XWEB: OWA Client Allows You to Delete Special Outlook Folders

When you use the Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) client, you can delete some of the default folders created by the Outlook client, specifically:

• Contacts
• Drafts
• Notes
• Tasks
• Journal

The Microsoft Outlook Web Access client is not aware of the format or notes used in the Contact, Drafts, Notes, Tasks, and Journal folders. Therefore, the OWA client believes the folders contain normal e-mail messages and treats these folders as a normal folder with e-mail messages, which can be deleted using the OWA client.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Exchange Server version 5.5. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

Component: Outlook Web Access

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Outlook Web Access version 5.5. This problem was first corrected in Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 3.

When you use OWA, you can delete the default Outlook folders by following these steps:

1. Click the Up one folder button to display a list of folders in the OWA client.
2. Select the folder you want to delete, like the Tasks folder.
3. On the toolbar, click the Delete the current folder button.
4. You receive the dialog box prompt, "Are you sure you want to delete the current folder and its subfolders?"
5. Click OK to delete the folder.

NOTE: If you select a folder that the OWA client recognizes as a special folder, such as the Inbox folder, you will not be able to delete it. You will receive an error message saying "Unable to delete this special folder," if you try to delete the Inbox folder or any of the following folders: Calendar, Deleted Items, Inbox, Outbox and Sent Items.

With Exchange Server 5.0 and 5.5, you can delete the Contacts folder as well as other special folders. This was however changed in Exchange Server 5.5 SP1, and Contacts can no longer be deleted.