I am frequently asked by users of other email clients (gasp) why GroupWise has no built-in filter to show all of the unread messages in a particular folder. I can only answer “I don’t know why”. But then I show them a very quick way to create such a filter for use in any folder they choose. Please note, this is not the same as creating a search folder to find unread items – it’s actually a much quicker way to find items in the “current” folder that are unread.

Before I created my “Unread” filter, I frequently looked at that unread message counter next to my mailbox and I would sigh.  I knew that, for example, there were 20 unread messages, but I could only easily see maybe five or six of them in my current message list screen.  So, to find them all quickly, I did the following.

• First click on the dropdown arrow next to “find” beside the filter input box. Figure 1 shows this arrow behind the resultant dropdown list.

Figure 1: The filter dropdown box

• Next click on “In Mailbox Folder” at the top.
• When you see the “Find in Mailbox Folder” window, click on Advanced Find.
• Change the settings to show Item Status Does Not Contain Read, as in Figure 2.

Figure 2: The Advanced Find Dialog

• Click OK.  You should now see Figure 3 below.

Figure 3: The Resultant Search Formula

• Click Save and give this filter a name.  “Unread” might be useful!
• Now when you click on the Quick Find dropdown arrow, you will have your filter available near the bottom of the dialog.

Figure 4: Your Saved Filter

This filter can be used on any folder you choose.  It is much faster than using a find, or even a Find Results Folder.  Of course, a search is more useful if you wish to see all unread messages in all folders, but this filter allows for quick access to unread items in the current folder where you are reading.