# Why does my OUTLOOK have two Inboxes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 21, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312 "2006-11-21T17:56:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312/1 "2006-11-21T17:56:36Z")
My OUTLOOK seems to have two inboxes, two Sent Items, two everything. Only one is ever used. Here is a [screenshot](http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/326/outlookfe3.png). Does this have something to do with running a Microsoft Exchange Server as oppossed to a POP3 or something? Also, how do I make the email forward to another email when I’m gone? Is there a way to do this when the computer is turned off? Like is there a way to make the Outlook program tell the server to forward the email, so that my Outlook doesn’t have to check the email to forward it on its own? Does this make sense? I can get the thing to forward email, but only if the Outlook is running and actively checking emails. This isn’t an option, because I can’t leave the computer on if I’m not at the desk. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312/2 "2006-11-21T18:55:41Z")
How many email addresses do you have? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312/3 "2006-11-21T18:58:35Z")
Just one. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312/4 "2006-11-21T19:02:03Z")
It looks like you have a second folder open. Try right clicking on the lower Mailbox entry and select “Close.” It might be an Archive folder that you inadvertently opened, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312/5 "2006-11-21T19:04:24Z")
Ah, so there goes my WAG. In Outlook Express, I have 3 Inboxes; one each for Hotmail and my university email, and one for all the rest. I’ll allow the more knowledgable to step forward now. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312/6 "2006-11-21T19:45:05Z")
Nevermind, I figured it out. One of the IT guys came by the office today. Apparantly the bottom set of folders is on the Server itself. But they dont want people storing email on the server, so they set the Personal Folders thing on the individual computer. So email automatically goes from the server to the Personal Folders and then is deleted by the server. I noticed that _all mail_ actually goes there first and then is quickly routed to the Personal Folders up top. I only happened to notice it the one time I accidentally sent something to myself. I clicked on it before it had a chance to route itself into the other folder. Anyway… now I know. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312/7 "2006-11-21T20:59:18Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] But they dont want people storing email on the server, so they set the Personal Folders thing on the individual computer. So email automatically goes from the server to the Personal Folders and then is deleted by the server. [/QUOTE] At the risk of jumping to conclusions based on thin information, this has got to be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard. Why would you bother with a mail system like Exchange if you’re going to dumb it down to the level of SMTP? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312/8 "2006-11-21T21:16:13Z")
[QUOTE=Cerowyn] At the risk of jumping to conclusions based on thin information, this has got to be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard. Why would you bother with a mail system like Exchange if you’re going to dumb it down to the level of SMTP? [/QUOTE] Uniformity I guess. Plus I think the Exchange server account is needed anyway to handle all the file sharing and stuff I have to do. So while, an SMTP email would be adequate, I need the Exchange account for everything else and the shared calendars and all that crap anyway. Higher ranking commanders and such have unlimited email storage on the server, and the benefit of checking their email on any computer or laptop or Blackberry or whatever/wherever. They dont feel schmucks like me need that kind of interface or convenience. So I have zero email storage on the server, but the entire local harddrive and only check the email from this computer anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-outlook-have-two-inboxes/381312/9 "2006-11-22T00:37:54Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] Also, how do I make the email forward to another email when I’m gone? Is there a way to do this when the computer is turned off? Like is there a way to make the Outlook program tell the server to forward the email, so that my Outlook doesn’t have to check the email to forward it on its own? Does this make sense? I can get the thing to forward email, but only if the Outlook is running and actively checking emails. This isn’t an option, because I can’t leave the computer on if I’m not at the desk. [/QUOTE] I _think_ this is possible, but I found out that attempting this from my uscg.mil address is a huge no-no. The CG uses Outlook for official e-mail, and as such, some of that e-mail may contain sensitive information. While it’s not classified info, it still may be sensitive in some way. Therefore, auto-forwarding e-mails to an outside, possibly unsecured network is verboten. I also have the two inboxes, with limited server storage. Once I near my limit, an automated e-mail is generated telling me to move my crap into my personal folders.