Message stuck in Drafts Folder and cannot be deleted

Question

I have a user with a message stuck in their 'Drafts' folder and this message cannot be deleted.  There appear to be no messages stuck in the queue, and all mail flow for this user and for the Exchange organization is working properly.  This user tried to send a message to another user in the organization and it did not go through, and is stuck in drafts in OWA.  I cannot delete this message from OWA or from the EMS.  If I search-mailbox I can find a record of the message in the drafts folder, but I cannot delete it.  When I do delete the message from OWA it momentarily leaves the 'Drafts' folder in OWA and does NOT go into the 'Deleted Items'.  If I refresh the browser or just wait a few minutes the message reappears.  I cannot see any way to remove this message.  I have turned off and disabled all client devices just in case 'Activesync' was causing a problem or had the message stuck somehow in it's client folder, but this has no impact.  So the question is, how do I delete a mail item from the 'Drafts' folder.  I have seen three separate forums asking for a resolution to this problem, but no proposed solutions, and the threads just end without resolution.  Does anyone have any ideas?

Answer 1

Hi Jeremiah,

The message item is possibly corrupted. To remove it, you can try:

1. OWA light version.

2. MFCMAPI. Please notice that using MFCMAPI make cause damage to the mailbox so it’s recommended that you back up the email items to PST files. If you would like to use this tool, please find the professional guide from the Outlook IT Pro forum.

If the issue cannot be resolved by the steps above, I would like to confirm whether the mailbox is based in on-premises Exchange 2013 according to the tag. If yes, it’s suggested that you post a thread in the Exchange Server forum for the dedicated assistance.

I can fully understand that you have searched in multiple forums. But since our Office 365 community focuses on the Office 365 for Business Online services and troubleshooting, we are not able to help you with the issue. Your understanding is highly appreciated.

If anything is misunderstood, please feel free to post back.

Best Regards,

Henry Huang

Answer 2

I have reposted my question on the Exchange Server Forum since this was as far has Henry would go on my Exchange system since it specifically an Office365 forum.  For the record I tried OWA light before I posted this thread, and MFCMAPI doesn't really apply as this pertains to items on the mailbox and I'm not troubleshooting issues with my Outlook client or any other client platform.