Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 : Managing Public Folder Settings (part 3) - Manipulating, Renaming, and Recovering Public Folders

Manipulating, Renaming, and Recovering Public Folders

Public folders are represented as objects in Active Directory. However, the actual data in public folders is stored in public folder databases. You can manipulate public folders by using standard techniques such as cut, copy, and paste. Follow the procedures outlined in this section to manipulate, rename, and recover public folders.

Renaming Public Folders

To rename a public folder using Outlook, follow these steps:

1. In Outlook, right-click the public folder you want to rename.

2. Select Rename Folder, type a new name, and then press Enter.

To rename a public folder using the Public Folder Management Console, follow these steps:

1. In the Public Folder Management Console, select the parent folder in the left pane and then double-click the folder in the main pane.

2. On the General tab of the Properties dialog box, type a new name in the text box provided and then click OK.

Note

For mail-enabled public folders, you set the Exchange alias, the standard display name, and the simple display name on the Exchange General tab.

Copying and Moving Public Folders

You can copy and move public folders only within the same public folder tree. You can't copy or move a public folder to a different tree. To create a copy of a public folder, follow these steps:

1. In Outlook, right-click the public folder with which you want to work, and then select Copy.

2. Right-click the folder into which you want to copy the folder, and then select Paste.

To move a public folder to a new location in the same tree, follow these steps:

1. In Outlook, right-click the public folder with which you want to work, and then select Cut.

2. Right-click the folder into which you want to move the folder, and then select Paste.

Deleting Public Folders

When you delete a public folder, you remove its contents, any subfolders it contains, and the contents of its subfolders. Before you delete a folder, however, you should ensure that any existing data that the folder contains is no longer needed and that you make a backup of the folder contents just in case.

Using Outlook, you delete public folders and their subfolders by completing the following steps:

1. In Outlook, right-click the public folder you want to remove, and then select Delete.

2. You'll be asked to confirm that you want to delete the folder and all subfolders. Click Yes.

Using the Public Folder Management Console, you delete public folders and their subfolders by completing the following steps:

1. In the Public Folder Management Console, select the parent folder in the left pane and then select the folder that you want to delete in the main pane.

2. On the Action menu or in the Action pane, click Remove.

3. You'll be asked to confirm that you want to delete the folder and all subfolders. Click Yes.

Recovering Public Folders

You can recover deleted folders from public folder databases, provided that you've set a deleted item retention period for the public folder database from which the folders were deleted and the retention period hasn't expired. If both of these conditions are met, you can recover deleted folders by completing the following steps:

1. Log on to the domain using an account with administrative privileges in the domain or by using an account with full control over the public folders you need to recover.

2. After starting Outlook, access the Public Folders node, and then select the parent node that contained the public folders. For example, with a top-level folder, you select the All Public Folders node, but with a subfolder of a top-level folder, you select the node for the top-level folder.

3. On the Tools menu, select Recover Deleted Items. The Recover Deleted Items From dialog box appears.

4. Select the folders you want to recover, and then click the Recover Selected Items button.

5. Each folder restored by the recovery operation has "(Recovered)" appended to the folder name. After you verify the contents of the folder, you can complete the recovery operation by doing the following:

   • Restoring the original folder name Right-click the folder, select Rename, type a new name, and then press Enter.

   • Restoring the folder's e-mail addresses Right-click the folder, and then select Properties. In the Properties dialog box, click the E-Mail Addresses tab. Edit each e-mail address so that it's restored to its original value.