In IU Webmail, how do I use folders?

Note: This information pertains solely to the current (i.e., production) Webmail interface for Cyrus email accounts at Indiana University. UITS is testing a new version of the Webmail interface; see Information about the Webmail pilot project.

To work with your folders in IU Webmail, you must first open the Folder Navigator. In the header bar at the top of the Webmail screen, click Folders.

Viewing folders

The Folder Navigator will display a "tree" of all the folders in your account. If you see only your Inbox, and no other folders you are sure exist, click the + (plus sign) next to "Inbox" to expand the tree. To view subfolders within one of your folders, click the + (plus sign) to expand that folder.

To view the contents of an existing folder, from the folder list, click the name of the folder to the right of the folder icon. You'll then see a listing of the folder's contents.

Following is a brief description of several of the options available within the folder content list view:

• Viewing a message: To view a particular message, beneath the "From" or "Subject" header, select the underlined link.
  
  
• Deleting a message: To delete a particular message or messages, check the box to the left of each message. Once you've selected all checkboxes for the messages you'd like to delete, click Delete. Alternatively, you can select the message; once it's opened, at the top of the page, click Delete. The message will appear in the list with a line through it, indicating that it has been marked for deletion.

  To permanently remove from your account a message that has been marked for deletion, on the right side of the screen, click Purge Deleted.

  Warning: Deleting is permanent. You cannot retrieve a deleted message.

• Responding to a message: To reply to, forward, or redirect a message, open it, and at the top of the page, click Reply, Reply to All, Forward, or Redirect. When you forward a message, you have the option to add commentary to it; when you redirect, however, you do not have that option.
  
  
• Viewing full headers: For detailed information about the message, from within the open item, select Message Source. This will open a new window displaying the full headers of the message. Close this window to return to the abbreviated view.
  
  
• Navigating to other messages: When you have a message open, you can read the previous or the next message in the list by clicking the left- or right-pointing arrow, located on the right edge of the screen.
  
  
• Returning to the list of messages: When you have an item open, to return to the list of items, on the right side of the screen, click Back to foldername, where foldername is the name of the folder.
  
  
• Moving and copying messages: To move or copy messages to another folder, from the message list, select the checkboxes for all the messages you want to move to the same folder. On the right side of the screen, from the Messages to drop-down menu, select the folder to which you wish to move the marked messages. Then click Move to remove the messages from the current folder and place them in the selected folder. Click Copy if you wish to retain the messages in the current folder and place an additional copy in the selected folder.

Other folder options

Several other options are available for working with folders, including:

• Creating folders: To create new folders, follow these instructions:
  
  
  1. From the Folder Navigator, find the folder inside which you'd like to create a new folder, and place a check in the box next to its name. If you do not select a folder, the new folder will be created as a subfolder of your Inbox.
  2. From the Choose action: drop-down menu at the top or bottom of the folder list, select Create Folder.
  3. In the dialog box that appears, type a name for your new folder, and then click OK.
  
  
• Renaming folders: To rename a folder, while in the Folder Navigator, select the checkbox for that folder. Then, from the Choose Action: drop-down menu, select Rename Folder. In the dialog box that appears, type a new name for the folder, and then click OK. You may rename only one folder at a time.
  
  
• Emptying folders: To delete all the messages in one or more folders, while in the Folder Navigator, check the box next to each folder you wish to empty. Then, from the Choose Action: drop-down menu, select Empty Folder(s). In the dialog box that appears, click OK to permanently delete the contents of the selected folder(s).
  
  
• Checking folders for new mail: To check to see if new mail has arrived in one or more folders, while in the Folder Navigator, check the box next to each folder you wish to check. Then, from the Choose Action: drop-down menu, select Check Folder(s) for New Mail. The screen will refresh when Webmail has finished checking your account on the mail server.
  
  
• Deleting folders: To delete one or more folders, while in the Folder Navigator, select the checkbox for each folder you wish to delete. To select a subfolder for deletion, expand the folder that contains the subfolder by clicking the + (plus sign) next to the folder icon. After you've selected the checkboxes for all folders you want to delete, from the Choose Action: drop-down menu, select Delete Folder(s). Click OK twice to delete the selected folders and their contents.

  Warning: Deleting is permanent. You cannot retrieve a deleted folder.

• Subscribing to Shared Folders: To subscribe to one or more Shared Folders, while in the Folder Navigator, click Show Unsubscribed. From the list of available Shared Folders, use the checkboxes to select which folders you want, and then use the Choose Action: drop-down list to select Subscribe to Folder(s).
  
  
• Accessing the Deleted folder: You must first request and pay for an email recovery in order to access the Deleted folder; see At IU, who can recover files and email accidentally deleted from UITS central systems? The Deleted folder appears as a Shared Folder. After your recovery request has been processed, follow the instructions above (see Subscribing to Shared Folders) to view the Deleted folder.

  Note: You must use the Copy option to move messages from the Deleted folder. You cannot use the Move option; see the instructions above for Moving and copying messages.

Also see:

• What is IU Webmail?
• Features of IU Webmail
• In IU Webmail, how can I delete my address book?
• In IU Webmail, how can I sort the messages in a folder?
• In IU Webmail, how can I search my messages?