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The "Manage Folders" link seems to have disappeared from the new Windows Live Hotmail. I'll show you where it's hiding.

There USED to be an option at the bottom of the list of folders in Windows Live Hotmail called 'manage folders'. In their infinite wisdom, at the last so called 'upgrade' they took that option away. Now I have no idea how to delete folders.

You and a lot of people.

After posting a pretty silly workaround that I couldn't believe, a reader chimed in with the answer.

It's hidden. In plain sight. No, I wouldn't have thought to click there.

Here's the folder list:

Hotmail's folder list on the left

In previous incarnations of Hotmail there was an additional link: "Manage Folders" that allowed you to add, delete and rename additional folder of your own.

It's gone.

Here's the magic:

The Manage Folders 'gear'

If you hover your mouse over the "Folders" label, a small "gear" will appear to its right.

Click on that:

Hotmail's Manage Folders in a Popup menu

There it is. Click on Manage Folders and you add folders, as well as delete or rename folders that you've added. (The base set of folders shown above cannot be deleted or renamed, only those that you've added can be.)

Thanks to Mike, first of the commenters below, to point this out.

Article C4389 - August 4, 2010 « »

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Leo Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed. After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.

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Recent Comments
27 Comments
Sammy
November 22, 2011 6:11 PM

THANK YOU SOO MUCH!! i couldnt work out how to delete a folder in my hotmail account! thank god for this site because it showed me the steps on how to do it! thank you to the person who created this site!! :)

Sandy
January 13, 2012 8:56 AM

When I hover the mouse over "Folders" the gear doesn't appear!!!!

Sandy
January 13, 2012 10:43 AM

Aha, I have solved my problem. Not sure which version of Hotmail I have, but I figured out that if I right click on the folder name, it gives several options, including to "delete" the folder.

Philip Hardy
February 1, 2012 5:34 AM

I have been looking for Managed Folders for months so I could delete unwanted folders.
Leo thank you very much. You have solved my problem.

Mari
December 15, 2012 5:51 AM

I have no gear next to folders - just refresh - ????

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