This is a continuation of the old thread here since it was improperly marked as "solved" (a workaround is never a solution) so Microsoft suggested I created a new thread rather than trying to re-open an old one.

Summary of issue: When sorting/grouping your inbox by flagged status, at times, more ten one "unflagged" section may appear.



Some users, prefer having their inbox grouped/sorted by flagged status as it allows them to mark messages they need to follow up on, and then they jump to the top of the inbox list to catch your attention. When the task is completed, it can either be marked as completed, or the flag can be cleared which brings the message back down into the list with the other messages. I personally find this a very efficient way of managed tasks and keeping organized, but sometimes, there is a bug that comes up with prohibits this feature from working correctly.

I personally have only noticed it happen when I am using Outlook for Mac, and then return to my PC. It seems like whenever Outlook for Mac synchronizes, it does something to the sort order which causes multiple unflagged sections to appear. Furthermore, it makes it confusing when I get new mail since sometimes it comes to the top of my inbox, while other times it comes to the top of the second unflagged section, which is in the middle of my inbox. The only way to correct this unorganized mess is to select all of the messages, flag them, and then unflag all of them. This merges all the groups back into one. I personally have been able to avoid this issue by never using the Mac version of outlook, and rather only using the PC version of Outlook inside a Windows VM when I am using my Mac. Others have mentioned they have noticed the issue even if they do not the Mac version of Outlook, so it could be something completely different causing it.

I am running Office 2010 on the PC's, and Office 2011 on the Mac. Our company was originally running Exchange 2007, but have since upgraded to Exchange 2010 and the issue is still occurring. I have tried the standard troubleshooting of rebuilding my profile, creating a new profile, reinstalling Outlook, trying different/new computers, and even using webmail. All of which do not help the problem.
 
For more information from other users, please read the responses on the previous case of this problem here.

If anyone else is having the problem, or knows of something that could fix the problem, please reply!

Thanks,

Scott

• Edited by sschramm Monday, March 03, 2014 9:44 PM

We have one user on a Mac and he has used Outlook for Mac, but generally uses Apple Mail. Regardless of which program is used, his messages appear with an "unflagged" status different from all other emails received by Windows-only users.

If you create a rule to clear the flag status when the message is received, the messages from the Apple user are correctly sorted and grouped with the regular unflagged messages. As long as the rule is only applied to new, unread messages, this should not be a problem.

This is a work-around and not a fix. I'm not sure if the problem is with Apple Mail or Exchange 2007, or even Outlook 2007 on the Windows machines, but this seems to work.

Hope this helps,

Dereck

• Marked as answer by Steve FanMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Wednesday, March 19, 2014 1:07 AM
• Unmarked as answer by sschramm Wednesday, March 19, 2014 2:48 PM

 Steve Fan, the above response is NOT an answer.

I am experiencing this same issue.  It works fine on my mac with Outlook, but on my windows machine it has multiple Unflagged groups.  

I also tried the option of assigning a flag and then clearing the flag and that did not fix the issue.  

I too am having the same issue please do not let this thread go stale.

As a work around I am using categories instead. Even though they don't have follow up alert features.

I selected all flagged emails, set a category color for them. selected all emails, clear flags. Sorted emails by categories.

• Edited by P01NTMAN Friday, May 30, 2014 2:24 PM

I just wanted to say that I also experience this issue; however, I have noticed a different pattern from what others have mentioned. We are a majority Windows shop here, and I have never accessed my mailbox from a Mac. The messages that get flagged incorrectly in my mailbox me are the ones that are SENT from users on Mac Outlook 2011.

CCE_ServerAdmin's workaround suggestion worked well for me. I made it target only the emails coming from known Mac users for a narrower scope. But I agree that it's just a workaround and not a solution.

I too am having this problem. I received a new MAC laptop at work, set up Outlook, and ended up with the multiple unflagged groups on my main computer, a PC.  I am afraid to even open Outlook on the MAC now, fearing further problems or corruption. Please keep this thread going until a solution has been reached. Thanks.

