Search Folders
Having folders can help keep you organized. Having too many folders can produce the opposite outcome. We all get a lot of email and keeping track of it is getting more and more difficult. This is where search folders can help.
We start by rethinking our existing folders in our inbox. For each major subject area, create one general folder instead of several very specific folders. This will actually make things easier to find. (Have you ever "lost" an email because you couldn't remember how you filed it?)
Now lets create a search folder. Open Outlook to the "Mail" view by clicking the "Mail" view button in the bottom, left-hand corner of the Outlook window. You should see a "Search Folders" folder at the bottom of the list.
Right-click on "Search Folders" and select "New Search Folder".
As you can see, there are several criteria to choose from when making search folders. For this example, we will select "Old mail" under the "Organizing Mail" heading. To adjust the mail age setting, click the "Choose..." button and adjust the age settings to 6 months.
Click "OK" in the "Old Mail" dialog box and "OK" on the "New Search Folder" box. Your new search folder should show up under Search Folders in the mail view.
This is just one example of how search folders can help. You can also create custom search definitions that can do a very narrow search of all the email in your mailbox. Experiment by creating more search folders that will help you make your work flow easier.
