# Removing Messages

When you're done with messages, you might want to remove them to save disk space and cut down clutter. xmh uses two steps to remove messages. First, you mark the messages you want to delete. Then, you tell xmh to delete them.

For example, delete a message or two that you sent yourself. You can do this with or without accelerators:

- With the mouse, select the message(s) -- they will display in reverse video. To delete the current message (the message with a plus sign (`+`) by it in the Table of Contents), you don't need to select it. Then choose `Delete` from the `Message` menu. The messages you want to delete will have a `D` next to them in the Table of Contents. If you're viewing one of the messages to be deleted, the titlebar will have `-> *Delete*` in it. See the Figure below.

  If you're sure that you want to delete the messages you marked, use `Commit Changes` on the `Table of Contents` menu. If you change your mind, select the message(s) you've decided not to delete and use the `UnMark` command on the `Message` menu.

  Figure: Master xmh window with two messages marked for deletion

- The accelerator that you should use to mark the current message for deletion is META-D. If there's another message after the current message, it will automatically be viewed. (This is an easy way to scan through your messages; use META-D to delete the current message and see the next one or use META-N to see the next one without deleting.)

  To mark other message(s) for deletion, use the mouse to select them in the Table of Contents. When you press META-D, they'll be marked for deletion. Next, to actually delete the marked messages (to commit the changes in the Table of Contents), use the accelerator META-SHIFT-C. If you want to unmark one or more messages, select the message(s) in the Table of Contents with your mouse. Use META-U to unmark the messages.

The Section Deleting (and Restoring) Messages has more information.