Creating Search Folders

Another new feature provided by Outlook is the Search Folder. A Search Folder is a way to logically group information such as mail or contacts and then view the information. A Search Folder that you create is really a virtual folder; it doesn't actually exist as the mail or contacts folders exist, but it groups information such as mail, contacts, or appointments according to your search criteria. Because Search Folders can be saved (you are actually saving the search criteria that make the Search Folder), they can be used to quickly view data in Outlook whenever needed.

To create a search folder for e-mail messages, follow these steps:

1. Select the File menu, point at New , and then select Search Folder . The New Search Folder dialog box opens (see Figure 1.3).

   Figure 1.3. Logically group Outlook information in search folders.

   

2. Select the type of Search Folder that you will create from the New Search Folder dialog box such as Mail from Specific People or Mail with Attachments.

3. After selecting the type of search folder, you have to supply additional information. For example, in the case of a Mail from Specific People search folder, you have to specify the e-mail senders that will be used to logically group the mail in the search folder. To see a list of people in your Contacts or other list, click the Choose button at the bottom of the New Search Folder dialog box.

4. The Select Names dialog box will open . You can use the drop-down list on the right of the dialog box to view your Contacts folder or other list (such as the Business Contacts folder). Select the name or names to use for the search folder. Then click the From button.

5. When you have completed adding the names the search folder will use, click OK . You will be returned to the New Search Folder dialog box. Click OK to create the new folder.

The new search folder appears in the Outlook window and lists the items such as mail that meet the criteria that you specified for the folder. Search folders that you create can be accessed by opening your personal folders in the All Mail Folders pane and then opening the Search Folders icon. This will list all search folders available in Outlook.

Search Folders Exist by Default Some search folders are available in Outlook by default. For example, the Mail search folders provided are the Unread Mail and For Follow Up folders found in the All Mail Folders pane.