Stop Warning Before Permanently Deleting Items

SUMMARY: Prevent Outlook 2007 from showing a warning before permanently deleting an e-mail message, calendar entry, task, or other item.

When you remove items such as e-mail messages, calendar entries, contacts, and tasks from the "Deleted Items" folder in Microsoft Outlook 2007, or when you hold down the Del key when deleting items, Outlook prompts you if you really want to remove the items. This helps prevent you from "permanently" removing items, because once an item leaves the "Deleted Items" folder, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recover. If you use Microsoft Exchange, some items may be recoverable, however.

If you tire of these warnings, and if you wish that holding down the Del key permanently removes an item without prompting, you can disable them.

1. Select "Tools" - "Options".

2. The "Options" multi-tabbed dialog box appears. Click the "Other" tab.

3. Underneath "General", click the "Advanced Options" button.

Accessing Outlook 2007's Advanced Options

4. The "Advanced Options" dialog box appears. Underneath "General settings", uncheck "Warn before permanently deleting items".

Disable the Outlook 2007 warning when permanently deleting items

5. Click "OK" on the dialog boxes to close them.