How to Empty the Trash in Microsoft Outlook 2003

You might not know it, but if you've deleted a mail message in Outlook, it's not necessarily gone from your system! Indeed, the message is still taking up space in your "Deleted Items" folder. Over time, your "Deleted Items" folder can become very large, unless you take out the trash regularly. Here's how to take out the trash in Outlook.


Manually Empty the Trash Using the Mail Folder Pane

1. Open Outlook. On the left hand side, there will be an area titled Mail with a list of folders. Right-click on the Deleted Items folder
   
   
2. From the context-sensitive menu that appears, select Empty "Deleted Items" folder
   
   
3. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to permanently delete all the items in your Deleted Items folder. Click Yes
   
   

Manually Empty the Trash Using the Tools Menu

1. Open Outlook. Go to the Tools menu and select the Empty Deleted Items Folder option.
   
   
2. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to permanently delete all the items in your Deleted Items folder. Click Yes
   
   

Automatically Empty the Trash Every Time You Exit Outlook 2003

1. Open Outlook. Go to the Tools menu and select the Options option.
   
   
2. Click on the Othertab
   
   
3. Check the "Empty Deleted Items Folder upon exiting" box. Click on "Advanced Options" button.
   
   
4. Check or uncheck the "Warn before permanently deleting items" box. If you leave this box checked, Outlook will prompt you to confirm the deletion every time you close outlook.
   
   
5. Click OK.

Automatically Empty the Trash on Your Own Custom Schedule

1. Open Outlook. On the left hand side, there will be an area titled Mail with a list of folders. Right-click on the Properties folder
   
   
2. Click on the Auto Archive tab
   
   
3. Check the "Empty Deleted Items Folder upon exiting" box. Click on "Advanced Options" button.
   
   
4. Click the "Archive this folder using these settings" radio button. Click the "Permanently delete old items" button. Set your schedule as desired - we recommend 3 days, as shown in the picture.
   
   
5. Click OK.