Weekly eTip – Deletion issues

How long do messages stay in my trash?

Seven days unless you empty your trash or delete messages manually from your deleted items folder.

Can I change my trash to be deleted after two weeks instead of one?

No, that policy is set by the university.

If I delete an item from another “generic” account I manage, it goes to my deleted items. Can I change this?

Unfortunately, no.

When I exit Outlook, it asks if I want to “permanently delete all the items and subfolders in the ‘Deleted Items’ folder for all accounts?” If I do, then everything is deleted.

This is a setting in your Outlook Options that must have gotten checked, because it is set for “manual” by default.

  • In Outlook 2010 It is found under File > Options > Advanced, under Outlook Start and Exit.
  • In Outlook 2007 find it under Tools > Options > Other under General.
  • In OWA, it is found under Options > Settings > Mail > Message Options.
  • In Outlook 2011 for the Mac, it is found under Tools > Schedules and double click on Empty Deleted Items Folder and it should say Manually.

How can I change the sort option in my deleted items folder to sort by most recently deleted, not the date of the message?

See instructions for this and other tips online.