Spartan Mail - Configuring Outlook for Mac to Only Store Email on the Server

Summary

Saving email messages to mail folders on your computer creates the risk of losing messages if your computer crashes. We recommend that you configure your Mac Outlook so it doesn't show any local computer folders.

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Objective

By default, Outlook for Mac shows folders on your local computer ("On My Computer") in addition to the files stored on the server.

If you move any mail from your inbox to these folders the email will be lost if you ever delete that folder or if the hard drive fails on your computer. It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that you disable this option. SpartanMail has more than enough space to store all of your files and makes these files accessible on all of your devices (phones, tablets, and computers).

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Following these steps will hide this option and prevent storing files on your computer by mistake.

Environment

Outlook for Mac

Before You Begin

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Steps

From the Outlook menu, Select Preferences

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Select Show All button and then Select General preferences

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Select Hide on My Computer folders

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Additional Info

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Details

Article ID: 1516

Created

Mon 4/24/23 4:20 PM

Modified

Thu 6/29/23 4:13 PM

Related Services / Offerings

Related Services / Offerings (1)

Spartan 365

Spartan Mail and related Spartan 365 software, including applications located at https://spartan365.msu.edu and downloaded Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), are provided to students while they attend the university and to faculty and staff members while they are employed by the university.