How to Hide or Delete Outlook's Default Folders

I get a lot of questions asking how to delete the default folders, such as Junk Email, RSS, Conversation History, Archive, and Suggested Contacts. Microsoft Outlook creates these folders in the default data files. While I don't recommend deleting the default folders, anyone who really wants to delete default folders can delete them using MFCMAPI or OutlookSpy.

You can rename the defaults folders using the method at Rename default folders.

Deleting folders using these tools is usually not permanent: at some point in the future Outlook may decide to recreate the folder. It may be weeks, it may be months, but it often comes back. Exactly how long it stays gone depends on the folder, Outlook recreates some folders fairly quickly.

A macro to hide folders is at the end of this article. Add it to the QAT to easily re-hide folders when Outlook unhides them.

In most cases, it's better to hide the folder. Outlook seems to be less inclined to remove the Hidden tag from the folder. However, hiding a folder does not stop Outlook from using it. If you hide Junk email, RSS, or Suggested Contacts folders, you need to disable the features that use the those folders.

Before using MFCMAPI or OutlookSpy, you should make a copy of your data file! While these steps are safe to use, it is very easy to have an "Oops, did I do that?" moment and lose your data.

Which folders are candidates for deletion or hiding? Junk Mail (only if its disabled first), RSS and Suggested Contacts (after disabling it in File, Options, Contacts).

Using scanpst or the /resetfolder switch may recreate the folders.

To use either method, get MFCMAPI. You'll need the 32-bit version if you use Outlook 2007, or Outlook 2010 and up in 32 bit. The 64-bit version is for use with Outlook 64-bit (NOT 64-bit Windows).

These instructions remove or hide default folders in a PST file. The process is similar with Exchange mailboxes, however, the missing folders are more likely to be recreated and removing them is not recommended.

Tools | More Information

Delete the Folder

1. After downloading MFCMAPI, unzip it then double click to run.
2. Click Session > Logon and choose your profile (if you have more than one)
3. Double click on your data file. If you have more than one data file, the top one should be your default. (It will have True in the Default Store column.)
4. Expand Root Container (or Root - Mailbox if using Exchange)
5. Expand Top of Outlook Store. Exchange users will choose IPM_SUBTREE
6. Select the folder you wish to delete.
7. Right click and choose Delete Folder.
   
8. Click OK. (Don't tick Hard Deletion, it doesn't work on most folders.)
9. Close the dialogs and return to Outlook.

Hide the Folder

The macro at the end of this article automates these steps to hide the selected folder. If you accidentally hide the wrong folder, you'll need to use MFCMAPI to unhide it. Find the Hidden property and remove the tick from the Boolean field.

1. After downloading MFCMAPI, unzip it then double click to run.
2. Click Session > Logon and choose your profile (if you have more than one)
3. Double click on your data file. If you have more than one data file, the top one should be your default. (It will have True in the Default Store column.)
4. Expand Root Container (or Root - Mailbox)
5. Expand Top of Outlook Store (or IPM_SUBTREE)
   
6. Select Quick Step Settings folder
7. Select "PR_ATTR_HIDDEN, PidTagAttributeHidden, ptagAttrHidden" entry (near the top)
8. Right click and choose Copy Property
9. Select the folder you wish to hide.
10. Right click and choose Paste...
    
11. Click OK twice to add the property to the folder.
    
12. Close the dialogs and return to Outlook.

This screenshot shows the PR_ATTR_HIDDEN, PidTagAttributeHidden, ptagAttrHidden property added to the folder's property as well as the folder list without the Suggested Contacts folder (deleted) and Junk mail folder (hidden).

Use OutlookSpy

You can hide folders using OutlookSpy in 5 clicks:

1. Select the Clutter folder
2. Click IMAPIFolder button on the OutlookSpy ribbon
3. Click “Add Property” button
4. Type PR_ATTR_HIDDEN in the tag edit box and true in the value edit box
5. Click OK

Restore a hidden folder

If you hid a folder and now need to unhide, you'll need to use MFCMAPI or OutlookSpy to remove the hidden folder. (If you are using Exchange cached mode and the folder appears in OWA, you can delete the ost file to restore the folder.)

1. Open MFCMAPI.
2. Go to Session, Logon.
3. Double-click on the email account then Tools, Options and select “Use the MDB_ONLINE flag when calling OpenMsgStore”.
4. Close then reopen the dialog box and Expand ‘Root Container’
5. Expand “Top of Information Store”.
6. Click on folder you need to unhide then Double-click “PR_ATTR_Hidden…” attribute.
7. Check “Boolean” then OK
8. If using Exchange or Office 365, verify that OWA did not display the folder.
9. Then uncheck ‘Boolean’ and click OK to hide again. Check OWA.
10. Start Outlook.

Manually Add the Property Tag using MFCMAPI

While it's easier for many people to copy and paste the property tag or use the macro, you can add the Hidden property tag to any folder using MFCMAPI.

1. Get the property tag (0x10F4000B)
2. Open MFCMAPI to the folder you want to hide
3. Right-click an choose Edit Given Property
4. Type or Paste the property into the Property name field and click Ok.
5. Click Boolean then click OK to finish.

Use VBA to Hide Folders

To use this macro, paste it into the VBA editor, select the folder you want to hide and run the macro. If you need help using the VB Editor, see How to use the VBA Editor for more information and screenshots.

Option Explicit
  
Public Sub HideFolders()

Dim oFolder As Outlook.Folder
Dim oPA As Outlook.propertyAccessor
Dim PropName, Value, FolderType As String

PropName = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x10F4000B"
Value = True
 
Set oFolder = Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder
Set oPA = oFolder.propertyAccessor

oPA.SetProperty PropName, Value
 
Set oFolder = Nothing
Set oPA = Nothing
End Sub

To unhide a folder, change Set oFolder = Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder to use a specific folder and change the Value line to False.
For example, if you accidently hid the Calendar, you'll use this for the oFolder line to unhide it.
Set oFolder = Session.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderCalendar)
More information on folder paths and other default folder names is available in the following article:

Working with VBA and non-default Outlook Folders

How to use macros

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

To check your macro security in Outlook 2010 and up, 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