By default, managed content settings apply to the root folder and all subfolders in an Exchange 2007 environment

In a Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 environment, you can control the message retention period by using managed content settings. However, after you specify a root folder, the setting applies to the root folder and all subfolders. This behavior differs from earlier versions of Exchange Server. For example, in Exchange Server 2003, subfolders do not follow the root folders settings.

To resolve this problem, download and install Update Rollup 5 for Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1.

For more information about Update Rollup 5 for Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

After you install this update, a policy flag lets you configure whether subfolders follow the setting of the root folder. By default, the settings of the root folder are followed.

Update Rollup 5 introduces the new feature that is designed to allow Managed Content Management in Exchange 2007 to mimic e-mail retention policies in Exchange 2003. To control this feature, BaseFolderOnly flag was introduced to the managed folders. Setting this flag to True on the managed folder prevents managed folder assistant from applying mailbox policy to content of subfolders of the managed folder.

For example, if you want to set up the following e-mail retention limits, the content of Inbox should be deleted after 30 days. The content of subfolders of Inbox should be deleted in 60 days.

1. Create the Managed Content Setting for Inbox default Managed folder through the Exchange management console or by running the following Exchange management shell commandlet:
   New-ManagedContentSettings -FolderName 'Inbox' -AgeLimitForRetention '30.00:00:00' ....
2. Create the Managed Content Setting for the Entire Mailbox default Managed folder through the Exchange management console or by running the following Exchange management shell commandlet: New-ManagedContentSettings -FolderName 'Entire Mailbox' -AgeLimitForRetention '60.00:00:00' ...
3. Create the new managed folder mailbox policy. Include the Inbox and Entire Mailbox managed folder links.
4. Set the new managed folder mailbox policy to run on the mailbox.
5. Set the BaseFolderOnly flag on the Inbox managed folder by running the following Exchange management shell commandlet:
   Set-ManagedFolder Inbox -BaseFolderOnly $true
   Managed folder assistant should apply the policy the next time that it runs.

For more information about how to create managed content settings, visit the following Microsoft Web site: