How to stop delete key from deleting the entire email in outlook?

Anonymous

When I press delete - like in any other Microsoft tool, i mean delete the immediate text. But for some reason, Outlook started to use this key to delete e-mail. Where can I swich it off?

It´s really frustrating, I really wonder how people at Microsoft think. For example, they added annoying function where I have to first confirm editing a Word file before I start editing it (WHY?). But now I can accidentally delete an entire e-mail by a very predictable action. WHY! Just stop changing things for worse. Everytime I reinstall my windows, I need to go through the ordeal of swiching all these "bright ideas" off.

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Anonymous

2025-02-20T23:40:07+00:00

I am using the Logitech K650 Bluetooth keyboard and having the same issue. when pressing the delete button to remove the writing, it deletes the whole email and sent to the deleted items. I tried file - option - advanced - reading pane - unlclicking but it did not work.
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Anonymous

2025-02-24T19:31:31+00:00
The proposed fix absolutely does NOT work. Summary:

PROBLEM: When an email in Outlook (I am using 2016) is selected, pressing DELETE button on your keyboard is catastrophic. It:
- deletes the email locally, nothing is saved in trash or deleted items
- there is no confirmation, no prompt to delete
- it also goes to the mail sever and deletes the email there too!!
This is unacceptable. Since I have two PCs and one keyboard things get confusing so I often delete emails by accident. This is a complete "nuke" and you don't even know what you deleted.

I also tried removing my bluetooth keyboard and replaced it with a wired USB keyboard. It makes no difference.

I also have "Prompt for confirmation before permanently deleting items" checked - also makes no difference.

Why is this not being fixed?
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Anonymous

2025-03-19T14:43:45+00:00

this suggestion does not work
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Anonymous

2025-03-19T16:11:48+00:00
This issue remains unsolved and is quite serious!!

After none of the solutions in this thread worked for me, I found a workaround using an external program (AutoHotkey). I set it up to neutralize the "Del" key whenever Outlook is active.

It effectively prevents accidental email deletions. The only minor tradeoff is that I now rely on Backspace for character deletion — a small price to pay for safeguarding my inbox.
```
#IfWinActive Inbox          ; Put the correct Title in your Language here 

Del:: 

{ 

	; do nothing or give an ErrorMsg e.g. by "MsgBox, Deletion not possible"

} 

#IfWinActive
```
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Anonymous

2025-03-19T18:47:39+00:00

My outlook is now working properly. I am using Outlook 2016 on Windows 11. When I press the DEL key the deleted email goes into the Trash folder now. Wonderful! But the embarrassing thing is, I don't know what I changed. :( This was fixed in the email settings as I was fooling around with them, but I don't know which change fixed it. And I know this is useless to anyone reading this but I can at least give you a clue that somewhere in the settings something did solve this delete problem, at least in Outlook 2016.

A couple of other clues are that I am using Windows 11 and I believe I also installed the new outlook (in Feb 2025) (the free version for windows) so maybe that repaired something too that affected Outlook 2016, I just don't know.

Sorry for the stupidity of this post....
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