Semantics of search folders?

[Tim]

Hi Folks,

I'm running Outlook 2007 and I've set up two search folders on a PST file.
The PST file contains a small number of email messages at the top level (i.e.
not within subfolders). I expect the two search folders to have exactly the
same contents but they don't, and I'd like to understand why.

The first folder, called HP Conferences, I set up by selecting "Search
Folders" in the PST, right-clicking and choosing "New Search Folder...", then
"Mail sent to distributions lists", then "Choose...", and then typing
"(e-mail address removed); (e-mail address removed)" in the
"Sent to ->" box.

The second folder, called HP Conventions, I set up by selecting "Search
Folders" in the PST, right-clicking and choosing "New Search Folder...", then
"Create a custom Search Folder", then "Choose...", then "Criteria..." and
then typing "(e-mail address removed);
(e-mail address removed)" in the "Sent To..." box.

So, the end result is two search folders each defined by the criteria "Sent
To" = "(e-mail address removed); (e-mail address removed)".
And yet the first folder has one entry, while the second folder has four
entries. Why?

I hope you can help, I'm reluctant to swap away from archiving into folders
towards setting up search folders while search folders' semantics remain
unclear to me.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Cheers,

Tim.

 

[Patrick Schmid]

Which one is the correct result? 1 or 4?

Patrick Schmid

 

[Tim]

Hi Patrick,

Good question. I'm assuming it's 4, but perhaps both are missing emails in
which case the correct count would be more than four.

Hang on, let me check. If I do an 'independent' search using the old
fashioned advanced search (Ctrl-Shft-F) on the PST with the same search
criteria I get four resulting emails found.

Cheers,

Tim.

 

[Patrick Schmid]

Hi Tim,

I don't know what's going on, but let me ask around.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

I'm not sure offhand if that's a bug or not, but the way to tell is with a
MAPI viewer such as OutlookSpy (www.dimastr.com) or MFCMAPI (from MSDN) and
using that to view the MAPI restriction placed on both search folders to see
how the restrictions differ.

Since all search folders use a MAPI restriction that would determine how
they are different.