Empty the Deleted Items Folder Automatically

If you are tired of manually emptying the Deleted Items folder, you can set Outlook to empty it whenever you close the program. The procedure is the same for Outlook 2003 and 2007. Here's how you do it:

1. Click Tools, then Options. This opens the Options dialog box.


2. In the Options dialog box, click the Other tab.


3. In the General section of the Other page, set Empty the Deleted Items folder upon exiting.

This will get Outlook to delete the contents of the folder whenever you exit. However, Outlook will ask you if you really want to delete the files. If you don't want to have to answer this question every time you close Outlook, do this:

1. In the General section of the Other page, click Advanced Options. This opens the Advanced Options dialog box.
2. In the General Settings section, clear the Warn before permanently deleting items option.

Click OK until you get back to the main Outlook window.

From now on, when you close Outlook the Deleted Items folder will be emptied for you.

Return to the General Outlook Tips page.