# Unable to delete email's from outlook infolder.



## Beezer1 (Jun 16, 2006)

Operating System: Windows 98, 2nd ed.
Pentium III, 
Software: Outlook Express

I just started having trouble with deleting emails from my incoming folder. The traditional method was to select (hilite) the message or group of messages desired to be deleted and then select the delete button from the standard toolbar. I do not seem to have any problems deleting email from any other folder, example, Sent Items, Deleted Items, Drafts, etc., only the In Folder. To the best of my knowledge I have not inadvertently changed any of the software settings. I contacted my service provider about this problem but they think that it is a software problem. This problem just seems to have cropped up all by itself.


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## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Hi *Beezer1*

Welcome to Tech Support Guy Forums!

Check this setting in Outlook Express:
Tools > Options > Maintenance tab, 
if there, remove the check mark for *Compact messages in the background*
*Apply, OK* to save and close.
this is a default setting in Windows 98 that can cause corruption in your .dbx files.

If you have more than one Identity, check each Identity to ensure this process has been disabled.

________________________________________________________________________

Can you right click on a message and *Move* it to another folder? Or drag a message to another folder?
If you are using your Inbox as the main storage folder for your messages, your Inbox may become corrupted and you could possibly lose all your messages.

Keep your Inbox empty, move messages you want to keep to folders of your own creation. Using the default folder*s* Outlook Express creates can lead to possible corruption and loss of messages. (Inbox, Drafts, Deleted Items, Sent Items, Outbox)

After emptying the Inbox, manually compact the Inbox to remove wasted space caused by moving and deleting messages.
With the Inbox folder open,
File > Folder > Compact
Wait for that to finish before doing anything else on the computer. Since you are only compacting the Inbox, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes, in fact, it may only take a few seconds.

After compacting, *copy* a few messages to the Inbox and see if you can delete them.
If not, close Outlook Express,

Find Files: 

*Windows 98*:
Start > Find > Files and Folders,
In the *Find Field*, 
Key in: 
*.dbx
be sure to include the asterick.
in the "Look in" field make sure your "C" drive or main harddrive is selected, click on Find Now.

Locate the *Inbox.dbx* file and rename it: *Inbox.old*
Restart Outlook Express a new Inbox folder will be created.
Try deleting a few messages in the Inbox to test.

Let us know if that makes a difference or not.


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