Cannot add public folders to favorites in Outlook web

Question

I work for an IT help desk at a University and I have multiple users that cannot add public folders. On top of that, the public folders that were previously there are no longer appearing. They have disappeared and cannot be re-added due to this issue. When trying to add a public folder, I either right click the Inbox folder or click the triple dots (ellipses) button and then click on "Add public folder to Favorites" and nothing happens. No window appears. No other menu appears. It just does nothing.

I have worked with multiple users regarding this. I had them clear browser history and cache while set to "all time". I have had them do a complete reset of the browser. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the browser. None of these methods have resolved this issue.

This is across different operating systems such as Windows 10, 11, and MacOS 13 and 14. This is also happening on different browsers which are Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. So this is not a browser or cache/cookies issue.

Is there a current or known issue for this?

Answer 1

Hi TheDrewster777,

Thank you for asking this question on the Microsoft Q&A Platform.

What is your Outlook client version? Please make sure to update to the latest version.

Depending on your description, you may be using the new user interface in Outlook for Windows. In the Outlook new user interface, if you want to view public folders, select More apps > Folders. (Shortcut key: Ctrl +6).

Also, to access public folders, you need to add public folders to favorites. Please follow these steps:

1. Right-click the name of the account and select Add public folder to Favorites.
2. In the pane that displays the public folder hierarchy, expand All Public Folders.
3. Select the public folder that you want to add to Favorites and then select Add Public Folder.
4. After the public folder is added, select it from the list of Favorites to access it.

For more details, you could refer to: Access public folders in Outlook for Windows - Outlook | Microsoft Learn.

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Answer 2

Why would you mention trying something that I already said was tried in the original post?

"When trying to add a public folder, I either right click the Inbox folder or click the triple dots (ellipses) button and then click on "Add public folder to Favorites" and nothing happens. No window appears. No other menu appears. It just does nothing."

I already gave this information. Did you just not bother to read it?

You also asked "What is your Outlook client version?". Why on Earth would you ask this question when this problem does not pertain to the Outlook desktop application? You seem to just have responses in a template and you copy/paste them. You did not address my issue at all.

Also, there is a known issue for this that Microsoft is currently addressing and has acknowledged. Part of your job is knowing this and informing customers of this information.