Fix the Outlook Folder Type after Exporting an IMAP Account

After importing IMAP folders into Exchange mailboxes, users often discover their mail is not visible. This is because the exported folders retained the properties and views associated with the IMAP account. The default IMAP view is Hide messages marked for deletion and Exchange doesn't support marking messages, so the view hides all messages. By changing the view to IMAP messages in View, Change View, the messages are visible. They are also visible if you view the folder in OWA.

Imported folders will use IMAP views and say "Filter Applied" in the status bar, as seen in this screenshot, and of course, no messages are visible in the folder.

To fix this, you can edit the folder property using MFCMAPI or change the property using a macro.

Below are two macros, the first macro changes the only selected folder's PR_CONTAINER_CLASS property to IPF.Note if the folder type is IPF.Imap. The second macro checks the folder and subfolders.

Once the folder's class is changed and you refresh the folder, the Views available are the normal folder views. (Select a different folder then the one you changed to refresh the folder.)

Option Explicit
 
Public Sub ChangeFolderContainer()
Dim oFolder As Outlook.folder
Dim oPA As Outlook.PropertyAccessor
Dim PropName, Value, FolderType As String

PropName = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x3613001E"
Value = "IPF.Note"

Set oFolder = Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder
Set oPA = oFolder.PropertyAccessor

FolderType = oPA.GetProperty(PropName)

'MsgBox (FolderType)

If FolderType = "IPF.Imap" Then
   oPA.SetProperty PropName, Value
End If

Set oFolder = Nothing
Set oPA = Nothing
End Sub

Change Subfolders

This version of the macro above will walk the folder list and change all folders from IPF.Imap to IPF.Note. This uses the folder picker and you can choose the root folder (top of mailbox) to run it on all folders in your mailbox or a parent folder to run it only on that folder and it's subfolders.

Option Explicit
Dim SubFolder As MAPIFolder

Sub ChangeFolderClassAllSubFolders()
    Dim i               As Long
    Dim iNameSpace      As NameSpace
    Dim myOlApp         As Outlook.Application
    Dim ChosenFolder    As Object
    Dim Folders         As New Collection
    Dim EntryID         As New Collection
    Dim StoreID         As New Collection
       
    Set myOlApp = Outlook.Application
    Set iNameSpace = myOlApp.GetNamespace("MAPI")
    Set ChosenFolder = iNameSpace.PickFolder
    If ChosenFolder Is Nothing Then
GoTo ExitSub:
    End If

    Call GetFolder(Folders, EntryID, StoreID, ChosenFolder)
        ChangeFolderContainer
        
    For i = 1 To Folders.Count
        Set SubFolder = myOlApp.Session.GetFolderFromID(EntryID(i), StoreID(i))
        On Error Resume Next
        ChangeFolderContainer
    
        On Error GoTo 0
    Next i     
ExitSub:      
End Sub
    
  
Private Sub ChangeFolderContainer()
Dim oFolder As Outlook.folder
Dim oPA As Outlook.PropertyAccessor
Dim PropName, Value, folderType As String

PropName = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x3613001E"
Value = "IPF.Note"

On Error Resume Next
Set oFolder = SubFolder 'Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder
Set oPA = oFolder.PropertyAccessor

folderType = oPA.GetProperty(PropName)
Debug.Print SubFolder.Name & " " & (folderType)

If folderType = "IPF.Imap" Then

oPA.SetProperty PropName, Value
Debug.Print "     Changed: " & SubFolder.Name & " " & Value

End If

Set oFolder = Nothing
Set oPA = Nothing
End Sub
     
    
Sub GetFolder(Folders As Collection, EntryID As Collection, StoreID As Collection, Fld As MAPIFolder)
    Dim SubFolder       As MAPIFolder
       
    Folders.Add Fld.FolderPath
    EntryID.Add Fld.EntryID
    StoreID.Add Fld.StoreID
    For Each SubFolder In Fld.Folders
        GetFolder Folders, EntryID, StoreID, SubFolder
    Next SubFolder
       
ExitSub:
    Set SubFolder = Nothing
       
End Sub

How to use macros

First: You will need macro security set to low during testing.

To check your macro security in Outlook 2010 or 2013, go to File, Options, Trust Center and open Trust Center Settings, and change the Macro Settings. In Outlook 2007 and older, it’s at Tools, Macro Security.

After you test the macro and see that it works, you can either leave macro security set to low or sign the macro.

Open the VBA Editor by pressing Alt+F11 on your keyboard.

To put the code in a module:

1. Right click on Project1 and choose Insert > Module
2. Copy and paste the macro into the new module.

More information as well as screenshots are at How to use the VBA Editor