Outlook Rules and multiple copies of sent emails

[LindsayGraham]

My wife uses Outlook 365 (subscription version) and has a Rule in place that says "Apply this rule after I send the message: move a copy to the Inbox folder".  But the result is 2 copies of that message (with slightly different sizes) in the Sent folder and 1 copy in the Inbox. 

Three questions:

1. why are there 2 copies in the Sent folder?

2.  how do we move the message to the Inbox rather than just copying it?

3.  why are the 2 copies in the Sent folder of different sizes?

Grateful for any help.

[#2]

I don't know why there are 2 copies, but if she wants to move all sent items to Inbox, she can use slightly modified Power Automate flow: https://ivasoft.com/fromjunktoinboxflow365.shtml
Instead of the Junk Email folder select the Sent Items one.

[#3]

Victor, it seems that Power Automate is some sort of add-on. I'm very reluctant to use it as Windows Security says "This program is dangerous and exploits the computer on which it is run." I'd prefer to find answers/solutions that utilise the Microsoft software. Any other ideas?

[#4]

Power Automate is true pure distilled Microsoft software. Just FYI.

[#5]

Thanks, Victor, but why does Windows Security not trust it?
Does it need to be installed as an add-on? I found the website singularly lacking in explanations, but perhaps I just didn't explore it enough.

[#6]

Could you please show me how Windows Security does not trust it?

[#7]

Hi @LindsayGraham,

when did you get this Windows security warning? It might be you've tried to run Power Automate Desktop, but I mean the cloud-based Power Automate. 

[#8]

Thanks, Victor, but I don't think I can tell you any more than I already have. I went to the site mentioned in your first post and at some stage got the warning quoted in the third message in this thread. I've had another look at that site, but I really don't want to try to replicate what happened before and I'd prefer not to persevere with Power Automate without knowing a lot more about it.
Do you (or anybody) have other solutions/answers/explanations for the 3 questions in the first post in this thread?

[#9]

1) I don't know
2) you cannot
3) I don't know

[#10]

1. There must be a reason, and I'm sure there must be knowledgeable people in this forum who will be able to help.
2. I'm amazed that Outlook does not have a Rule for such a straightforward and, I would have thought, popular requirement -- my wife uses Outlook, but maybe I should get her to move to Thunderbird, which does not have any of these problems.
3. As for 1. above.

[#11]

1) I'm sure too, especially if you provide a screenshot of the rule
2) Using Thunderbird with Office 365 is a bad idea IMHO
3) As for 1. above.

[#12]

@Victor_Ivanidze 

My apologies for not replying earlier. I've played around with Outlook Email Rules and have now used 2 methods that should achieve almost the same result.
The first (used for Gmail) starts with a blank rule and this is the result:

With that rule (as reported previously), there is no option to move a message, only to copy it.  And I end up with 2 copies (of different sizes) in the Sent folder and 1 in the Inbox.

The second method starts from a template and this is the result:

With this rule, there is an option to move the message, but the rule does not seem to work at all.  What is wrong with the rule as shown?  Alternatively, how do I get the first rule to work properly?

And, finally, why do you think using Thunderbird with Microsoft 365 is a bad idea?  It has worked seamlessly for me for years -- certainly without the never-ending list of problems that my wife has using Outlook. 

[#13]

Your answers to the 3 questions in my first email in this thread were:
1) I don't know
2) you cannot
3) I don't know
I was disappointed with (and did not really believe) your answers, and I can now say that the correct answers are:
1. Because my wife was using gmail -- see https://www.msoutlook.info/question/prevent-duplicate-sent-items-gmail -- the problem has now been resolved.
2. Wrong, you can -- just use the template method instead of the blank rule method as in my last post above -- I'm amazed that a Valued Contributor with 805 posts did not know that!
3. Because of the different ways in which the 2 copies were generated -- see the link in item 1. above.
And I've NEVER had this problem in Thunderbird!

[#14]

Hi LindsayGraham,
thanks for your info.
1) You forget to say initially that she uses Gmail. As a rule people use MS email client to work with MS email service.
2) Your "second method starts from a template" is a rule that handles ingoing messages - not the sent ones. And I cannot imagine how it can help in your situation. Can this rule _move a sent message_? No, sir!
3) See 1)

[#15]

Hi @LindsayGraham, any comments?