Re: Outlook 2003 not behaving as documented

Re: Outlook 2003 not behaving as documented
>>>>> But emptying the Deleted Items folder doesn't permanently delete
>>>>> the messages.
>>>>> 
>>>> Well, technically it is a permanent delete from Outlook's point of
>>>> view. Recover Deleted Items is an Exchange feature.
>>>> 
>>>>> I am still able to use the Tools>Recover Deleted Items to get them
>>>>> back (assuming they aren't older than our retention time on the
>>>>> server). Sadly if I use the Empty Junk E-Mail I have no ability to
>>>>> use the Recover Deleted Items feature.
>>>>> 
>>>> Why would you want to recover junk e-mail?  If you think you might
>>>> want to do that, then delete the items in the Junk E-mail folder
>>>> instead of emptying the folder.
>>>> 
>>> Sadly more than one of our users uses the "Empty Junk E-Mail" option
>>> and then calls us and says they inadvertantly deleted a message they
>>> needed. If I want to get it back I need to restore their mailbox. If
>>> Outlook behaved as documented this would not be an issue.
>>> 
>> From the help in 2007:
>> Empty the Junk E-mail Folder
>> 1. In Mail, right-click the Junk E-mail folder in the Navigation Pane
>> . 2. Click Empty "Junk E-mail" Folder on the shortcut menu.
>> 
>> Note   Emptying the Junk E-mail folder permanently deletes the
>> messages.
>> Before you empty it, you may want to check through the Junk E-mail
>> Folder to ensure no messages you want were junked by mistake. If you
>> find a message you want to keep, you can mark it as not junk.
>> If you want to delete individual messages from the Junk E-mail Folder
>> without emptying it, select the message, and then press SHIFT+DELETE
>> on your keyboard. This deletes the message permanently.
>> 
>> So, at least in 2007, it's documented that that's what happens.  If
>> you search OL2003's help for 'empty junk' what does it say?
>> 
>> Also, if you go into Junk Email, is Tools - Recover Deleted Items
>> available?
>> 
> From the Help in Outlook 2003:
> 
> Emptying the Junk E-mail folder or deleting an item from the Junk
> E-mail folder moves the item to the Deleted Items folder. You can
> permanently delete an item by selecting the item and then pressing
> SHIFT+DELETE. To permanently delete all the messages in the folder,
> press SHIFT and click Empty Junk E-mail Folder on the shortcut menu.
> 
> Also on Microsoft's website:
> 
> http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HP010436881033.aspx
> 
> As I said in my original post it is not behaving as documented.

Or it's not documented correctly.  I'd personally go for the latter, considering 
that in 2007, the functionality remains unchanged while the documentation 
has been changed. So, the functionality is the way it should be, the documentation 
is what is wrong.

You might think it's nit-picking, but, knowing a few doc writers, they'd 
take the blame on this one.
 
-- 
f.h.
Microsoft Outlook MVP
date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 22:51:17 +0000 (UTC) author: F.H. Muffman