Dragging emails into a folder

Bracco, Lauren 0 Reputation points
2026-10-13T13:47:00.8133333+00:00

In outlook I get email that I have to drag from outlook into a folder/file. With the new outlook it "Downloads" instead of allowing me to drag it.

Another issue is it does not technically "download" the file, it will pop up that it downloaded but actually it didn't.

This is causing me to go back and forth to the old outlook just so I can drag an email into a file, which is making it very difficult.

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For business

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  1. BabybooHN 3,465 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-13T13:54:24.3866667+00:00

    Dear @Bracco, Lauren

    Thank you for reaching out. I understand how frustrating this is, especially when saving emails directly into folders is an important part of your daily workflow.

    What you are experiencing appears to be related to differences in drag-and-drop functionality between classic Outlook and new Outlook for Windows. Similar behavior has been reported by other users, so it may not be an issue with your computer or account.

    I recommend trying the following:

    1. Save the email manually in new Outlook

    1. Open new Outlook and select the email you want to save.
    2. Click the three dots > Save as.
    3. Choose the available file format, such as .eml, and save the message.
    4. Open File Explorer and move the saved file into your preferred folder.

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    2. Check where the downloaded file is saved

    Since you mentioned that Outlook displays a download notification but you cannot find the file:

    1. Open File Explorer > Downloads.
    2. Sort the files by Date modified to locate the most recent download.
    3. If the file is missing, try using Save as again and explicitly select a folder, such as your Desktop.
    4. Check whether the file appears in that location.

    If the file still does not appear, this may indicate a separate download or file-saving issue that requires further investigation.

    1. Continue using classic Outlook if direct drag-and-drop is essential

    At present, new Outlook does not fully support all the drag-and-drop workflows available in classic Outlook.

    If your work requires dragging emails directly into Windows folders, I recommend continuing to use classic Outlook where available until the required functionality is supported reliably in new Outlook.

    For reference, a similar issue has been discussed in Microsoft Q&A: Unable to drag and drop emails from new Outlook to File Explorer

    Could you please confirm one detail?

    When you say Outlook reports that the email was downloaded but you cannot find it, does this happen when you drag the email into a Windows folder, or also when you use three dots > Save as?

    This will help me determine whether you are encountering the drag-and-drop limitation or an additional issue with saving downloaded files.

    I hope this helps you find a workable solution without having to switch between Outlook versions unnecessarily.

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