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Clean Up Your UMail Account

On this page:
Delete & Purge Messages
Delete Your Old Trash Folder
Empty Your Spam Folder
Empty your Sent folder

Delete & Purge Messages

In UMail's new Web Interface, messages that are marked to be deleted still occupy space in your account. Follow these instructions to erase deleted messages:

  1. Open your Web browser and log in to the Web Interface for UMail.
  2. In your Inbox or any folder from which want to delete messages, select the check box next to each message you would like to delete.
  3. Click Delete (top left). The messages you selected will be marked for deletion. Note: In the new version of UMail, deleted messages cannot be hidden; once deleted, they can only be purged.
  4. Click Purge Deleted (top right) to permanently erase these messages.

Note: When you purge deleted messages, these messages are erased permanently. Make sure that you do not delete messages that you may need in the future!

Delete Your Old Trash Folder

The new Web interface for UMail no longer includes a Trash folder. However, you may have created your own Trash folder or your old Trash folder may have been imported from the previous version of UMail and it may contain messages that can take up valuable space on your account. To delete your Trash folder and free up some valuable space:

  1. Open your Web browser and log in to the Web Interface for UMail.
  2. On the UMail Web interface, in the Mailbox Menu (at top) click Folders. The Folder Navigator screen will open.
  3. On the Folder Navigator screen, you will see a list of all folders in your UMail account. Check the box next to the Trash folder (and any other folders you wish to delete) and, from the Choose Action drop-down menu, select Delete. The Folder Actions - Confirmation screen will open.
  4. On the Folder Actions - Confirmation screen, you will see a list of the folders you chose to delete, including your Trash folder. Make sure this list is accurate. If there is a folder on the list that you do not wish to delete, clear the check box next to its title, then click Delete Selected Folders, at bottom. You will return to the Folder Navigator screen, where a confirmation message will appear at top.

Empty Your Spam Folder

By default, the Web Interface for UMail is set to delete any messages filtered to your Spam folder after 14 days. Check your Spam folder, since there could be messages there taking up valuable space:

Option 1: Use Empty Spam button

  1. Open your Web browser and log in to the Web interface for UMail.
  2. In the Mailbox Menu, click Empty Spam. A confirmation pop-up window will open; click OK. This will automatically delete all the messages in your Spam folder.
    Note: If you use this method, you will not get to see your Spam messages before they are deleted.

Option 2: Remove Individual Spam Messages

If you suspect that your Spam folder has messages that have been mislabeled as spam, we recommend that you review the messages in your Spam folder before emptying it.

  1. Open your Web browser and log in to the Web interface for UMail.
  2. In the Mailbox Menu, click Folders, then select the Spam folder. You will see a list of any messages currently labeled as spam in your account.
  3. To move any mislabeled messages to a different folder, select the check box next to a message; then from the Move/Copy messages drop-down menu, select a location for these messages, and click Move. Your messages will be transferred to the folder you selected.
  4. Once you've made your updates, in the Mailbox Menu, click Empty Spam to clear your Spam folder.

For more information on Spam Filters or the UMail Post Office, visit the OIT UMail Post Office page.

Empty your Sent folder

Note that only messages composed with the Web interface for UMail are stored in your Sent folder. Messages composed through email clients (e.g., MS Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, Apple Mail) will most likely be stored on your computer.

If you use UMail's Web Interface, sent messages can take up a substantial amount of space on your account. To empty your Sent folder:

  1. Open your Web browser and log in to the Web interface for UMail.
  2. On the UMail Web interface, in the Mailbox Menu, click Folders. The Folder Navigator screen will open and you will see a list of the folders in your account.
  3. In the Folder Navigator screen, in the list of folders, click the Sent folder. The Sent folder screen will open.

Option 1: Empty Entire Sent Folder

  1. In the folder menu (top left, next to the folder name), click Empty Folder. A confirmation message will appear. Click Yes. All your Sent mail will automatically be deleted.

Option 2: Remove Individual Sent Messages

  1. On the Sent folder screen, from the Select drop-down menu (top, left) select All. All the messages currently displayed on screen will be selected. Clear the check box next to any messages that you do NOT wish to delete.
  2. Next click Delete (upper left corner). You will have to repeat these steps multiple times if you have a large volume of messages in your Sent folder.
  3. Next click Purge Deleted (top right corner) to finalize the deleting of these messages.
    Note: If you do not purge your deleted messages, they will remain in your account and take up quota space.

Related Pages

UMail Login

Need Help?

If you encounter problems, submit an online Help Request.
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Contact the OIT Help Desk at 545-9400.

Last revised August 29, 2008