Delete a Cached Address from Outlook

Overview/Introduction

Sending an email to an Ursinus group or person gets rejected as "spam" with an error similar to "Your message to address@ursinus.edu couldn't be delivered.  ursinus.edu suspects your message is spam and rejected it."

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This error is usually due to a cached address in Outlook.

 

Details

 

Outlook maintains an AutoComplete list of addresses. When you start to type a name or email address into the To, CC, BCC or From line, Outlook will give you suggestions of names you've previously used (this is the AutoComplete cache).  

Periodically, normal Ursinus IT processes delete and recreate groups and addresses for a variety of reasons (e.g. at the start of each semester to update all of the course lists).  When lists are recreated, your personal Outlook cache can be affected.  

To fix the error, you will need to clear the cached address.  

For Outlook Desktop (Windows or Mac):

  1. Open Outlook: Launch the Outlook application on your computer.

  2. Start a New Email: Click on the "New Email" button to open a new message window.

  3. Click on the "To" field: In the "To" field, start typing the name or email address that you want to remove from the cache.

  4. Find the Cached Email Address: As you type, Outlook will display a list of suggested email addresses based on previous interactions. Find the email address you want to delete in the list.

  5. Delete the Cached Address:

    • On Windows: Hover your mouse over the unwanted email address suggestion, and click the X icon that appears next to the address.
    • On Mac: Use the up/down arrow keys to highlight the email address, then press the Delete or Backspace key on your keyboard.

  6. Confirm Deletion: The selected address should be removed from the AutoComplete cache immediately.

 

FAQs

It is possible to delete the Autocomplete list or turn it off completely.  For either option, please see the link below.  **Keep in mind that the exact steps may differ depending on the version of Outlook you are using.

See Also

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/troubleshoot/contacts/information-about-the-outlook-autocomplete-list

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