Outlook.com prompts to Enter a new folder name, when I click on "Move to", then "Move to a different folder"

Anonymous
2023-10-23T00:28:36+00:00

I have always been accustomed to clicking on the Move To button, then unless the folder I want to move to appears on the history list of the last 8 or so folder names, I click on Move to a different folder.

This has STOPPED working. When I click on Move to a different folder, the cursor moves to a blank field associated with the Create a new folder option just above Move to a different folder, and prompts me to "Enter new folder name". I definitely made sure I did not select Create a new folder; I selected Move to a different folder. This cursor movement to this other field and corresponding prompt to Enter new folder name is an error. I first noticed this maybe about a week ago.

When I click on Move to a different folder, it should and it used to pop up with a list of all of my folders, to scroll down the list and choose the folder to move to.

The problem happens on either Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, when logged in to my paid hotmail.com account aka Outlook.com account. This is not relevant but I have used the account for more than 20 years. The problem also occurs whether I have an email open, i.e. am reading it, and make the selection to Move to a different folder, or if I am looking at the list of emails in my Inbox, and tick the box next to an email, then from the menu I select Move to, then Move to a different folder. In both cases and on either browser, the cursor moves to the field for Create a new folder just above Move to a different folder, and prompts me to Enter new folder name. It behaves as if I clicked on Create a new folder which that option is just above the Move to a different folder menu selection. But clearly I did not choose Create a new folder.

This happens on every PC I use both at home and at work, Chrome or Edge, Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro. I could only choose Outlook from the list of Products. This is not Outlook email client included with MS Office. This is outlook.live.com web based email.

Something is quite obviously broken. Thanks in advance for any help.

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-12-31T02:42:49+00:00

    Raul,

    I got in touch with Microsoft Support after receiving the following instructions from independent advisor Diane Poremsky on page 3 of this message thread. Here are the directions copied and pasted from that message:

    "If you have not already contacted outlook.com support about this, do so - Log into Outlook.com on the web using a PC or Mac. If you log in from a mobile device, you need to use the desktop site. Click the ? icon on the Help tab to open the Help menu. Type a question. Scroll to the end of the research results and click Yes for Still need help?"

    I followed those directions, clicked on the word Help then clicked on the ? below and to the left, as in this screenshot:

    Then start typing a brief description of your problem in the search field over on the right. Just type something like Move to another folder doesn't work. Then as mentioned in the directions above, scroll to the bottom of Help on the right, and click on YES where it asks if you still need help. Then for me a link appears to chat with a support agent. Click on the link to Chat with a support agent as in the screenshot below. You can tell them that your problem started at the same time as the problem described by Tom McMillion in Microsoft Outlook.com Support Case # 1058366147. Tell them your problem is slightly different from what was described in my Support case. Tell them the exact problem you are having, and that after changes were rolled out which solved the problem that other people reported with the Move to another folder option, you are [still] having a different problem with the Move to another folder option. That's the best I can offer. I hope this helps.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-12-30T21:52:39+00:00

    I have been following this thread with bated breath, as I began having a similar problem about a month ago. When I click on "move" I do see all my folders, but when I select one the mail does not move! And this of course has been working for years, up to now. Whatever bug Microsoft fixed for most of you either never reached me (I am not in the US) or my slightly different problem is a different bug. Whichever, it's an enormous pain in the butt, exactly as you all described.

    I am not computer-savvy enough to send all the file material you described here to a support team. Is there any other way for me to get help from Microsoft?

    Thank you all!

    ps My Outlook is linked to gmail as my back-up mail, but the mail program I use daily is Outlook, therefore it's really no help that I can move mails to folders in gmail; I need to be able to use this as I'm reading and sorting mail in Outlook - but that is the workaround I'm presently using.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-11-20T02:05:40+00:00

    Debbie Ok, I don't know if this means anything for you, but just a moment ago about 8:50 PM eastern time, I happened to try to go to my outlook.live.com email. The page would not load, it just timed out and didn't load, and this happened 2 times in a row, the second try following shortly on the heels of the first.

    Then maybe 5 or 10 minutes later, I tried again and it loaded successfully and normally. But for me, several days ago this is exactly what happened right before it started working again for me. I assume the reason was that updates were being applied to Microsoft's mail server(s) right when I tried to go to the page the first time.

    Just saying, after you read this you might want to try again, if you haven't already within the last say 20 minutes from the time I post this message (9:05 eastern US time), to see if it works for you now. I have no knowledge, nothing from Microsoft on this. I'm just saying I find it interesting that the page wouldn't load again like it did right before it was fixed for me, and all of my other pages were loading normally when outlook.live.com would not load. It's still working for me, it never stopped. I'm just saying the fact that the page wouldn't load a short while ago, may coincide with further updates being pushed out to outlook.live.com by Microsoft. I hope so and that it works for you now or soon.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-11-17T22:10:12+00:00

    Yes hopefully the fix will migrate to you very soon. :-)

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-11-17T17:33:35+00:00

    Nov 17, 2023 - Still waiting...(from Minnesota)...but am hopeful!

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