Outlook: Sharing Folders

In Microsoft Outlook, you can allow others within your Exchange organization to access your mailbox folders, including your calendar (see Sharing Calendars in Outlook). You can use Outlook to share your mailbox folders and to access others' mailbox folders that have been shared with you.

There are (2) two steps involved with sharing folders. The first step, "sharing (done from the account that will be sharing) and the second, "accepting the share", (set up in the account the folders with which the folders are being shared). Both of these steps must be completed in order for sharing to work.

(Step 1) Sharing a Folder in Outlook

First, you need to give the other person access permission to both the mailbox and the specific folder in the mailbox. Assign permissions along the entire path down to the folder you want to share; for example, if you want others to have access to a subfolder in your cabinet, you need to assign permissions to the mailbox (i.e. emailid@messiah.edu) folder, the cabinet, and the subfolder. To set permissions on folders:

1. Open Outlook 2010 and login to the account that you want share the folder from. If this is a department account, you must login to that account with the department name and password, not as a Delegate.
   
   
2. In your folder list, right-click on your mailbox (i.e. emailid@messiah.edu)
   
   
3. Select the Folder Permissions option

4. Click Add...
   
   
5. Search for the name of the user/account you want to share with. Once located, click on the name so it is highlighted and click the "Add ->" button near the bottom of the window. Repeat if you are selecting more than one Delegate.
   
   
6. When finished adding Delegates, click OK
   
   
7. Click on the desired Delegate name under the Permissions tab and in the Permission Level drop-down menu located below the names, select one of the following (see image below):
   • Reviewer - Delegate can only VIEW email
   • Publishing Editor - Delegate can VIEW, DELETE, MOVE, Etc. email
   • Click Here for full explanations of other, less frequently used Permission options:

     Other "less frequently used" Permissions options:
     

     • Owner: Allows full rights to the mailbox, including assigning permissions; you should not assign this role to anyone
     • Editor: Create, read, edit, and delete all items
     • Publishing Author: Create and read items; create subfolders; edit and delete items they've created
     • Author: Create and read items; edit and delete items they've created
     • Nonediting Author: Create and read items; delete items they've created
     • Contributor: Create items
     • None: Gives no permissions for the selected accounts on the specified folder
     
     

   NOTE --- If you do not want the Delegate to see any email in the folder but need to have them view items in a folder(s) inside this folder, click on the checkbox that says "Folder Visible"

8. Click OK

9. Now that you have given Delegate access to your mailbox, you must repeat steps 2-9 for each of the folder(s) you want the Delegate to have access to (be sure to select the actual folder(s) this time, Step #2, not the mailbox).

***Note: You can also set different permission levels for individual folders in your mailbox using the above method on each folder. ***

(Step 2) Accepting a Shared Folder from another account

Note: Although you can add other users' mailboxes to your Outlook Folder List without having any permissions for their mailboxes, you will not be able to view them unless you have at least Reviewer permission.

1. 1. Click File tab | Info | Account Settings | Account Settings... The Account Settings dialog box will pop up
   
   

   
   
   2. Double click on your account...  The Change Account dialog box will appear
   

   

    

   
   

   3. Click on More Settings...
   

   

    

   
   

   4.  Select the Advanced tab and then click on Add

   
   

    

    

    

   5.  Enter the name of the additional mailbox into the Add mailbox field and click on OK.  The additional mailbox has now been added
   
   

    

   
   6. Enter the name of the additional mailbox into the Add mailbox field and click on OK.  The additional mailbox has now been added.

   
   
   

   
   7. Click on OK.

    

   8. Click on Next.

    

   9. Click on Finish.  The additional mailbox has now been added to the Navigation Pane.