Outlook: Cannot move the items. The operation cannot be performed because the message has been changed.

Anonymous
2022-05-20T08:11:25+00:00

This message often pops up when I try to move an email to a folder after reading and closing it.  This happens even though I have not changed the message at all other than to read it.  If I select another message and then try to move the original message again, it will work.

I have been getting this problem for years and I am sick of it! everytime I try to tidy my inbox it takes hours because I have to keep moving away and then back to the email.

I know this message pops up in relation to other scenarios but I would like to concentrate on just this one problem as otherwise there are too many off topic answers.

This has been happening for at least 6 YEARS is no-one from Microsoft able to help with this problem?

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-11-22T17:47:14+00:00

    no problem - just wish it would get fixed. it is such a time waster.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-11-29T23:50:25+00:00

    I get it! I've also been frustrated by this for years. I have an IMAP with Gmail. So, I just now tried this: exit Outlook, restart Outlook. Then, I was able to move the received email (w/attachment) into a folder. Took me less than a minute. Hope this works for someone else...

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-11-30T22:40:18+00:00

    I get it! I've also been frustrated by this for years. I have an IMAP with Gmail. So, I just now tried this: exit Outlook, restart Outlook. Then, I was able to move the received email (w/attachment) into a folder. Took me less than a minute. Hope this works for someone else...

    Well, all of these workarounds seem to suggest the same underlying issue: Outlook is hanging on to the message and doesn't know how to 'release it'.

    It seems that if you 'distract' Outlook it will let it go.

    It's moot that the developers will read any of these community findings and flag it as a problem to be fixed in a future release 😔

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-12-03T18:52:21+00:00

    There are a couple of workarounds - but it is frustrating that it doesn't work as it should, they all time time and when you are moving a lot of items then that time adds up to a lot of wasted time and frustration.

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-12-07T01:48:25+00:00

    This worked. Thanks so much! Once the important folder was taken off IMAP, I stopped getting that error message. Thanks again for your help!

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