Cannot delete folder in outlook

Hello Colin Thorburn,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum! 

I understand that you are having trouble deleting a folder named "receipts," which keeps returning to your Deleted Items, and I can understand the inconvenience this has caused you. 

I have reviewed your thread and the folder properties you shared. Since this is an IMAP account folder, the behavior you're experiencing is typically related to synchronization between Outlook and your email server. To better understand and investigate your issue, could you please let me know if you have already tried deleting the folder directly through your email provider's webmail interface? 

In the meantime, I recommend the following steps to resolve this issue. Please try them in the order listed, starting with the most direct solution. 

Step 1: Delete the Folder via Webmail

Since Outlook syncs with your email server, the most authoritative way to remove a folder is often directly on the server. 

1. Log in to your email account using your provider’s webmail interface in a browser. 
2. Navigate to the Trash or Deleted Items folder there. 
3. Locate the "receipts" folder and delete it permanently (you may need to select an option like Empty Trash or Purge). 
4. Return to Outlook and press F9 to send/receive. The folder should now be removed from Outlook. 

Step 2: Unsubscribe from the IMAP Folder in Outlook 

If the folder still appears, Outlook may be subscribed to it on the server. 

1. In Outlook, right-click your Inbox or the top-level account folder. 
2. Select IMAP Folders…. 
3. Click Query. 
4. In the list, find the “receipts” folder, select it, and click Unsubscribe. 
5. If prompted, choose to remove the folder from Outlook. 
6. Try deleting it from the Deleted Items folder again. 

Step 3: Use the Outlook Clean-up Command  

If the issue persists, you can try resetting synchronization logs. 

Disclaimer: The following step uses a command-line switch to reset Outlook's folder settings and is intended for persistent synchronization issues only. Before proceeding, ensure Outlook is fully closed (check Task Manager for OUTLOOK.EXE). This command will reset custom folder views and may cause Outlook to perform a fresh synchronization of your folder list. As a precaution, we recommend you note any custom folder views or settings, as they will be reset to default.

1. Close Outlook completely. 
2. Press Windows Key + R, type outlook.exe /resetfolders, and press Enter. 
3. Outlook will restart. Check if the folder can now be deleted. 

I appreciate the effort you have put into troubleshooting this issue. Please try these steps and let me know the outcome. 

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