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How to Permanently Delete Messages Directly from a Search Result?

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  • Last reply by Matt

BobbyBobBob
BobbyBobBob
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Okay: I DO know how to permanently delete a message:

1) Select message(s) 2) Press <Shift>+, select yes, done.

My question is: After I do a message search, how can I PERMANENTLY delete the results *directly* from the Search window? Yes, I can press "Delete" at the bottom, but that only moves them to the Trash folder. Pressing <Shift>, <Ctrl> or <Alt> with that Delete button in the Search window doesn't do anything.

I've tried to make a work-around by creating a new folder and then moving all of the files from the Search results into that new folder, and then permanently deleting them from that folder. However, this is slow, and has the infuriating result that the Search window then wants to update its results and then shows you all the files you just moved but they now show them with the new folder location (not sure why the Search would update when I haven't asked it to that).

Anybody? Thanks.

Okay: I DO know how to permanently delete a message: 1) Select message(s) 2) Press <Shift>+<Del>, select yes, done. My question is: After I do a message search, how can I PERMANENTLY delete the results *directly* from the Search window? Yes, I can press "Delete" at the bottom, but that only moves them to the Trash folder. Pressing <Shift>, <Ctrl> or <Alt> with that Delete button in the Search window doesn't do anything. I've tried to make a work-around by creating a new folder and then moving all of the files from the Search results into that new folder, and then permanently deleting them from that folder. However, this is slow, and has the infuriating result that the Search window then wants to update its results and then shows you all the files you just moved but they now show them with the new folder location (not sure why the Search would update when I haven't asked it to that). Anybody? Thanks.

All Replies (3)

Matt
Matt
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are you talking about search using (cltrl+K)

Click the "open email as list" on the line above the first returned message

Once you have the list. Select the first. Ctrl+A then press shift Delete. to bypass the deleted folder.

BobbyBobBob
BobbyBobBob Question owner
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Hi, I don't know what happened to my question re: the "strike-through" in the first line. Let me make that clear:

I know how to permanently delete messages using <CTRL> + <delete>.

I have no idea what "(ctrl+K)" is and it doesn't do anything at all. I also have no idea what you mean "open email as list"--it's always a list, isn't it?

I'm talking about using Edit > Find > Search Messages.

HOWEVER, to show you what I mean, I just did EXACTLY what I was doing before, and NOW it works. It was only permanently deleting one message at a time. If I selected 2 or more, it wouldn't do anything.

So: NEVER MIND! Problem solved. Thread "closed." Thanks for replying.

Matt
Matt
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Ctrl +K "should" move your cursor to the search box on the toolbar and Highlight it. The one that says Search <Ctrl+K> in grey.

Thunderbird also has quick search (ctrl+Shift+K and the old style find Ctrl+Shift+F

I use the shortcut keys to try and work out which foilks are using. because I have no idea from your question.