Tech Tip of the Week: Configure Outlook 2010 to Automatically Empty Deleted Items

From the IT Group:

Do you find that you frequently receive the Outlook notice indicating you are close to your email quota limit? Good mailbox management will help you avoid this and the IT Group Training website has some great tips for managing the data in your email and your P drive.

One great way to keep your email quota in check is to configure your Outlook to automatically empty deleted items. Items that you delete are moved to the Deleted Items folder, but aren’t permanently deleted until that folder is emptied. Over time, the contents of the Deleted Items folder can consume a large amount of your data file or email server storage quota.

The Deleted Items folder appears in the Navigation Pane when you are using the Mail or the Folder List views. Outlook can be configured to automatically empty the Deleted Items folder, or you can manually empty the folder at any time.

To configure your computer to automatically empty the Deleted Items folder:

1. Click the File tab.
2. Click Options.
3. On the Advanced tab, under Outlook Start and Exit, select the Empty the Deleted Items folder upon exiting check box.
4. To be notified before the Deleted Items folder is emptied automatically, on the Advanced tab, under Other, select the Prompt for confirmation before permanently deleting items check box.