I'm not sure works or not. The "Clean Up Folder" option from the HOME choice hasn't worked (or I'm doing it wrong), so right now I'm looking at a looong time of right-clicking and choosing "delete folder" for what is likely over a thousand folders.

So do I have any options? Could I delete my entire inbox and then import the .pst again? I know the export function has an option to either replace duplicates or not export them, but does the import function have that same option? Would that recreate my inbox with only one set of folders? If that's not an option, does any of the third-party software actually work?

Do you archive a bunch of mail or something that isn’t kept on the server?

Once we reconnect Outlook on a new laptop here, it just all comes down from Office365 to sync with what you would see if you used OWA. It can take a looonnngg time with a huge mailbox, but its better than messing with .pst files, IMO.

 

[gianmarco]

To whoever stole my copy of Microsoft Office, I will find you. You have my Word.

 

[the moops]

Just ask IT

 

[AAABatteries]

To whoever stole my copy of Microsoft Office, I will find you. You have my Word.

BOO

 

[bryhamm]

You don't have to right click and choose delete. If you click the folder once, it should be grey (ie selected) so you can see the items in it. if you click the folder a 2nd time, it should be bluish and you can now simply hit your delete button. still a little bit of work, but easier than what you were originally thinking.