Outlook Mailbox Full Issue – Expert Solution to Fix

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  • Updated on August 16th, 2023

Summary: ‘Outlook Mailbox full’ is a common problem Outlook users encounter while using Mailbox. In such an issue, you can try to reduce the mailbox size by deleting or moving the older mail from the mailbox. But sometimes, even moving or deleting items does not work, and the error message remains the same even after deleting the mail items. In this write-up, we will discuss how to instantly solve the Outlook mailbox full after deleting everything problem and rebuilding the Outlook Connectivity again.

User Query: Why is the Outlook mailbox full after deleting almost all old mails

Recently, I have been getting frequent messages that my mailbox will be full soon. Although I deleted almost all old mail, excluding the most recent mail, and emptied the deleted Item Folder. But I still receive the same repeated message that my mailbox will be full soon again and again. What should I do to fix this issue?

Why is the Mailbox full but doesn’t get empty when deleting messages?

There can be multiple reasons behind Outlook Mailbox full, which can be as follow:-

  • Deleted Mails may not have much space, and removing such emails doesn’t increase storage space.
  • There can be Trash or deleted folders that have not been emptied regularly. Ultimately all the data stored in the mailbox contributes to the storage space. Therefore deleting the emails from the inbox and storing them in a delete or archive folder will not help free up space.
  • OST files consume larger space as compared to PST. Therefore it’s highly recommended to convert OST to PST file format to free up the storage space of the mailbox.

However, these are the few major reasons behind Outlook Mailbox being full, and there can be many more. Let’s move further and discuss why we must resolve Outlook Mailbox’s full error.

Software to Fix “Outlook Mailbox Full After Deleting” Error by Compressing Mailboxes

If your Outlook mailbox is full after deleting everything and does not free up space in Outlook mailboxes then you need to use the manual solution which is given in this blog’s Method 01, Method 02, and Method 03. If the manual method fails to fix the “Outlook mailbox full after deleting almost all old mail” problem then use the Aryson PST Compress Tool. This software will save valuable time and quickly free up space in your Outlook mailbox after compressing mailboxes.

Why there is a need to fix Outlook Mailbox is Full Error

We need to fix Outlook Mailbox errors due to multiple reasons, which are as follows:-

  • The performance of the Outlook Files is hampered and becomes slow due to the oversized and lengthy Outlook data file. We need to split the files into smaller parts to smoothly run the application without hanging up.
  • Outlook’s earlier version does not allow importing of large PST files. Therefore users need to break large files into smaller multiple parts.
  • There is a high chance of corruption for oversized PST files. So it’s better to split the size of the large Outlook Mailbox to prevent corruption.

Fix Outlook Mailbox Full After Deleting

Few of the multiple methods are available to resolve Outlook mailbox full after deleting everything errors such as:-

  1. Delete Lengthy Emails to Free Up the Mailbox Storage.
  2. Fixing Error: emptying the Trash Folder and Deleting Items Folder.
  3. Resolving deleted emails but still getting mailbox full error by using Clean Up Mailbox
  4. Professional Solution to resolve Outlook mailbox is full after deleting everything.

Moving forward let’s discuss in detail regarding each method in a proper step-wise process.

Method 01:- How to Delete Lengthy Emails to Free Up the Mailbox Storage

Proceed with the Instructions below to fix this issue:-

  • Install the Microsoft Outlook Application and Choose the Search Folder >> New Search Folder.
  • In the New window, choose the Large Mail option under the Organizing Mail field and select Choose under the Customize Search Folders.
  • Specify the size of the files in the Show mail greater than the box and click the OK button to continue further.
  • Now you will see a new folder, Larger Than, is created under Search Folder.

After this, go to the Search Folder, select the newly created folder, and delete the Emails that are not important. Continue deleting Outlook Mailbox Full After Deleting emails until and unless the mailbox has enough space for new mails.

Let’s proceed further and look for another manual approach.

Method 02:- Fixing Error: emptying the Trash Folder and Deleting Items Folder

In an Outlook account, when we delete the data from the Trash or Deleted Item Folder, the mailbox size can be managed by emptying the deleted item folder by permanently removing the Emails from your mailbox. To do this, we need to configure Outlook with the deleted Items folder, or we can do it manually.

To Resolve Outlook mailbox full after deleting almost all old mails Error by proceeding along with the given steps such as:-

  1. Run an Outlook and right-click on the deleted items or Trash Folder. Select the option Empty Folder Option.
  2. Click Yes if asked for confirmation.

By doing so, the ‘Deleted Item’ Folder is permanently removed from the mail items. Now you can cross-check mailbox size. The error ‘Outlook Mailbox Full’ message should not appear.

To configure the settings to automate this process, you can do so by following the below-mentioned steps:-

  1. Navigate the File Tab, select the Options button and go for Advanced Option.
  2. Under the ‘Outlook Start and Exit’ field, mark the ‘Empty Deleted Items’ folders when exiting the Outlook checkbox.
  3. Scroll down the ‘Advanced‘ options screen and select the ‘Prompt for confirmation before permanently deleting items‘ checkbox.

After doing this, Outlook will Automatically Prompt you to empty the deleted items folder at the time of exit from Outlook. We have also explained another method for the same in the next method.

Method 03:- Resolving Deleted Emails but Still Mailbox is Full error by using Clean Up Mailbox

Using the Mailbox Cleanup option, you can manage the mailbox size and fix the Outlook mailbox full after deleting everything error. Through this option, you can check the mailbox size, Archive mail items, view Deleted Items folder size, find/filter emails older than a specific date, and empty the Deleted Items and conflict folders.

Follow the step-by-step procedure to do so:-

  1. Navigate to the File Tab, select the Tool Option, and choose Mailbox Cleanup.
  2. Use the AutoArchive option to automatically move the old emails to an archive (.pst) which can be opened and accessed locally. Ultimately it will help you to free up mailbox space and resolve the error message.
  3. You can also select the ‘Empty Deleted Items Folder’ to empty the folder and free up mailbox storage space.
  4. You can also choose the Clean Up Old Items option which helps you clean up the mailbox manually by moving the older emails to the archive.

Above mentioned are the three methods that can be done manually to Fix Outlook Mailbox’s full Error. However, these methods have some limitations. Let’s discuss some of the limitations caused by the manual methods.

Limitations Of the Manual Approach:-

However, this manual method doesn’t seem to be an appropriate solution. We cannot continue to delete emails until the mailbox has sufficient space. There can be some emails that cannot be deleted, and we require them for future usage. So it is better to go for an alternate solution of choosing an expert solution to fix the Outlook mailbox full after deleting the issue.

When nothing works out to resolve Outlook mailbox full error, then there is one most recommended third-party software that will come to your rescue. That is PST Compress Tool. Let’s discuss this in further detail about this tool along with their proper step-by-step Guidelines.

Method 04:-Professional Solution to Resolve Outlook Mailbox Full After Deleting Everything

PST Compress Tool is a Professional solution to fix Outlook Mailboxes full but doesn’t get empty when deleting messages error. This software is an efficient and reliable solution and is highly suggested by experts. Using this software, you can compact or reduce the size of Outlook PST File with high precision. Let’s move further and discuss a detailed step-by-step procedure.

Follow the Steps to Fix Outlook Mailbox Full Issue by Compressing Mailbox:

  1. Download, install, and Run the PST Compress Tool.
  2. Select the Single or Multiple files/folder options and Hit the Next button.
  3. Choose the option Select File (s) from the tool wizard. Select the PST files you want to compress or reduce and click the Open button.
  4. Selected files will be added to the software. To move further, click on the Next Button.
  5. A Tree structure containing all the mailbox PST file folders will be displayed. Select the folder you require, and you can also preview the emails and their attachment files. Hit the Next button.
  6. Choose the Compression Option Panel per your requirement; we have selected Compress All Attachments in the New PST File. Additionally, opt for Some Extra Features as per your needs.
  7. Assign the location in Path to Save option to save the newly compressed file.
  8. To begin the compression process, click on the Start Compression button. Further, click on the Download Report button to analyze the process.

Conclusion:-

Error Outlook mailbox full after deleting everything is caused due to the large PST files, which is not ideal. To ensure that the Outlook application runs smoothly and doesn’t hang up, you need to compress or reduce the file size. If not, delete them immediately. Instead, you can manage or reduce Outlook mailbox size without deleting a single email. You can opt for the PST Compress Tool to resolve Outlook mailbox full errors hassle-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens if the Outlook mailbox is full?

Ans – If the size of an Outlook mailbox reaches its limit, you won’t be able to perform any operation like sending and receiving any new messages. “Outlook Mailbox is Full” an error message will be displayed

Q: What to do when the Outlook mailbox is full even after deleting?

Ans – Deleting emails is not the appropriate solution for the Outlook mailbox full error. Instead, it’s better to use PST Compress Tool to reduce or compress the size of the emails because every mail cannot be deleted.

Q: Which is the best solution to fix Outlook Mailbox Full issue?

Ans – The best solution to fix Outlook mailbox is full error is to opt for third-party software such as PST Compress Tool. Using this software, you select single PST files or a folder containing multiple PST files at a time.

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About The Author:

Rohan Wiese is a Technical Writer at Aryson Technologies. He is an expert Email Forensic, Cloud Computing, and a passionate nerd with over 10 years of experience in technical content writing. He writes about Cloud Migration, Database Recovery, Email Backup, Windows, Mac, and Tech.

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