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Attached is file is PDF of how to recover files and folders. &nbsp;I am including it to show the menu screen to purge the Recover Deleted Items Folder as shown here.<br />
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<a href="https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/2016/07_w30/1107723/EEOutlook2013PurgeRecoveryFolderScre.JPG" target="_blank" title="Menu screen for Outlook 2013 to purge the Recover Deleted Items Folder. (93 KB)"><img alt="Menu screen for Outlook 2013 to purge the Recover Deleted Items Folder." class="file-block lazyload" style="max-width: 800px;" data-src="https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/2016/07_w30/800_1107723/EEOutlook2013PurgeRecoveryFolderScre.JPG" /></a><br />
This is found by clicking Folder tab in ribbon, then in the ribbon section named &quot;Clean Up&quot; click on Recover Deleted Items.<br />
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I will see if I can attach the helpful article and video in a minute or so.
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Menu screen for Outlook 2013 to purge the Recover Deleted Items Folder.

EEOutlook2013PurgeRecoveryFolderScre.JPG

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You probably have to be connected to your email server in order for the Recovery files to be deleted there.
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Found it.<br />
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<a href="https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Recover-deleted-items-in-Outlook-for-Windows-49E81F3C-C8F4-4426-A0B9-C0FD751D48CE?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US" rel="ugc">https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Recover-deleted-items-in-Outlook-for-Windows-49E81F3C-C8F4-4426-A0B9-C0FD751D48CE?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US</a><br />
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Is this what you're trying to do?
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I am NOT trying to recover anything - I am trying to purge the Recoverable Items from the PST file.
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Outlook doesn’t shrink directly PST file when you delete something from it, for performance reasons. You have two options 1: wait for this to happen (auto compact), 2: manually- use compact process via compact now. In your scenario, you also use compact now, so I think you needs to wait for Outlook auto compact. When more than 20% of the total size of the PST file out of white space Outlook will shrink the file in background process when your computer in the idle.
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I have tried to use the COMPACT NOW, and it did not work.<br />
I ran the file through the PST file checker (ScanPST), and it did find some issues. <br />
I am running the COMPACT NOW again - it has been running for 10 hours, but at least I am seeing the size of the PST file shrinking from 40G to 36G (and continuing to shrink slowly).
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Either solution provided works. &nbsp;Recommend split points.
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Both solutions provide a working answer.
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I have a PST file that was used for backup &nbsp;- there was 20G of data in the Deleted Items file - and when I emptied the Deleted Items and did a Compact, the PST file size did not shrink. It looks like it is still in the Recoverable Items folder. How do I empty this, so that I can shrink the PST file? Outlook 2013 is what I am using.
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I have a PST file that was used for backup  - there was 20G of data in the Deleted Items file - and when I emptied the Deleted Items and did a Compact, the PST file size did not shrink. It looks like it is still in the Recoverable Items folder. How do I empty this, so that I can shrink the PST file? Outlook 2013 is what I am using.

Removing Recoverable Items in PST file

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available as a part of the Microsoft Office suite. Although often used mainly as an email application, it also includes a calendar, task manager, contact manager, note-taker, journal, and web browser.