Unable to Create a "General" Channel from Scratch in Teams Desktop

Anonymous
2024-09-10T03:57:45+00:00

I encountered an issue when trying to create a new team from scratch in the desktop version of Teams. It seems that naming the first channel has become a mandatory step. However, I am unable to name the channel "General" as it shows the message: "The name General is reserved. Try another name."

Could anyone please advise on how to create a "General" channel from scratch in the desktop version of Teams? Is there a workaround for this restriction?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Teams and channels | Manage a team or channel

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-09-13T13:58:18+00:00

    Totally agree!

    Or at least allow the use of "General" as the name of the first channel and maybe sugest it as the default name that the user can change if he/she wishes.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-09-12T16:00:24+00:00

    I have the same issue as the original poster. We have hundreds of teams all using "General" as the default Channel. All our end user documentation points to the General folder and we are not willing to re-train our users, nor will we be able to rename our previously created "General" channels to some new standard.

    Please put back the functionality of automatically creating a General channel when creating teams from scratch.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-09-12T07:10:52+00:00

    Hi @Shajia,

    It is indeed a big bug as we have been accustomed to having a General channel and I personally like that name, specially for teams with just one channel. Also it forces you to think up a name for each teams's first channel and you end up naming it General1 or General_.

    I'd like to point out that the problem affects not only Teams Desktop but also Teams web.

    Thank you for solving it ASAP.

    Josu

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-09-10T09:49:05+00:00

    Hello Zerotsj

    Good day to you and thanks for your post in Microsoft community. Hope this finds you well.

    I am writing to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced due to Unable to Create a "General" Channel from Scratch in Teams Desktop

    Upon investigating the matter from our end, and it appears that you’ve encountered a common issue in Microsoft Teams. The “General” channel is indeed reserved and automatically created when a new team is set up.   the General channel no longer automatically created when creating a Team from scratch(a basic team)**,**seems currently to get this General channel created, you need to use the More create team optionsand choose the "From another team" or "From a template" and use the "Manage a Project" for example.

    you can check this thread also: New Team doesn't have a General Channel - Microsoft Community

    This behavior will be reported to Microsoft for confirmation, and we will monitor it. We will provide you with an update as soon as we receive it.

    If there is anything we can do to assist you or if you have any further concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we are here to support you in any way we can.

    Your kind understanding is greatly appreciated.

    Sincerely,

    Shajia Afrin | Community Moderator

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