Storage full, deleted items will not delete

Question

Storage full, deleted items will not delete

Sandy Falkenborg 0

Hi,

I was notified that my email storage was full, so I deleted a ton of emails to free up space and then deleted the recovered items folder. That album is now empty, but there are still emails in my deleted items folder that I added in after. I can not delete them because it says I need to empty my recovered items folder, which I did and is currently empty. For some reason it is not recognizing the emails I permanently deleted and is not allowing me to delete any new messages. This has been going on for a week now, so I haven't been allowed to receive or send emails for a week and I don't know what to do at this point and need help!

John Jefferson Doyon 65,815 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-06T20:01:47.1233333+00:00

Hi, I'm John!

Have you already attempted to unlink and relink OneDrive?

If storage update is still pending for days now, 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

If you're using Outlook Web, you can try resetting your browser cache and cookies. You can also try another browser, or test in incognito or InPrivate mode.

If the issue still persists, please wait another 24 hours for everything to fully update across your account.
Sandy Falkenborg 0 Reputation points

2026-04-06T21:53:39.75+00:00

I have tried numerous times to use the delete folder button/empty folder button, but it will not work. When pushed, it says "cannot delete items, delete recoverable items folder first, if that doesn't work contact IT administrator." But the recoverable items folder is empty, and was deleted 6 days ago. How long do I have to wait for those items to be recognized as deleted?

1 answer

Your answer

John Jefferson Doyon 65,815 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-04-06T20:01:47.1233333+00:00

Hi, I'm John!

Have you already attempted to unlink and relink OneDrive?

If storage update is still pending for days now, 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

If you're using Outlook Web, you can try resetting your browser cache and cookies. You can also try another browser, or test in incognito or InPrivate mode.

If the issue still persists, please wait another 24 hours for everything to fully update across your account.
Sandy Falkenborg 0 Reputation points

2026-04-06T21:53:39.75+00:00

I have tried numerous times to use the delete folder button/empty folder button, but it will not work. When pushed, it says "cannot delete items, delete recoverable items folder first, if that doesn't work contact IT administrator." But the recoverable items folder is empty, and was deleted 6 days ago. How long do I have to wait for those items to be recognized as deleted?

Answer 1

Outlook not updating to the current storage usage/quota

If none of the suggestions offered correct the problem, this may be a known bug.

Microsoft has acknowledged that there is a problem and is working on a fix.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5837950/outlook-storage-limit-not-updating-after-upgrade

The Question is about a quota change after an upgrade. But the problem also shows up after just clearing out storage. In both cases Outlook does not update to the actual free space available.

Click the [Follow Question] button on that thread to receive a notification for any new updates on this issue.

Gabe Bratton Apr 8, 2026, 10:54 AM
The Outlook Team says that the fix is rolling out and is expected to be complete in the next 24 hours.

Gabe Bratton Apr 8, 2026, 4:40 PM
There is no external guidance about this issue. The latest update is that the fix is rolling out and is expected to be complete in the next 24 hours. The product team has telemetry to see the progression, and they see the queue coming down at a steady rate.

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Storage full, deleted items will not delete

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