cannot delete emails

Question

Receiving emails and cannot delete or move them. Tried multiple times and yes I know how to use the delete icon.

Answer 1

In Outlook on Windows, deleted messages are first moved to the Deleted Items (or Trash) folder and are only permanently removed when that folder is emptied. If messages cannot be deleted or moved at all (nothing happens or an error appears), the most common causes in the provided context are:

1. The message is larger than the maximum send/receive size configured on an Exchange Server 2010 mailbox. In that case, attempts to move or delete the message fail with an error such as:

   Some items cannot be deleted. They were either moved or already deleted, or access was denied.

   This is a known server-side issue and is fixed by installing the update rollup described for Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2. This must be done by the Exchange administrator on the server; it cannot be fixed from the Outlook client.
2. Messages are being deleted but remain in Deleted Items. To permanently remove them and free space:
   1. Go to the Deleted Items folder in Outlook (or Outlook Web App).
   2. Right-click (or tap and hold) the Deleted Items folder.
   3. Select Empty folder.
   4. Confirm to permanently delete the items.

If the environment uses Exchange Server 2010 and the problem occurs specifically with very large messages, contact the mail or IT administrator and reference the Exchange Server 2010 update rollup that resolves the MaxSubmissionExceeded issue.

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References:

• You cannot move or delete an email message that is larger than the maximum receive or send size in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• Mail in Outlook Web App

Answer 2

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

To help narrow down the issue:

1. Does this happen with all emails or only certain ones?
2. Are you using personal Microsoft account or a work or school account?
3. Are you getting any error message when deleting or moving emails?

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If you haven't tried anything yet please start by:

Restart your PC:

• This helps refresh any background Outlook or connection issues.

Reset the new Outlook app:

• Press the Windows key and search for Outlook.
• Right-click on it and select "App Settings".
• Scroll down to the Terminate section and click "Terminate".
• Then scroll down to the Reset section and click "Reset".
• Wait a moment, then try opening the app again to see if it works.
• If the issue persists, go back to the same settings, scroll down to the - Reset section, and click on "Reset" (confirm the action if prompted).
• Restart your PC and test.

Check for Windows updates:

• Sometimes system updates include fixes for Outlook connectivity issues.
• Go to Settings > Windows Update, then click Check for updates.

Try Outlook on the web:

• You can also sign in at https://outlook.com to make sure your account itself is working fine.

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If the issue persists, please provide more details by answering my questions. Click "Add comment" to let me know.