Unable to delete emails in Outlooks

Question

My outlook account will not let me send or receive emails because it is too full. I have tried using the deleting these using the file management tool. It says the files were removed but the size does not reduce. I have tried deleting some of them manually but it will not let me.

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

After freeing space (or purchasing additional storage), it can take up to 24 to 48 hours for everything to fully update across your account. I’d recommend waiting that time and check again OneDrive after that.

If the update is still pending after 24 hours, you can try unlinking and relinking your OneDrive account, or resetting it. "Unlink and re-link OneDrive" https://support.microsoft.com/office/unlink-and-re-link-onedrive-3c4680bf-cc36-4204-9ca5-e7b24cdd23ea

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I really hope this information is helpful! Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Regards,

John J.D.

Answer 2

If you're unable to delete emails in Outlook and your account is full, it may be due to the size limits of your mailbox or the Recoverable Items folder. Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

1. Check Mailbox Quotas: Verify the storage quotas of your mailbox. You can do this by running the following PowerShell cmdlet:

      Get-Mailbox ******@contoso.com | fl ProhibitSendReceiveQuota,RecoverableItemsQuota
   

   This will help you understand if your mailbox has exceeded its limits.
2. Recoverable Items Folder: If the items in the Recoverable Items folder exceed the default quota of 30 GB, you will encounter issues. You can check the status of your mailbox quota by running:

      Get-MailboxStatistics ******@contoso.com | fl StorageLimitStatus,TotalItemSize,TotalDeletedItemSize
   

   If the TotalDeletedItemSize exceeds the RecoverableItemsQuota, you will need to delete items from this folder.
3. Use Outlook on the Web: Sometimes, deleting items in Outlook on the web can work when Outlook desktop fails. Try accessing your account via the web and deleting emails from there.
4. Empty Deleted Items Folder: Ensure that you have emptied your Deleted Items folder, as items in this folder still count towards your mailbox size.
5. Archive Mailbox: If you have an archive mailbox enabled, consider moving older emails to the archive to free up space in your primary mailbox.

If these steps do not resolve your issue, you may need to contact your IT support or Microsoft support for further assistance.