Connecting to a Shared Mailbox

Owned by Ken Wilcock
Last updated: Dec 19, 2023
3 min read

Overview

Shared mailboxes that you are a part of can be added directly to your Outlook in both the desktop application and through the Web Portal. Instructions for both methods are detailed below.

Connecting to a Shared Mailbox in Outlook 365

  1. Launch Outlook, go to the File tab, and click Add Account.

  2. Type the full email address of the mailbox in the box that appears and Connect.

    1. Note: It may take up to 30 seconds or so for the text box to appear.

    2. If your Shared Mailbox uses an alias, you cannot connect using the alias in this step. You must use the full email address. 

      1. Full mailbox names can be found through Outlook's Address Book.

        1. Find the mailbox in the Address Book, double-click it, and navigate to the E-mail Addresses tab. The full name will be something along the lines of chhs-<department>_<mailbox name>@mail.Colostate.edu

        2. Ex: chhs-hdfs_campus_connections@mail.colostate.edu

  3. On the next Sign In screen, Outlook will auto-fill the address of the Shared Mailbox. Remove this and enter your eName@colostate.edu.

    1. Click on Sign in with another account

    2. Enter your NetID@colostate.edu on this page.

    3.  

  4. Provide your password on the next page. You will also get a Duo prompt once you enter in your password.

  5. After entering your credentials you will need to restart Outlook to allow these changes to apply. 

Connecting to a Shared Mailbox in Outlook Online

  1. Open a web browser and go to https://outlook.office.com/

  2. Sign in with your NetID@colostate.edu and your CSU password

  3. Click on the Menu Grid in the top left, and then click on Outlook

  5. Once signed in and in Outlook, right click on Folders and then click on Add Shared Folder

  7. Enter the name of the mailbox. It should auto-populate, making it easier to find. 

  8. Click Add, and it will be good to go!

Connecting a Student directly to a Shared Mailbox via Outlook Online

  1. This can be used if a student does not have a NetID@colostate.edu email address, and therefore cannot use the above method. 

  2. Go to https://outlook.office.com/mail/SharedMailboxAddress@colostate.edu/ i.e. https://outlook.office.com/mail/CHHS_Helpdesk@colostate.edu/

    1. If your Shared Mailbox uses an alias, you cannot connect using the alias in this step. You must use the full email address. 

      1. Full mailbox names can be found through Outlook's Address Book.

        1. Find the mailbox in the Address Book, double-click it, and navigate to the E-mail Addresses tab. The full name will be something along the lines of chhs-<department>_<mailbox name>@mail.Colostate.edu

        2. Ex: chhs-hdfs_campus_connections@mail.colostate.edu

  3. It may ask you to sign in. If it does, you will use your NetID@colostate.edu as the username and your own eID password for the password. 

    1. Note: your First.Last@colostate.edu will NOT work. Student email addresses with rams.colostate.edu in them will also not work. Students can sign in using their NetID@colostate.edu even if they think they do not have an email address like that set up.

Using this method students can get access without the helpdesk having to "provision" them an @colostate email address, which was the way this was handled in the past. This is Microsoft's "preferred" method for accessing shared email boxes from a non-fully provisioned account.

If you have questions not answered in this guide or need additional support, please contact the CHHS Helpdesk at chhshelpdesk@colostate.edu

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