I am going to add my voice to the mix. I have one individual who is experiencing the same thing as SomeAdmin. One of the attorneys I work for recently purchased a MacBook and that is when the issue with multiple unflagged views began. Emails sent from this attorney to myself as well as his legal assistant using his MacBook create a second unflagged view. Emails sent from Outlook 2010 on his windows computer do not do this, nor do emails sent from his iPhone or iPad. The attorney is using Outlook on his MacBook.

I am having the same problem with a Mac user.  All emails he sends out show up to everyone within the company in a seperate unflagged group.  He is using the Mac Mail Client and not outlook for Mac. 

I'm another in the same boat. Using Outlook 2013 on a PC as main email. Account on Outlook 2011 for MaC. I have not noticed an exact correlation between the two as I rarely use the mac for email.

In my attempts to reproduce the issue using the mac by opening the email and then syncing the account I could cause the email to move to the second unflagged category, but sometimes I believe it comes from mac users when they send from their client (not all the time though).

Its an annoying problem, I currently clear the messages as described by others, marking for follow up and then clearing the flag. Definitely not a fix, just a clean up routine.

• Edited by GRoq Thursday, September 04, 2014 2:46 AM

Has anyone tested the new version of Outlook for Mac? Apparently it only works with Office 365, however. I'm curious to know if it can be used with regular exchange, and if it fixes this bug.

Thanks,

Scott

For some clarification on this issue:

I have been using Office 2010 for 3 1/2 years.  I have never accessed my work mail from a Mac - only Windows machines.

Since upgrading to 2013 two weeks ago, I have observed this behavior - with only one coworker's e-mails grouped alone.  The rest of my e-mails are in the "Unflagged" box.

Today I logged into a desktop running Office 2010, for the first time since upgrading the laptop assigned to me.  I assumed the grouping would not be an issue, since I had only observed it with 2013.  However, it appears this way on both computers - the 2013 laptop and the 2010 desktop.

While it is possible that something may be broken with the different versions:
1.  It is not restricted to Mac
2.  It is clearly server-oriented

Any Mac user who is using Apple Mail in Exchange, who sends me an email, causes this problem on my PC.  The email ends up in a separate un-flagged area in my Outlook. 

If I flag the whole section and then undo [CTRL+Z], they appear normally.

I do not have a Mac , but the senders all have Macs using Apple Mail.

It doesn't matter if I open the mail on my Outlook 2013 computer, Outlook 2010 computer or my phone.

Microsoft has no solution.

Hope this analysis helps a little

Blaise

joe, thanks so much, you absolutely nailed it! I sent an email to all the contacts whose messages were classified in a separate "Unflagged" category, and every single one of them told me that they are using Apple Mail through an Exchange server!

So, now that the source is identified, is this something MS needs to fix either on the Exchange server or in the Outlook Client(s), or Apple needs to fix on their client, is something MS will need to figure out and do something about it.

I have been experiencing this same issue.  The majority of my email is from my corporate work team and we are all PC-based (Windows laptops, for most part).  I can see no pattern for going into one "unflagged" group or the other.  It is unnerving and I wish Microsoft would fix it.  It's affecting my productivity.  We use Office Pro Plus 2010 and my Outlook is version 14.0.7015.1000 (32-bit).  I have been using this version for almost 2 years.  It's been the same thing for all that time, as far as I remember.  It's just bugging me more because I have a project that is complex and I'm trying every tool and I can think of to help me keep the balls in the air.

I have a simple solution to the problem.  I just forward all my work email to gmail and can actually sort it the way I want without having ridiculous shadow groups appear.

Seriously, MS, how difficult is it to overcome this issue that has been around for over 8 years?  People have given great insight into the possible causes, but at the end of the day the product is simply making multiple unflagged groups based on criteria that has nothing to do with it being flagged or not flagged.

Marc