Emails that you forward are not saved in the Sent Items folder in Outlook

Original KB number:   3202402

Symptoms

In Microsoft Outlook, you forward an email message, and find that the message is not saved in your Sent Items folder.

Cause

The Save forwarded messages option is disabled either in the Outlook options or by a Group Policy.

Resolution

To fix this issue, enable the Save forwarded messages option by following these steps, depending on where the setting is configured.

Method 1 - Enable the Save forwarded messages option in the Outlook options

1. In Outlook, select File, and then select Options.
2. Select Mail.
3. Under the Save messages section, enable the Save forwarded messages option.
4. Select OK.

Method 2 - Use Group Policy to enable the Save forwarded messages option

Outlook 2013 or later versions

The default Group Policy template files for Outlook contain the policy setting that controls this functionality. These are Outlk16.admx and Outlk16.adml for Outlook 2016, Outlook 2019, Outlook LTSC 2021, or Outlook for Microsoft 365 and Outlk15.admx and Outlk15.adml for Outlook 2013.

To deploy this setting by using the Outlook Group Policy template, follow these steps:

1. Download the following file from the Microsoft Download Center:

   Office 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, or Outlook for Microsoft 365: Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) and Office Customization Tool for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, Office 2019, and Office 2016
   Office 2013: Office 2013 Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) and Office Customization Tool

2. Extract the admintemplates_32bit.exe or admintemplates_64bit.exe file to a folder on your disk.

3. Copy the file appropriate to your version of Outlook to the C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions folder. Office 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, or Outlook for Microsoft 365: Outlk16.admx Office 2013: Outlk15.admx

4. Copy the file appropriate to your version of Outlook to the C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\xx-xx Office 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021, or Outlook for Microsoft 365: Outlk16.adml Office 2013: Outlk15.admlwhere xx-xx is a Language Culture Name. For example, for English (US), the Language Culture Name is en-us. For more information about Language Culture Names, see Table of Language Culture Names, Codes, and ISO Values [C++].

   Note

   The .adml file must be copied from the correct language folder.

5. Start the Group Policy Management Console.

   Note

   Because you may be applying the policy setting to an organizational unit and not to the whole domain, the steps may also vary in this aspect of applying a policy setting. Therefore, check your Windows documentation for more information.

6. In the Group Policy Management Console, under User Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand your version of Microsoft Outlook, expand Outlook Options, expand Preferences, expand E-mail Options, and then select the Advanced E-mail Options node.

7. Under Advanced E-mail Options, double-click More save messages.

8. Select Enabled, and then enable Save forwarded messages.

   Note

   You may also set the More save messages setting to Not configured to allow for Outlook users to configure the settings that they prefer.

9. Select OK.

   At this point, the policy setting is applied on your Outlook client workstations when the Group Policy setting update is replicated. To test this change, at the command prompt type the following command, and then press Enter:

   gpupdate /force
   

Outlook 2010

The default Group Policy template files for Outlook 2010 contain the policy setting that controls this functionality. To deploy this setting by using the Outlook Group Policy template, follow these steps:

1. Download the following file from the Microsoft Download Center:

   Office 2010 Administrative Template files (ADM, ADMX/ADML) and Office Customization Tool download

2. Add the Outlk14.adm file to the Group Policy Management Console.

   Note

   The steps to add the .adm file to the Group Policy Management Console vary, depending on the version of Windows that you're running. Also, because you may be applying the policy setting to an organizational unit and not to the whole domain, the steps may also vary in this aspect of applying a policy setting. Therefore, check your Windows documentation for more information.

   Go to step 3 after you add the .adm template to the Group Policy Management Console.

3. In the Group Policy Management Console, under User Configuration, expand Classic Administrative Templates (ADM), expand Microsoft Outlook 2010, expand Outlook Options, expand Preferences, expand E-mail Options, and then select the Advanced E-mail Options node.

4. Under Advanced E-mail Options, double-click More save messages.

5. Select Enabled, and then enabled the Save forwarded messages option.

   Note

   You may also set the More save messages setting to Not configured to allow for Outlook users to configure the settings that they prefer.

6. Select OK.

   At this point, the policy setting is applied on your Outlook 2010 client workstations when the Group Policy setting update is replicated. To test this change, at the command prompt type the following command, and then press Enter:

   gpupdate /force
   

More information

The following registry data is associated with the Save forwarded messages option in Outlook:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Office\x.0\Outlook\Preferences

or

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\x.0\Outlook\Preferences

DWORD: SaveFW

Value data:
0 = disabled
1 = enabled