Microsoft Outlook – Favorites shortcuts disappear on re-launch

Question

When I add shortcuts from my mail accounts to the Favorites folder, they get deleted on Outlook re-launch.

I am using Microsoft Outlook 2013.

Since I have configured multiple mail accounts in Outlook, I prefer Inbox shortcuts to be appeared in the Favorites folder. Seeking a solution to keep the shortcuts added to Favorites folder even after re-launching the application.

Answer 1

A reasonably acceptable answer is found in this blog.

I followed the instructions and managed to keep the shortcuts unchanged even after re-launching the Microsoft Outlook.

In Windows 10, the Outlook.xml file can be found in

C:\Users\<YourUserAccount>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

Makes sure you backup the original Outlook.xml file, in case it is needed later.

Answer 2

I had this problem in Outlook 2016. I only had IMAP accounts in my profile. The moment I added an exchange account (outlook.com, hotmail.com), the Favorites shortcuts no longer disappeared on restarting Outlook.

Answer 3

The Wayback machine is your friend:

Outlook ate my shortcuts! (Favorite folders and calendar disappearing in Outlook) https://web.archive.org/web/20160404120149/http://blog.palehorse.net/2007/09/26/outlook-ate-my-favorite-shortcuts/

… two possible solutions!

1. You can create a new mail profile. This resets everything you’ve customized unfortunately, so it is, in my opinion, a last resort.

2. You can navigate to the folder that Outlook stores settings in. In Windows XP it defaults to:

   C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
   

   In this folder you will find a file called Outlook.xml. Very innocuous sounding, don’t you think? This is the file causing all of the woes! You should exit Outlook completely then rename the file (never delete outright, bad form my good Pan!). Restart Outlook and you will notice all of your favorites and calendars are gone. Reset them to the way you would like, exit Outlook again and restart. Poof they are back!

Now the problem appears to be some sort of corruption to this file. …

A comment by user “Asa” suggests closing Outlook and running OUTLOOK.EXE /resetnavpane

Answer 4

Had been encountering the same error the past few weeks, after removing and readding Exchange accounts. Solution for me was:

• Close (all instances of) Outlook.
• Run outlook by executing outlook.exe /resetnavpane

Answer 5

I also faced this problem recently (Favorites from a shared mailbox always disappeared), and solved it by using a VBA procedure that runs automatically every time you launch Outlook. This of course works best if you have static Favorite folders.

So, in Outlook, proceed as follows:

• Enable Developer menu
  • right-click a menu item and choose Customize the Ribbon...
  • in the right column, under Main Tabs, check the Developer item
• Choose Developer > Visual Basic
• the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications windows is opened
• click the plus signs in front of Project1 > Microsoft Outlook Objects > ThisOutlookSession
  • By putting your code in this location
  • and by naming your procedure Application_Startup(), it will be executed every time you launch Outlook (see the procedure below)
• double-click ThisOutlookSession (or right-click it and choose View Code)
• make sure macros are enabled in Outlook:
  • Developer > Macro Security
  • choose Enable all macros (...)
  • 2 x OK
• close and re-open Outlook
• et voilà

And then the procedure itself:

• lines 16 & 17 are examples of default folders - uncomment them if you want to use folders from the default Inbox
• an overview of the default folder names can be found here: https://www.slipstick.com/developer/working-vba-nondefault-outlook-folders
• lines 21 & 21 are examples of folders from an Outlook Data File (.pst or .ost), simply use the readable names of the mailbox and the folder(s)

Private Sub Application_Startup()
     Dim objNamespace As NameSpace
     Dim objInbox As Folder
      
     Dim objPane As NavigationPane
     Dim objModule As MailModule
     Dim objGroup As NavigationGroup
     Dim objNavFolder As NavigationFolder
      
     On Error GoTo ErrRoutine
      
     ' First, retrieve the default Inbox folder.
     Set objNamespace = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
     
     ' default folders
     ' Set objInbox = objNamespace.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox)
     ' Set objSentMail = objNamespace.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderSentMail)
     
     ' folders from shared mailbox or Outlook Data File (.pst or .ost)
     ' Simply use the readable names of the mailbox and the folders in the below lines:
     Set objInbox = objNamespace.Folders("My old mailbox").Folders("Postvak IN")
     Set objSentMail = objNamespace.Folders("My old mailbox").Folders("Verzonden items")
      
     ' Get the NavigationPane object for the currently displayed Explorer object.
     Set objPane = Application.ActiveExplorer.NavigationPane
     ' Get the mail module from the Navigation Pane.
     Set objModule = objPane.Modules.GetNavigationModule(olModuleMail)
     ' Get the "Favorite Folders" navigation group from the mail module.
     With objModule.NavigationGroups
         Set objGroup = .GetDefaultNavigationGroup(olFavoriteFoldersGroup)
     End With
      
     ' Add the folders you have selected above, to the "Favorite Folders" navigation group.
     Set objNavFolder = objGroup.NavigationFolders.Add(objInbox)
     Set objNavFolder = objGroup.NavigationFolders.Add(objSentMail)
      
 EndRoutine:
     On Error GoTo 0
     Set objNavFolder = Nothing
     Set objGroup = Nothing
     Set objModule = Nothing
     Set objPane = Nothing
     Set objNamespace = Nothing
     Exit Sub
  
 ErrRoutine:
     MsgBox Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description, _
         vbOKOnly Or vbCritical, _
         "AddToFavoritesFolder"
 End Sub