Applying Mailbox Manager policies to a sub-folder

by Bharat Suneja

When you create a Recipient Policy to apply Mailbox Manager settings [for reference, read KBA 319188 “How to use recipient policies to control mailboxes in Exchange 2000 and Exchange 2003“], the policy properties include the default mailbox folders like Inbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items, et al. You can apply the policy to additional folders by clicking the Add button and adding a folder. However, applying a policy (e.g. to delete items older than a certain number of dates) to a particular folder does not apply this to a sub-folder. For instance, if you apply the policy to the default folder Inbox, it does not apply to any sub-folders of the Inbox folder.

I ended up testing this in response to a newsgroup question this morning. There’s no relevant info in the online help or any KBA that I could find.

To apply Mailbox Manager policy to a sub-folder – in this case, a sub-folder called Spam in the default folder Inbox – click the Add button and type: Inbox/Spam.

Related Posts:
Recipient Policies: Can separate policies for Email Addresses and Mailbox Manager Settings be applied?
Exchange 2000/2003 Mailbox Manager and msExchMailboxManagerAgeLimit
Exchange Server 2007: Why aren’t Managed Content Settngs applied?

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

Anonymous February 8, 2007 at 1:09 am

thankyou. That’s just that i was looking for.

Reply

Aaron March 10, 2008 at 10:56 am

was looking for this too thanks.

Reply

vincenzo April 23, 2008 at 8:08 am

i’m looking for the opposite; in ex2007 i want the managed folder policy to apply only to the inbox or deleted items folder, and NOT subfolders within them– is this possible?

Reply

Andrew Caple July 6, 2008 at 4:26 pm

If you’re only waiting to have the policy effect the Inbox of the user remove the subfolder: \SPAM

Reply

Bharat Suneja July 6, 2008 at 5:11 pm

In Exchange Server 2007, Managed Folder Mailbox Policy is enforced on a folder and all sub-folders. There’s no mechanism to define separate settings for a sub-folder or exempt a sub-folder from the parent folder’s policy.

Reply

Anonymous September 17, 2009 at 7:42 pm

Pretty late post, but in exchange 2003, what if the subfolder has a space in the name? I can't work out the syntax. Inbox/sub folder doesn't seem to find the folder called "sub folder".
"Inbox/sub folder"
Inbox/"sub folder"
?

Reply

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