How To Keep The Folder Pane Expanded In Outlook

Outlook’s Folder Pane on the left of its window displays all your folders in its expanded view. Users can also minimize that pane so it doesn’t display folders.

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When users expand that Folder Pane again from the minimized view, however, it doesn’t stay expanded when users click outside it. Thus, some users might wonder how they can get the expanded Folder Pane view to stick after minimizing it.

How do I keep Outlook’s Folder Pane expanded?

1. Adjust the Folder Pane setting

You can restore the default expanded Folder Pane by adjusting the Folder Pane setting. To do that, select the View tab.
Press the Folder Pane button shown directly below.
Then select the Normal option.

2. Click the pin button

Alternatively, users can click a pushpin button at the top right of the Folder Pane. Expand the minimized Folder Pane by clicking the arrow button (>) at the top of it.

Then click the pushpin button in the snapshot directly below. Thereafter, the Folder Pane will remain expanded when you click out it.

3. Set up a VBA macro that automatically expands folders when Outlook starts

To ensure all folders in the Folder Pane are fully expanded when you open Outlook, set up a VBA macro that opens all collapsed folders when the application starts. Open Outlook’s Visual Basic for Applications window with the Alt + F11 hotkey.
Click Project1 on the left of the window.
Expand Microsoft Outlook Objects and double-click ThisOutlookSession to open a code window.
Select and copy this VBA code with the Ctrl + C hotkey:
Private Sub Application_Startup()
ExpandAllFolders
End SubPrivate Sub ExpandAllFolders()
On Error Resume Next
Dim Ns As Outlook.NameSpace
Dim Folders As Outlook.Folders
Dim CurrF As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Dim F As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Dim ExpandDefaultStoreOnly As BooleanExpandDefaultStoreOnly = FalseSet Ns = Application.GetNamespace(“Mapi”)
Set CurrF = Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolderIf ExpandDefaultStoreOnly = True Then
Set F = Ns.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox)
Set F = F.Parent
Set Folders = F.Folders
LoopFolders Folders, True
Else
LoopFolders Ns.Folders, True
End If
DoEvents
Set Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder = CurrF
End Sub
Private Sub LoopFolders(Folders As Outlook.Folders, _
ByVal bRecursive As Boolean _
)
Dim F As Outlook.MAPIFolder
For Each F In Folders
Set Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder = F
DoEvents
If bRecursive Then
If F.Folders.Count Then
LoopFolders F.Folders, bRecursive
End If
End If
Next
End Sub
Paste that macro into the code window with the Ctrl + V hotkey.
Click File and save the macro. Thereafter, the macro will automatically open collapsed folders in the Folder Pane when you launch Outlook.

So, that’s how you can keep the Folder Pane expanded in Outlook. The VBA macro will also ensure that the Folder Pane’s folders are fully expanded when you start Outlook.

Else LoopFolders Ns.Folders, True End If

DoEvents Set Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder = CurrF End Sub

Private Sub LoopFolders(Folders As Outlook.Folders, _ ByVal bRecursive As Boolean _ ) Dim F As Outlook.MAPIFolder

For Each F In Folders Set Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder = F DoEvents

If bRecursive Then If F.Folders.Count Then LoopFolders F.Folders, bRecursive End If End If Next End Sub

If you have other questions or suggestions, reach for the comment section below.

How do I keep Outlook’s Folder Pane expanded?#

1. Adjust the Folder Pane setting#

2. Click the pin button#

3. Set up a VBA macro that automatically expands folders when Outlook starts#

How do I keep Outlook’s Folder Pane expanded?

1. Adjust the Folder Pane setting

2. Click the pin button

3. Set up a VBA macro that automatically expands folders when Outlook starts