There are two types of users: those who want reminders from every folder and data file in their profile and those who don't. Beginning with Outlook 2007, Outlook supports reminders in any folder and across additional .pst files while Outlook 2003 and older support reminders only in the default folders within the default mailbox or data file (unless you use an add-in).
If you aren't getting reminders from other pst files in Outlook 2007 and up, you'll need to enable reminders in the Properties dialog.
Right click on the top of the pst file and choose Properties, then enable the option to "Display reminders and tasks from this folder in the To-Do Bar". You'll need to restart Outlook for the changes to work.
When the 'Display reminders' setting is not enabled, you'll see the following warning message when you set a reminder or flag an item in a folder within the data file: “The reminder for “<subject>” will not appear because the item is in a folder that doesn’t support reminders. Is this OK?” (This message may also appear if you create an appointment in an iCloud calendar (if using the icloud addin), you can ignore the message.)
Enable Reminders in other personal folders files tutorial
Disable Reminders in Other folders
I've had several people ask if they could revert to the Outlook 2003 behavior, where reminders did not fire from non-default folders. Unfortunately, this isn't possible. If the data file is a delivery location (in Account Settings, Email accounts tab), reminders will fire from all folders. If you deliver an account to the pst file, reminders are enabled by default, plus tasks and flagged items in the pst are displayed in the To-do bar.
If you don't want flagged items or tasks from other pst files displayed on the To-do bar, create a custom view to show only items from certain folders or data files. If you want to disable reminders in non-default folders, either don't set reminders on the items or move them to a new pst file (and disable the option to display reminders).
We have a VBA code sample at How to Remove or Change the Reminder on All Day Events that can be tweaked to remove default reminders on appointments created in other folders.
Tim Luka says
Hello our organization is migrating all of our .PST files to M365 Online Archive Folder(s). Will the Task/To-Do integration as described above work with Online Archicve Folder(s)? I do not have the "Display Reminders and Tasks from this folder in the To-Do Bar" check box on the newly created Online Archive Folder(s).
Christopher Bedford says
Your suggestions and instructions are normally very clear and helpful but this one leaves a little too much to the imagination I'm afraid, at least at the beginning.
"Right click on the top of the pst file and choose Properties" does not give enough detail. I know what I'm doing, so I was able to find the correct screen to get started with this, but I suspect more than a few people are going to be lost before they get to the "right click" part.
This could have started on Outlook's home screen, right-click the root of your mail folder and select "Data File Properties" (Outlook 365 - I don't remember what the options are in earlier versions and quite frankly don't have the energy or resources to try finding out... ?)
But to my main point - my PST file is the only data file for my email account and therefore there is no way to toggle this setting; in fact when I set an appointment there is no error message and the notifications do come up at the set time. I only get the warning "The reminder for "xxxx" will not appear because the item is in a folder that doesn't support reminders. Is this OK?" if I make changes to an appointment, typically changing the allocated time or duration by dragging the appointment or one of its edges.
My default calendar is the only calendar in Outlook but it is being synced to iCloud by a 3rd party product called Sync2Cloud from 4Team. Is this likely to be the cause of my issues and if so is there perhaps a better way to sync my iPhone? I'll drop Sync2Cloud in a heartbeat if there is an alternative because this is not the only issue I have had while running it and I'm fed up with the spotty reliability.
Pj Johnson says
After finding that option is not available under Data File Properties, for some reason when I was creating the event / task it was saving to a different calendar. I went to File > Move to Folder and chose my "Calendar" folder. Voila! No error. Thought someone may find this useful.
Randall L. Rike says
When I view Data File Properties, I do not see the option to display reminders. See attached. Windows 10, Outlook 2016.
Diane Poremsky says
You'll only see the option if no mail is being delivered to the pst file. If mail is delivered to the file, reminders are enabled automatically.
Trish says
Hi Diane - I have the same issue but mail is not delivered to the file. It is an Online Archive (I use it to store mail). Any ideas on workarounds? I would like to flag an email for follow up but then move it to this Online Archive to get it out of my inbox. Thank you!!
Dennis Moxley says
It would really help ifyou could clarify PST file. We are all that computer savvy!
Diane Poremsky says
it's an Outlook data file... its used by pop accounts and AutoArchive.
ami says
this is very helpful. thank you.
