Email, Messaging, & Video Calls > Texting & Messaging How to Delete a Message Bypassing the Trash in Mozilla Thunderbird Make sure it's completely removed from your computer By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 23, 2021 Texting & Messaging Email Texting & Messaging Video Calls Trending Videos Close this video player What to Know Open Thunderbird or Netscape and select the message you want to delete in the message list, without opening it.Hold down the Shift key while pressing Del. In the Confirm Deletion box, select Delete.Your message is deleted immediately, and no copy is saved to the Trash. This article explains how to remove spam or other email messages from your Thunderbird email account without using the Trash folder. This is especially important if you suspect the message contains a virus. Instructions cover Thunderbird or Netscape email. Delete a Message Bypassing the Trash Normally when you click the delete button, the email message goes to the Trash folder and sits there until you manually empty the trash, or until it's automatically deleted, depending on your settings. (Look in Account Settings > Server Settings and Message Storage to see how yours is set up.) To immediately and irrevocably delete a message in Mozilla Thunderbird, Netscape, or Mozilla: Open the email client. Select the message you want to delete in the message list (without opening it). Hold down the Shift key while pressing Del. In the Confirm Deletion box, press Delete. Your message will be deleted immediately, and no copy will be saved to the Trash. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit