Outlook 365 delete key on keyboard deletes message rather than text when using Preview Pane feature

Anonymous
2020-07-16T16:45:09+00:00

Recently, when I am drafting an email from the preview pane, if I hit the delete key on my keyboard as I am typing, it will delete the entire message rather than the text I wish to delete. If you hit delete multiple times (as you would if you need to delete a few words) before you realize it the first delete button press deletes your current draft email, puts you back in your inbox. Each subsequent delete key press deletes emails from your inbox before you realize what is going on.

Only mitigation is to pop out the draft email and the delete keyboard function works as designed.

Is there a setting that was added recently for the above use case? This is horrible and pretty much negates the purpose of using the preview pane in Outlook as it was designed.

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Anonymous
2020-07-23T14:19:27+00:00

The Outlook Team had a bug with this issue previously.  It was fixed in version 16.0.13001.10000.  What version is your Outlook (File, Office Account, under About Outlook)?

If you have a version higher than above it should be fixed.  Its possible there is a new issue though if you are still seeing it.  In case you have the option to open a ticket click Help, Contact Support.  Not everyone has that but please check if you do.

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-09-14T21:26:37+00:00

    OMG - This issue is soooo frustrating. I have deleted 5 emails just today! I hit reply to an email, start typing away. While I am in the middle of typing, I use the delete key to fix a letter or word, and the whole email gets deleted. I don't have time to pop open a new window every time I want to reply to an email. I also can't copy from outlook with keystrokes and paste in ANYTHING else. I can only right click to copy.  

    I am on 16.12527.21096.

    Found a thread here https://superuser.com/questions/721154/outlook-deletes-an-email-when-i-am-in-quick-reply-and-try-to-delete-text that also relates it to a CTRL+C issue. When I have one issue, I have the other. Just made sure that the File -> Options -> Mail. Under the "Outlook Panes" heading, click the button for Reading Pane. Uncheck the box for "Single key reading using spacebar" was unchecked. Restarted Outlook and they both appear to work right now.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-07-22T21:58:54+00:00

    Same issue using the Outlook client on Windows 10.  It happens with replies to existing emails.  Terrible experience: I use Delete instead of Backspace a lot.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-08-04T16:04:30+00:00

    I'm running 16.0.13001.20338 and still have this problem. It's really annoying. It went away for a while but showed up again today. I've made zero modifications to my settings except to edit a signature since the issue reappeared. That's probably not related.

    Anyway, very annoying to be typing along, select a little piece of text hit delete and poof the email has disappeared. Then go to deleted items to try and find the message you were responding to so you can restore it to your inbox and gain access to the draft again.

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-07-17T22:33:02+00:00

    Hi Pengchang Tang,

    Did you mean you met the phenomenon "The emails will be deleted If you hit Delete key after selected the message from preview pane."? If yes, actually, this is a shortcut for Outlook and not an issue. You can refer to the screenshot below:

    Regards,

    Joey

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