Outlook / Exchange 2000 Online Help

Using Public Folders

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Definition:

Set up a public folder

You may want to work with your administrator to set up a public folder.

1. Create the Public Folder

2. Set permission levels

3. Create views to organize and find information.

4. Set the default view for the folder.

5. Specify the forms available for others to post information in the folder.

6. Create rules to process items posted in the folder

7. notify others that the public folder is available by sending them a shortcut to the folder.

Create a public folder

To create a public folder, you must have permission to create folders in an existing public folder. For information about how to obtain permission, see your administrator. 1.         On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder. 2.         In the Name box, enter a name for the folder. 3.         In the Folder contains box, click the type of folder you want to create. The type of folder determines the type of item the folder can contain. 4.         In the Select where to place the folder box, click the public folder you want your new public folder to appear in.

Tip:
You can copy a private folder to a public folder to quickly start a public folder with existing items.

View information in a public folder

To view information in a public folder, you must have permission to read items. You can view information in a public folder in the following ways:

• Open a public folder to move through the folders under it or to view items or files in the folder.
• Switch to another preset view in a public folder to see a different arrangement of details.
• Save a personal view of a public folder to customize the view, even if you don't have permission to make changes in the folder. When you save a personal view of a public folder, that view is always available to you.
• If you own a public folder, you can change the view that appears when others first open the folder.
  

Check your public folder permission status

1. If the Folder List is not visible, click the View menu, and then click Folder List.
2. Click Public Folders, and then right-click the public folder you want to check your permission level for.
3. Click Properties on the shortcut menu.
4. Click the Summary tab. Your permission level appears under Your permissions.

If the Permissions tab appears instead of the Summary tab, you have owner permission. If neither tab appears, you do not have permission to change the folder properties.

 Share Outlook items in a public folder

To share Outlook items in a public folder, you must have permission to create items.
You can add Outlook items to a public folder in two ways:

• Create a new item.
• Copy or move an existing item from another folder.
  
  

For information on sharing schedules, contact lists, or task lists, click on one of the following:

• Share a schedule
• Share a contact list
• Share a task list

Compare ways to share items, files, and folders

Set sharing permissions for a public folder

You must have owner permission for a public folder to set sharing permissions for the folder. You can set permissions for only one folder at a time. For information about folder permissions, click

1. If the Folder List is not visible, click the View menu, and then click Folder List.
2. Click Public Folders, and then right-click the folder you want to change sharing permissions for.
3. Click Properties on the shortcut menu.
4. Click the Permissions tab.
5. To set permissions that apply to everyone who can use the folder, click Default in the Name list.

In the Roles box, select the role you want to assign to everyone. Or create a custom role by selecting individual options below the Roles box.

6. To set different permissions for a particular person, click Add.

In the Type name or select from list box, enter the name of the person whose permission level you want to change, click Add, and then click OK. In the Names box, click the name you just added. In the Roles box, click the role you want for that person.

Specify the forms that are available for a folder

You must have editor, publishing editor, or owner permission to add forms to a private shared folder or a public folder. If the folder is a public folder, and you have owner permission, you can limit the forms that are available to other people who use the folder.

1. If the Folder List is not visible, click the View menu, and then click Folder List.
2. Click Public Folders, and then right-click the folder you want to specify forms to be available for.
3. Click Properties on the shortcut menu.
4. Click the Forms tab, and then click Manage.
5. In the box to the left, select the forms you want to use in the folder, and then click Copy. If the form is in a different forms library, click Set to change the library.
   
   
6. Click Close.
7. If the folder is a public folder, click an option under Allow these forms in this folder, to limit the forms you want to be available for other people who use the folder.

Post an Office 2000 file to a Microsoft Exchange folder

1. Start the Microsoft Office program that you want to use to post the file.
2. Open or create the file you want to post.
3. On the File menu, point to Send To, and then click Exchange Folder.
4. In the folder list, double-click the folder you want to post the file to. 
   

Searching the Public Folder Store

With full-text indexing enabled, Outlook can search through the entire Folder for any outlook item or limit their search to contacts,messages, files,notes, tasks, journal entries.

Exchange 2000 server can perform two types of searches. The first is a full-text query of the index that has been built using MS Search service. The second type is a query based on the properties of a document

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