Posted on 03/13/2011 12:09:12 PM PDT by vitzy929
The moment I try to delete something, outlook express "not responding". I can move emails to folders other than Deleted items. I can send and receive emails. Only deleting and tryng to view the Deleted items folder causes a "not responding" freeze. I then have to get out of outlook express completely. Can someone help me?
Last few days I have had the same problem. Keep trying and eventually it works.
GRRRRRRR
At one point I couldn’t even shut down my computer.
No way to tell based on the limited info you provided but you MAY have exceeded the limits of items in the Deleted Items folder. Just a guess. May want to consider upgrading.
This may help....good luck...
Can’t Delete Email in Outlook Express
Author:
Bob Rankin
“I received an email recently, with no attachment, and when I tried to open it, my computer froze. Even a ctrl-alt-del wouldn’t help. Every time I try to open, or just click on and delete this message my computer freezes. I didn’t think it was possible for an email to cause this kind of problem, if there was no attachment. I’m using Outlook Express, and running Windows XP Professional Version, Service Pack 2. I just want to delete this message from my inbox — I have no idea what is in it and I don’t care at this point!”
Stranger things have been known to happen to folks using Outlook Express, but I’m sure that’s little comfort to you now. Here are some things you can try to remove the offending item from your inbox.
First, have you made sure that you are current with Windows Update patches and fixes? There are a bunch of nasty bugs in Outlook Express that can leave you open to attacks from specially formatted emails — with or without attachments. Some viruses can be activated and spread to others just by viewing a message in the preview pane, but ONLY if you are using an old, unpatched version of Outlook.
Next, is your anti-virus protection up to date? If your service has expired, renew it ASAP. Or check with your ISP to see if they offer any free anti-virus software.
Try turning off the preview pane in Outlook (use View / Layout and UNcheck Show Preview Pane). Then right-click the offending message and select Delete.
Some users report success with pressing the Shift and Delete keys after highlighting the message. Note: This technique will delete the message without sending it to the Deleted Items folder.
Finally, it’s possible that the undelete-able email does not contain any harmful content, but attempting to open it triggers a flaw in your anti-virus scanner. If you are certain that the email is a harmless message from a known person (and they are using anti-virus software), you could try suspending your anti-virus program, then attempt to delete the message.
BOB RANKIN... is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, author of several computer books, and creator of the http://LowfatLinux.com website. Visit Bob Rankin’s website for more helpful articles and free tech support.
Try compacting all your folders. If the file gets to large OE has problems.
Reboot then open only Outlook Express and try again.
Go with Mozilla Thunderbird.
Try compressing the folders. Look up instructions on how to do it. The change email programs to Thunderbird from Firefox and import your email. You can get a calender extension for it.
Make a new folder next to the delete folder and name it won’t delete. Drag the the ones that won’t delete to this folder and then delete the whole folder. I do this but let it build up and delete it and remake the same folder. Repeat as necessary.
I’ve never heard of Outlook or Outlook Express. Are they mail programs?
Solution:
Download another mail client.
Thunderbird (free opensource) or something similar.
I abandoned Outlook and Outlook Express for my ISP’s based email system and have NOT had the loss and glitch problems the resident MS email crap caused me.
Dump it!
I hate to sound like a smartass but get yourself another e-mail program. There are freeware or shareware ones that work very well. The trouble I have with Outlook and Outlook Express is that I could never recover stored e-mails after a crash. I chose a free program called Calypso that does regular backups and saves e-mails in a mailbox file that is very easy to retrieve after a crash.
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