# [Courier-Imap] Cannot create subfolders

## DumbAss

Hi, I installed Courier-Imap and I am now using Outlook express as mail client. I was wondering if this is possible:

 |- Inbox

 |____|- Family

 |____|- Friends

 |____|- Work

 |- Sent

 |- Drafts

 |- Trash

because I cannot create a subfolder in "Inbox". In all the other folders i can create them.

When I try to create a subfolder in OE it adds another ordinary folder and in Outlook I get the error: "You cannot create or navigate to subfolders of your Inbox when you have a non-empty Root Folder Path"

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## clockwise

have you tried using a different client to add folders? it could be the oe is simply misbehaving. alternatively, i know imap can do some odd things with it 's folders - namely, a folder can be specified as not being able to store messages.

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## bigsmoke

As far as I know, what OE calls imbox is not really a folder named inbox, but actually the root IMAP folder. This is confusing because the INBOX is displayed at the same level as the other folders.

Doing an 

```
ls -a
```

 in your maildir will bring enlightenment about the real folder structure.  Folders in your maildir are named ".folder_name.subfolder_name".

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## PermaNoob

I remember running into this problem before.  When you create a new folder try using the full path name like:

```
INBOX.folder.sub-folder
```

I can't confirm that this works because I don't use OE anymore.. I got sick of it REAL quick.  I recommend Mozilla Thunderbird for a nice lightweight IMAP client.

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## DumbAss

Ah yes. It's much clearer now.

Do you know what the 'cur' and 'tmp' directory are for?

It kinda sucks how outlook and OE handle IMAP.

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## bigsmoke

 *DumbAss wrote:*   

> Do you know what the 'cur' and 'tmp' directory are for?

 

I think this is what the dirs are for:

'tmp' is for temporary storage of the messages during retrieval.

'new' is for newly received, unread messages.

'cur' is for all messages that have been read.

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## toskala

i just stumbled over that problem, the solution for me was

vi /etc/courier-imap/imapd

and set:

IMAP_OBSOLETE_CLIENT=0

restarted courier and everything worked beautiful

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