There is a row across the top of OE file. One of the things is
marked DELETE. That's what I normally used to push to get rid of
incoming emails I didn't want. Those normally went to the Delete
file. Later, you could then get rid of a bunch of emails.
I wouldn't have any idea about customizing or whatever.
Now, I'm having to hit Control/Delete on keyboard to get rid of
msgs. When I do it this way, they're going straight on past the
Delete file.
Using the "X" Delete button or hitting the Del key for the selected
items will *move* them into the Deleted Items folder. You really
aren't deleting anything but instead just moving them into another
folder - unless you delete items from the Deleted Items folder itself
which is a permanent delete.
Deleting items in the Deleted Items folder or using Shift+Del on
selected items in other folders results in a permanent delete. You
get prompted when attempting to do a permanent delete (because you
won't get it back and why it is called *permanent*). Permanent
deletes do not get the item(s) moved into the Deleted Items folder.
Instead they become hidden, are marked with a status of "deleted" in
the dbx database file, and will get physically purged when you compact
the database files. I've never used Ctrl+Del to delete items. I've
used either the Del or Shift+Del key combos. Ctrl+Del doesn't perform
any action in my copy of OE6 (but Ctrl+D does a delete which is *not*
the same as Ctrl+Del).
Do a search in OE's help on "shortcut keys". The article will show
you what key combos are recognized by OE. Peculiarly the Shift+Del
combo is not listed for permanent deletions.
Maybe your .dbx files are corrupted. If "X" (delete button) or Del
isn't working in a folder, move whatever you want to save from that
folder into another folder and then delete the .dbx file for that
problematic folder. Each folder in OE has a corresponding .dbx file.