How do I delete an email that has been stuck in my Outlook Outbox since 2004? Basic "delete" doesn't work.

I have tried to delete the message, even open the message and it doesn't go away or open. When I try to open it I get an error message stating something about spooling. I can send other emails fine, but this one won't go away. Help!|||This is complicated,,, in a nutshell I'm suggesting you temporarily create a new email storage file, setting it as Outlook's inbox store, thus taking your working store offline so it can be repaired, and finally put back in service. These instructions assume Outlook 2003 -- the same procedure would apply to Outlook 2000, but the UI steps would vary somewhat.





From Outlook's help:





Specify where new messages are delivered


1. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts.


2. Click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.


3. In the Deliver new e-mail to the following location list, select where you want to the new messages delivered. (Click the New Outlook data file button to create a new one. Note the name and location of the existing file here.)


4. Click Finish.


5. Quit and restart Microsoft Outlook.





At this point every folder in Outlook should be empty like brand new. (I think Outlook puts a welcome message in the inbox, that doesn't count.) :-)





Now we'll want to run a tool to examine/repair your old file, called SCANPST.EXE. On my system it in the path shown below (It's all one path, I split it at each directory to keep y!a from [...] shortening it .) You may need to search your drive to find it, if it isn't there:





C:\Program Files\


Common Files\


System\


MSMAPI\


1033\


SCANPST.EXE





This tool will scan for and fix any consistency problems that may be affecting your Outlook email store. You'll need to provide SCANPST.EXE with the name of that file (that you noted in step 3 above.)





After all this your original storage file shouild have a clean bill of health, but before you make it the inbox store again, first just open it to clear out anything left in the out box. Then designate it to be the inbox store, and close the temporary store file. (All of this can be done using the dialog we used in the first few steps.)





Hope you can follow all of that! :-) If not post more info, or email me, and we'll git 'er done. :-)