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Can't get deleted messages to go to trash in Mac mail

I have deleted 1800 messages from my email, but they don't go to trash. How do I delete them?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on May 26, 2011 12:56 PM

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8 replies

May 26, 2011 1:09 PM in response to cakelady501

Do you mean you have them in the Trash folder in Mail?


If so, you need to go to the menu bar, click on Mailbox, then click on "erase deleted items > in all accounts". They will be deleted from there - they do not go to your trash bin in the dock.


Note: if you really have 1800 emails in the trash, I'd suggest you take out a bunch of them and add them back in batches, so you are deleting them in smaller batches; the system might start beachballing by having to delete 1800 messages at once.

May 26, 2011 1:13 PM in response to cakelady501

Do you mean the Trash within Apple’s Mail application or the operating system’s Trash as shown by the icon in the Dock?


From Mail’s Mailbox menu, select Go To / Trash.


The deleted messages from Mail, go to the Trash that displays in the Mail sidebar. But the Trash can in the sidebar may visually appear empty - just click on the Trash name or the disclosure triangle beside the Trash name and then see if anything shows up in your various mail accounts.

May 26, 2011 1:13 PM in response to babowa

Thank you for responding. When I go to these 1800 messages in the "All Mail" tab in mac mail, I click on all of these messages and then click on trash or even drag them to trash. But when I go to Trash, they are not there, but back in the All Mail section. I have tried to delete a few at a time, but still the same thing happens. They first disappear out of the All Mail and when I go to Trash, they are not there. But then when I go back to All Mail again, they are BACK. (like a bad penny). 🙂 Can't get rid of them. Hope you can help me. 🙂

Can't get deleted messages to go to trash in Mac mail

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