Previously, you've been able to forward emails in Outlook from you draft folder.

This is useful for commonly used emails, as they remain in draft.

Now, the forward option is greyed out from the Draft Folder.

Very Frustrating, how do i switch it back to the old behaviour?

Thank you for your feedback. I can reproduce this behavior in my Outlook 2013. I am not clear why Outlook 2013 disable the forward option in draft foder in this version of Outlook. However, for logic, we can directly and quickly send any draft to recipients, but do not need forward it.

Thanks.

Tony Chen
TechNet Community Support

But if a person sends the same form email, in other words keep a draft as a template to be resent numerous times over time, it would be nice to have the ability to forward a draft so the template stays in the draft folder and you can forward edited copies of it as many times as you like, but still have the original draft to work from. This ability was available in previous versions of outlook - I'd have trouble believing it isn't available in 2013?

• Edited by calrider Wednesday, February 13, 2013 2:44 PM

But if a person sends the same form email, in other words keep a draft as a template to be resent numerous times over time, it would be nice to have the ability to forward a draft so the template stays in the draft folder and you can forward edited copies of it as many times as you like, but still have the original draft to work from. This ability was available in previous versions of outlook - I'd have trouble believing it isn't available in 2013?

• Edited by calrider Wednesday, February 13, 2013 2:44 PM

Hit CTRL & right click and the forwarding option appears.

Call text of email me if you have a question.

Shane
rsownbey @ msn.com
801.554.4142

• Edited by Shane Ownbey Wednesday, April 03, 2013 8:55 PM misspelled
• Proposed as answer by robertcran Thursday, November 21, 2013 3:00 PM

Hit CTRL & right click and the forwarding option appears.

Call text of email me if you have a question.

Shane
rsownbey @ msn.com
801.554.4142

• Edited by Shane Ownbey Wednesday, April 03, 2013 8:55 PM misspelled
• Proposed as answer by robertcran Thursday, November 21, 2013 3:00 PM

Simple  . . .

Just hit CTRL & Right Click while the draft you want to forward is selected / highlighted.

You may need to do it twice to get the preferred results but this works!

 

Shane

801.554.4142

rsownbey@msn.com

• Edited by Shane Ownbey Wednesday, April 10, 2013 4:30 PM

Simple  . . .

Just hit CTRL & Right Click while the draft you want to forward is selected / highlighted.

You may need to do it twice to get the preferred results but this works!

 

Shane

801.554.4142

rsownbey@msn.com

• Edited by Shane Ownbey Wednesday, April 10, 2013 4:30 PM

I confirm this has worked for me.  Thank heaven, as the alternative in Outlook 365 is very time-consuming.

Here is the solution that you do not have to hold down the CTRL Key each time.
In Outlook 2013

1. Click on File
2. Click Options
3. Click on Mail, then scroll down to Replies and Forwards
4. Check the first box that says Open replies and forwards in a new window, click ok

When you go back into your drafts folder, click on the draft.  The Forward button is no longer Grayed Out.

• Proposed as answer by Rita P 15 hours 41 minutes ago

Here is the solution that you do not have to hold down the CTRL Key each time.
In Outlook 2013

1. Click on File
2. Click Options
3. Click on Mail, then scroll down to Replies and Forwards
4. Check the first box that says Open replies and forwards in a new window, click ok

When you go back into your drafts folder, click on the draft.  The Forward button is no longer Grayed Out.

• Proposed as answer by Rita P Friday, March 27, 2015 3:47 PM

Here is the solution that you do not have to hold down the CTRL Key each time.
In Outlook 2013

1. Click on File
2. Click Options
3. Click on Mail, then scroll down to Replies and Forwards
4. Check the first box that says Open replies and forwards in a new window, click ok

When you go back into your drafts folder, click on the draft.  The Forward button is no longer Grayed Out.

• Proposed as answer by Rita P Friday, March 27, 2015 3:47 PM

My options are still greyed out with this setting checked.

3 steps:

1st: drag any mail from your inbox into draft
2nd: go to draft click on the mail u drag from inbox
3rd: now you can right click on any other mail in your draft, voila! there you are able to click forward now!

(for future you don't always need to use CTRL & right click)

or

Hit CTRL & right click(twice maybe) and the forwarding option appears.

Yes, I did this and it worked. But for the record, "Just hit CTRL & Right Click" is obscure and idiotic. It was much easier before when i didn't even have this little hoop to jump through. I can't imagine what problem MS thought it was solving by doing this.

Have to agree. Why take away funtionality, especially when all you are doing is disabling 3 buttons at the top?

My company is in the process of upgrading everyone from Office 2007 to Office 2013.  This functionality was available in Outlook 2007, but not for only SOME of my clients in Office 2013.  I know of one person for which this functionality still exists.  Any thoughts??

Are you trying to use the draft email as a template for future emails?  If so, what worked well for me was to create a signature with the "template."  Just select the template, make modifications and you're ready to send.

TechGuy,

Thank you for this.  This enabled the Forward Button; however, when the message is sent, the e-mail that was set up as a template in the Drafts folder does not stay in the Drafts folder.  IDEAS?

RitaP

• Edited by Rita P 15 hours 20 minutes ago

TechGuy,

Thank you for this.  This enabled the Forward Button; however, when the message is sent, the e-mail that was set up as a template in the Drafts folder does not stay in the Drafts folder.  IDEAS?

RitaP

• Edited by Rita P Friday, March 27, 2015 4:08 PM

TechGuy,

Thank you for this.  This enabled the Forward Button; however, when the message is sent, the e-mail that was set up as a template in the Drafts folder does not stay in the Drafts folder.  IDEAS?

RitaP

• Edited by Rita P Friday, March 27, 2015 4:08 PM

I am able to enable forwarding to work in Outlook 2013 as follows:

1. Save (so it shows up in drafts)
2. Open Drafts folder
3. On the top bar, click: View, (Layout) Reading Pane, Off (this should only affect Drafts; it doesn't appear to disable the Reading Pane everywhere)
4. On the top bar, click: Home
5. The Forward, To Manager, etc. options should now be enabled on the top bar and in the right-click menu

-Eric

Hi Eric,

it works pretty well: thanks!

Carlo

Officially one of the most stupid answers Ive ever seen in this forum, if we are asking the reason why we cant forward drafts its because we need it!! thats what happen when you use google for answers and not your brain!!!