Imported IMAP folders: Outlook does not contain emails

3 December 2020 Off By Rached CHADER

During an exchange migration, we are often faced with IMAP mailboxes, when you have exported to a PST file once you open in Outlook, the folder will be empty “no mail visible”.

You will have the same behavior if you export your PST to a mailbox on Exchange online, or when you want to consult it from your smartphone.

This guide contains a script that you can run to apply the fix automatically

The Folder Class property is set to IPF.Imap instead of IPF.Note .

This has various side effects, visual issues, and functionality issues such as:

You do not have monitoring indicators such as: Today, Tomorrow, This week, etc., for these imported cases.

You will see a “Filter applied” message in the lower left corner of the status bar.
When you switch to the View tab and press the Change View button, you will see views specific to IMAP accounts.
Folders are not visible when you sign in to your mailbox through Exchange ActiveSync on your smartphone or tablet.

Solution

The script below will fix the wrong folder class property for you to revert to a normal mail folder just like everyone else.

After running the script, you will immediately see all of your emails again, have tracking flag support, and all other issues mentioned above will be gone.

You don’t even need to restart Outlook!

The script allows you to fix a single folder, a folder and its subfolders or your entire mailbox at a time.

It will automatically recognize files that do not require correction and will not make any changes to them either.

Open a text editor and paste the following script:

Dim i

Call FolderSelect()

Public Sub FolderSelect()
  Dim objOutlook
  Set objOutlook = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")

  Dim F, Folders
  Set F = objOutlook.Session.PickFolder

  If Not F Is Nothing Then
    Dim Result
    Result = MsgBox("Do you want to include the subfolders?", vbYesNo+vbDefaultButton2+vbApplicationModal, "Include Subfolders")

    i = 0
    FixIMAPFolder(F)

    If Result = 6 Then
      Set Folders = F.Folders
      LoopFolders Folders
    End If

    Result = MsgBox("Done!" & vbNewLine & i & " folder(s) have been fixed.", vbInfo, "Fix Imported IMAP Folders")
  
    Set F = Nothing
    Set Folders = Nothing
    Set objOutlook = Nothing
  End If
End Sub

Private Sub LoopFolders(Folders)
  Dim F
  
  For Each F In Folders
    FixIMAPFolder(F)
    LoopFolders F.Folders
  Next
End Sub

Private Sub FixIMAPFolder(F)
  Dim oPA, PropName, Value, FolderType

  PropName = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x3613001E"
  Value = "IPF.Note"

  On Error Resume Next
  Set oPA = F.PropertyAccessor
  FolderType = oPA.GetProperty(PropName)

  'MsgBox (F.Name & " - " & FolderType)

  If FolderType = "IPF.Imap" Then
    oPA.SetProperty PropName, Value
    i = i + 1
  End If

  Set oPA = Nothing
End Sub

Dim i

Call FolderSelect()

Public Sub FolderSelect()

Dim objOutlook

Set objOutlook = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")

Dim F, Folders

Set F = objOutlook.Session.PickFolder

If Not F Is Nothing Then

Dim Result

Result = MsgBox("Do you want to include the subfolders?", vbYesNo+vbDefaultButton2+vbApplicationModal, "Include Subfolders")

i = 0

FixIMAPFolder(F)

If Result = 6 Then

Set Folders = F.Folders

LoopFolders Folders

End If

Result = MsgBox("Done!" & vbNewLine & i & " folder(s) have been fixed.", vbInfo, "Fix Imported IMAP Folders")

Set F = Nothing

Set Folders = Nothing

Set objOutlook = Nothing

End If

End Sub

Private Sub LoopFolders(Folders)

Dim F

For Each F In Folders

FixIMAPFolder(F)

LoopFolders F.Folders

End Sub

Private Sub FixIMAPFolder(F)

Dim oPA, PropName, Value, FolderType

PropName = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x3613001E"

Value = "IPF.Note"

On Error Resume Next

Set oPA = F.PropertyAccessor

FolderType = oPA.GetProperty(PropName)

'MsgBox (F.Name & " - " & FolderType)

If FolderType = "IPF.Imap" Then

oPA.SetProperty PropName, Value

i = i + 1

End If

Set oPA = Nothing

End Sub

Save your document by replacing the extension .txt in .vbs
Run your script
Click Outlook on the taskbar to display the “Select Folder” dialog box.

Select the folder you want to correct and press OK.
You will now receive a prompt indicating whether you want to include the subfolders as well. If you don’t see this prompt, click the script icon on your taskbar.