Retrieve or Replace a Message You Shouldn't Have Sent

Use e-mail for long enough and you'll eventually send a message you wish you hadn't. With Outlook, you can recall messages—sometimes. This feature has some major limitations: It requires Exchange server, the addressee has to be logged on and using Outlook, and the message has to be unread and sitting in the recipient's in-box. But the fact that it works at all makes it worth knowing about.

To (try to) delete or change a sent message, go to your Sent Items folder and open the message. In the message window, choose Actions | Recall This Message. Then choose Delete Unread Copies of This Message or Delete Unread Copies and Replace With a New Message, as appropriate. If you choose to replace the message, choose OK and type the new message. To find out whether the change or deletion worked, check the Tell Me If Recall Succeeds or Fails for Each Recipient check box.