SOLVED Can't delete e-mails from Outlook
- Thread starter JNOEL
- Start date
Thank you Ian. I am using outlook. I have only had this for 2 weeks but it was deleting fine. I did have a guy messing around because I can't get my contacs over from ms mail. But that is another issue from this.
To clarify. I cannot get emails to delete, no matter how I try, from the inbox. I can open them and read them, reply, forward. But they will not delete from the inbox. Strangely, when I click on the red x over on the right side, the email will show up in the trash folder and I can delete it from there, yet there is still a copy living in the inbox. Now when I open the email and then try to delete it using the big black x up in the toolbar I get a pop up window that says ' The item cannot be moved. It was either already moved or deleted, or access was denied.' And these are emails I just opened to read. So I am at a loss to figure this out. I have closed down and rebooted, and still not deleting. Help, my inbox is getting plenty full.
Thank you. Noel
To clarify. I cannot get emails to delete, no matter how I try, from the inbox. I can open them and read them, reply, forward. But they will not delete from the inbox. Strangely, when I click on the red x over on the right side, the email will show up in the trash folder and I can delete it from there, yet there is still a copy living in the inbox. Now when I open the email and then try to delete it using the big black x up in the toolbar I get a pop up window that says ' The item cannot be moved. It was either already moved or deleted, or access was denied.' And these are emails I just opened to read. So I am at a loss to figure this out. I have closed down and rebooted, and still not deleting. Help, my inbox is getting plenty full.
Thank you. Noel
Thanks for the additional information Noel, I've edited the title to add a bit more info. Do you know which version of Outlook this is? Is it 2016?
Can you please go to File > Account / Office Account and then see if it is set to automatically update. There should be an "Office Update" button in the right column, you can click it and tell it to "update now" or set it to auto-update.
Also, which e-mail provider are you using, and do you know the protocol it is connecting with (IMAP, POP, etc...). Don't worry if you don't know the latter, as I can probably find this out from the provider name.
If you have the option, can you please go to Folder > Purge > Purge Options > and then check the two boxes at the bottom:
Can you please go to File > Account / Office Account and then see if it is set to automatically update. There should be an "Office Update" button in the right column, you can click it and tell it to "update now" or set it to auto-update.
Also, which e-mail provider are you using, and do you know the protocol it is connecting with (IMAP, POP, etc...). Don't worry if you don't know the latter, as I can probably find this out from the provider name.
If you have the option, can you please go to Folder > Purge > Purge Options > and then check the two boxes at the bottom:
Ian, I do believe you have saved from going over the edge. I hit the update button and it ran through a bunch of stuff. Not sure that helped but it did update. I don't see an auto update button. However, when I got into the purge options area you showed above only the bottom box was checked. So I checked the other and I can NOW DELETE!!
Interestingly however, they are not deleting to the trash folder as before. I don't know where they are going. Did I hit something that allows them to skip the trash folder and disappear? I kind of like them to go into the trash folder and I delete that folder manually from time to time. Gives me one last chance to save things I didn't really want to lose. Let me know what you think about that. But at least I can delete now. I assume the emails I delete are not just hiding out of sight. I will continue to delete the emails and se if anything unusual occurs. But right now, thank you, thank you.
To answer your other questions I understand I have Outlook 2016 and my email provider is Comcast.
Regards, Noel
Interestingly however, they are not deleting to the trash folder as before. I don't know where they are going. Did I hit something that allows them to skip the trash folder and disappear? I kind of like them to go into the trash folder and I delete that folder manually from time to time. Gives me one last chance to save things I didn't really want to lose. Let me know what you think about that. But at least I can delete now. I assume the emails I delete are not just hiding out of sight. I will continue to delete the emails and se if anything unusual occurs. But right now, thank you, thank you.
To answer your other questions I understand I have Outlook 2016 and my email provider is Comcast.
Regards, Noel
I'm glad that helped 
. It's a bit of a workaround, as this effectively bypasses the trash stage which is where the problem appears to be. You could always try unchecking it and see if the problem has been fixed by the deletion of a problematic item? It may be worth a test at least.
. It's a bit of a workaround, as this effectively bypasses the trash stage which is where the problem appears to be. You could always try unchecking it and see if the problem has been fixed by the deletion of a problematic item? It may be worth a test at least.Thx Ian, I may do that. My next big problem is trying to get my contacts over from ms mail to outlook. You would think Microsoft would have been a little more accommodating with their own systems. Will let you know how the test works out.
Noel
Noel
HI ian. Sorry for the multiple duplicate questions - have no idea how that happened (I was TRYING to reply to just YOUR response and my question kept popping up. Sorry. I'm running Office 2019. I already had followed someone's instructions to update Office - that didn't fix the problem. My provider is Spectrum. I have no idea how to give you the other information you requested (there are mountains of things that I just do not understand - hence, 24/7 Dell tech support). As for your attachment, I've been trying to no avail to get to that window and cannot for some dumb reason. I'm not a new user - been computing since 1986 with multiple systems. Just got Windows 10 Pro. I feel like I'm in no man's land. They changed so many things that I'm not happy with. Why didn't they just leave well enough alone!