One of the best features of an Exchange mailbox is the ability to share your folders with other users. If this is configured properly, you will be able to open another user’s folder with just a few clicks. This can be really useful in a number of situations, for example if they are out of the office and you need to check their e-mail, or if you need to view their calendar.

To set permissions on any folder, just right-click it and click Properties. (You can set the permissions for your whole mailbox, but it is recommended that you set permissions for each folder instead.) Then, click the Permissions tab. You’ll see the window pictured on the right. You can set default permissions (which will apply to all users on the network) by clicking default and choosing the permission level at the bottom. Or, you can click the Add button to choose a member of the network, and specify permissions using the bottom section.

 

You can specify permissions in one of two ways. You can use the drop-down menu (labelled Permission Level) to choose preset options. Here’s an overview of what each permission level entails; an x in the column indicates the user will be able to perform that action:

 

	Create Items	Read Items	Create Subfolders	Folder owner	Folder contact	Folder visible	Edit items	Delete items
None							None	None
Contributor	X					X	None	None
Reviewer		X				X	None	None
Non-Editing Author	X	X				X	None	Own
Author	X	X				X	Own	Own
Publishing Author	X	X	X				Own	Own
Editor	X	X				X	All	All
Publishing Editor	X	X	X			X	All	All
Owner	X	X	X	X	X	X	All	All

 

That probably sounds really confusing, but luckily Outlook changes the options for you based on the level you choose. Let’s look at an example.

 

In the window on the right, we can see that I’ve given the administrator of my network Author privileges to my inbox. You can see how different permission options are selected based on this level. These settings mean the administrator can view my inbox, can create and read items, and can edit and delete any items they have created. They don’t have permission to create subfolders, or edit or delete my items.

 

If you look back to the first sample photo, where None was selected, you can see that this is the most restrictive level of access. Users with this classification can’t even see the folder (as Folder Visible is not checked). The highest level is owner.

 

You can also set a custom permissions level by filling out the options at the bottom yourself. This level will not be saved, and will only apply to the selected member.

 

Once you’ve filled out all the information, click Apply and then OK.