Microsoft Outlook is one of the best apps for productivity that is capable of delivering both email and calendar services. For those who weren’t aware, it is possible to use Outlook to manage upcoming events and create more than one calendar. When a calendar event is created, users can delete those events when they are no longer of use. The problem is, some users have been complaining about issues relating to deleting calendar events and they’re not sure what’s causing it. If you cannot delete Calendar Events in Outlook, then this post will be able to help you.
When you try to delete a calendar event, you should see the following error message:
The move, copy, or deletion cannot be completed. The items might have been moved or deleted, or you may not have sufficient permission. If the item was sent as a task request or meeting request, the sender might not receive updates.
How to fix Outlook’s failure to delete Calendar events
Outlook not being able to delete Calendar events is a huge problem for those who use the calendar often, but luckily, the solutions here should help:
- Temporarily prevent the change to the calendar item from being logged
- Clear the Calendar of all events and items in Outlook
- Reset Mail & Calendar app
- Use the Outlook web app
- Repair and update Microsoft Office.
1] Temporarily prevent the change to the calendar item from being logged
One of the first things to do here is to ensure changes to the calendar item are not logged, and right after, attempt to delete the event.
Begin by opening the Command Prompt.
You can do this by clicking on the Windows key, then type CMD in the search box.
Check the search results for Command Prompt, and be sure to open it in Admin mode.
The next step, then, is to copy and paste the following cmdlet into the Command Prompt.
Set-Mailbox <name_of_affected_mailbox> -CalendarVersionStoreDisabled $true
Hit the Enter key, then wait patiently for the database store configuration cache to expire.
Bear in mind that this will take around two hours, so go and do something constructive until the time has passed.
Finally, go and delete the Calendar event or item once the two-hour timeframe has passed on.
2] Clear the Calendar of all events and items in Outlook
The calendar function in Outlook does not have an official reset feature, but there is a way to get this done in a way that works in your favor.
- Open the Microsoft Outlook app on your Windows computer.
- From the left-hand navigation pane, please select Calendar from under My Calendars.
- Click on the View tab via the main program menu.
- Next, you must select Change View. This is located in the Current View group.
- Go to the List section to view a list of all calendar events and items from the main area.
- Click any section via the item list, the press CTRL + A. This will select all items located in the calendar list.
Finally, press the Delete button on your keyboard and right away, all events along with other items will be deleted.
In essence, then, you’ve just cleared your Outlook calendar of all events and items, which is basically resetting the tool to its default state.
3] Reset Mail & Calendar app
Repair or Reset Mail & Calendar app and see if that helps.
- Open Windows 11 Settings app.
- Go to “Apps > Apps & features.”
- The list of all installed apps will appear. Scroll down and locate the Mail and Calendar app.
- Once you find it, click on the three horizontal dots next to it and select Advanced options.
- Now, scroll down and click Repair or Reset.
4] Use the Outlook web app
If you’re finding it too difficult to use the desktop version of the Outlook app to remove calendar events, then we suggest simply using the Outlook web app to delete the problematic event or item. In most situations, the web app is not affected by issues plaguing the desktop version, and the same goes for the mobile app as well.
5] Repair and update Microsoft Office
Another solid step to take is to update and repair Microsoft Office. This is easily done if you know what you’re doing. The linked article contains much of what you need to know, so read carefully and follow the instructions to the letter.
READ: Outlook crashes when opening Calendar Event, Invite or Appointments
Why can’t I delete an event from the Outlook calendar?
Not being able to remove an event from the Outlook calendar app may have a lot to do with a temporary error in the app. A simple restart of Outlook is usually enough to solve the problem in most cases or restart the entire operating system.
How do I delete an event from the Outlook calendar?
Deleting an event in Outlook is an easy task. All you have to do is select the preferred event, then hit the Delete button. From the Delete event window, please click on Delete again to complete the task.
