How in the Tech

Truly Delete and Remove Email in Outlook

By Adam Myers ⋅ May 20, 2009 ⋅ Tags: Microsoft Outlook

Were you aware most everyone but Microsoft understands the concept of deletion, at least with respect to computers? As users, we understand the action initiated when an item is selected, a file or even a line of text perhaps, and the Delete command is executed. The selection is deleted – what a concept. Sure, there is the notion of the recycle bin when it comes to files but even then, the user is made known that the file now resides in this pseudo purgatory until the bin is emptied. Would it surprise you to learn that Microsoft Outlook handles email deletion rather differently?

Outlook stores all your email, tasks, calendar events, contacts, etc in a single .PST file. When you delete an email from your Inbox, logically the email disappears from your display. I used the word disappears and not removed because that is exactly what has happened in the background. The email is still contained within the .pst file where would-be privacy snoops, along with the help of readily available software, are still able to access the email. Disturbing isn’t it?

To truly delete and remove an email once and for all Outlook requires you to compact or compress your .pst file (right-click on the desired .pst file, click Properties, then Advance). Annoying, but it gets worse – there is no way to automate this process. Rather, Outlook will prompt you to compact your .pst after every 100 program closures; which for me would probably take over a year to reach!

A better approach requires one to edit the Windows Registry to enable the compaction automatically on close. Unfortunately this does increase the time it takes to close Outlook but privacy and peace of mind is a hard thing to quantify for most.

1. Click Start and in the Start Search box type regedit.exe.
2. Traverse the Registry Editor navigation tree on the left hand side down to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office



3. Under the Office folder above you will see different numerical versions of Office with 12.0 signify Office 2007. You’ll want to drill-down to your appropriate version of Office – 2007 is at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\. Look for a key on under Outlook titled PST. On my install this key did not exist – it can be created by right-clicking on Outlook and selecting New->Key.



4. With the PST key now selected, right click in the right hand panel and select New->DWORD Value. Title the value PSTNullFreeOnClose and set it to a value of 1 to enable the functionality.

Now when Outlook is closed it will ensure deleted emails are fully removed from the .pst file.