Clay Witt says
I am using Outlook 2010. There are 2 pst files. Neither of them has the check box to enable reminders in its properties. Very frustrating.
By the way, this issue just started. Reminder have always worked just fine until today.
Diane Poremsky says
is mail being delivered to the pst files? if they are set as the delivery location in file, account settings then they are included by default.
Ben says
I had the box checked on my PST but it wasn't showing up in the to-do list. I unchecked the box, restarted outlook, then rechecked the box, restarted outlook again. Now it works.
Mark says
Re: "If you want to disable reminders in non-default folders, either don't set reminders on the items or move them to a new pst file (and disable the option to display reminders)."
Thanks Diane, this was a particularly helpful suggestion for me. Ever since I started using Outlook 2013 I've been trying to compensate for the wrecking of the Journal functionality from 2010 and earlier. What I had been doing until now to track time I spend on things was I had a Calendar folder called "time log" and I would drag tasks or appointments or emails into it (via a shortcut I added to the Shortcuts bar) and then type in the time I start plus the time I finish. But each one would generate a reminder, and every time I would have to dismiss it (I don't need reminders for things I'm already working on!)
But I tried your suggestion of just creating a new .pst file and moving my "time log" folder there, and I recreated my shortcut and it worked perfectly.
Diane Poremsky says
You could use a macro to do this too. See the first macro at https://www.slipstick.com/developer/code-samples/create-outlook-appointment-from-message/
Mike says
I've tried everything you and others have suggested, and still can't enable simple reminders in a calendar.
I have the default calendar that was created by Outlook, and a second calendar paired with an account (hotmail) that is used only for syncing calendar and contacts to my Android phone and instance of Outlook on my work computer. Everything worked fine with this setup before I upgraded to Outlook 2013 -- reminders could be set in both calendars, those would sync to my phone, etc. etc. Now I get the ridiculous "item is in a folder that does not support reminders" message.
There is no enabling check box in the properties dialog for the .pst folder.
Please help!
Diane Poremsky says
You should get reminders from Hotmail unless they changed the behavior since I last checked. Is the Hotmail data file enabled for search? Click in the Search box, go to Search Tools, Locations to search. Is it checked?
helpful says
I also had the "item is in a folder that does not support reminders" message. Most of the other help and answers on the web didn't specify that you must right click (context click) on the top most folder to get the "Display reminders and tasks from this folder in the To-Do bar" check box. That check box does NOT show up on the Task Item but rather in the Data Properties of the top most folder above the Task Item.
This may be specific to Outlook 2013 which is what I'm using.
It was annoying not to find this answer so I hope my explanation helps others.
Peter Manley says
This just started happening for me on my iCloud Outlook calendar. What good is a calendar that doesn't issue reminders? Very frustrating!
Diane Poremsky says
Reminders should fire on the iCloud calendar - they are set by iCloud, not outlook. Are you using the latest icoud version? I'll see if i can repro any problems.
Timothy says
your awesome
Joseph Debs says
Hi and thanks alot for the above info. I am running Outlook 2013, and unfortunately don't see the option to "Disply" reminders and tasks fro mthis folder in the to-do bar" under the properties of different .pst files I have running.
Any ideas of where I could find this?
thanks alot in advance.
Joseph
Diane Poremsky says
Is mail being delivered to the pst file? If so, you won't have the option to enable it, it's enabled automatically and flagged messages and tasks will be in the To-Do List and reminders should fire.
Constance says
I read your comments for Jim. I did a search on *.pst and found the ones that I copied to save. What is the name of the *.pst file and where is it located.
Diane Poremsky says
The file name is often outlook.pst, but that can vary with your version of outlook. Outlook 2010 and 2013 now use the email address in the pst names for pop3 accounts. The pst files will either be in My Documents \ Outlook files (2010 and 2013) or in the local app data folder - %localappdata%\Microsoft\outlook in Windows 7/8.
Mark says
If you have the .pst file(s) in question currently open in Outlook, you should be able to right-click on the .pst file in your folder list, and select Properties. Then press the Advanced button and one of things it should show you is the file path for that .pst. (I'm looking at Outlook 2013 right now but from what I recall this should work in earlier Outlook versions as well)
Diane Poremsky says
In newer versions you can right click on the top level folder and choose "Open File location" and it will open Windows Explorer with the data file selected.
(The path should be in Properties, Advanced in all versions.)