6 Ways to Fix Microsoft Outlook Failed to Delete a Message Error

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Fix 1. Mark Items for Deletion in Settings

This option only works with Microsoft Outlook accounts set up with IMAP.

Step 1:Close Microsoft Outlook and open theControl Panelon your PC.

Step 2:Click onMail. If you don’t see the Mail option, change the View By filter toSmall iconsor use thesearch bar.

Step 3:Click onEmail Accountson the Mail Setup – Outlook pop-up window.

Step 4:The Account Settings window should open. Double-click youremailto reveal its properties. Click onMore Settingsin theChange Accountwindow.

Step 5:Select theAdvancedtab. On the menu named Deleted Items, ensure the following items are ticked:

Step 6:Click onOK.

Fix 2. Use the Inbox Repair Tool

The built-in repair tool can fix any corrupt PST file and diagnose and repair mail database files.

Step 1:Close Microsoft Outlook, navigate to the following path, and select yourOffice version(Office 14, 15, 16, etc.).

Step 2:Double-clickSCANPST.EXEto run the file.

Step 3:Use theBrowsebutton to select the PST file to be scanned and click onStart. Finally, click onYeswhen asked to confirm backup creation.

Step 4:Close the tool after completing the process,re-launch Microsoft Outlook, and check if the problem is solved.

Fix 3. Restart Outlook in Safe Mode

Outlook’s safe mode ensures the disabling of all add-ons and third-party interference, which helps to check if the issue is because of it.

Step 1:Hold theCTRL keyand click on theOutlook Shortcut.

Step 2:You will see a warning dialog box telling you to confirm if you want to launch Outlook in Safe Mode. Click onYes.

Step 3:Check if the issue persists once Outlook opens.

Fix 4. Disable Litigation Hold (Ask IT Admin)

Litigation hold allows Office 365 admins to prevent other users from deleting emails for a specific period. This feature can only be disabled using an admin account, and if you have it enabled in your Office 365 admin end, you can’tdelete the emails:

Step 1.Log into your Office 365 admin account (or ask the administrator to do so)

Step 2.Then, navigate toExchange Admin Center > Recipients > Mailbox.

Step 3.Now, select theaffected email accountand clickEdit.

Step 4.Then, go toMailbox Features > Litigation hold.

Step 5.Check if your organization has Litigation hold enabled and ask the admin if they can disable it.

Fix 5. Empty Deleted Items From Outlook on the Web

If you are in an exchange mailbox, you will face issues deleting emails on the desktop version of Outlook. You can try deleting the emails using the Outlook web version. Log in with your Exchange email on the Outlook website. Ensure to delete emails in smaller groups if you could not delete them earlier.

Fix 6. Turn on the Archive Email Box

Using the Archive Email box, users can clear storage space for their exchange email accounts and, in many cases, restore their ability to delete emails in Outlook:

Step 1.Log in to theExchange Admin center.

Step 2.Go toRecipients > Mailboxesand select themailboxfor which you want to enable the Archive Email box.

Step 3.Now, go to theOtherssection for the respective mailbox.

Step 4.Find theMailbox Archivesection, clickManage Mailbox Archive, andturn onMailbox Archive.

FAQs

Yes, enabling this setting in Outlook can affect your ability to recover deleted emails. When you activate this option, it empties the Deleted Items folder automatically upon closing Outlook, bypassing the Recover Deleted Items folder, which serves as a temporary backup for deleted items. This step makes recovering emails more difficult, as they are permanently removed from your account.

To check your mailbox storage limit and usage, navigate to theFiletab within Outlook > click onAccount Settings> selectAccount Settingsagain from the dropdown menu. In the Account Settings window, choose the relevant email account and click onFolder Size. This will display your overall mailbox usage and storage limit. You can find more detailed information about storage usage by clicking onServer Data.

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Last updated on 23 August, 2024

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