6 Ways to Safely Fix Outlook Cannot Move the Items Error

Mark Regan
Published: April 6th, 2026 • 6 Min Read

Want to move Outlook items, but your Outlook cannot move the items, & you are looking for the right way to solve the “cannot move the items Outlook” issue. This article will guide you on using freeways, such as Outlook Update, ScanPST.exe, Disable Add-ins, Oversized Items Management, & Empty Deleted Items. Apart from manual methods, users can also use automated solutions for faster, better results. The freeways require a working knowledge of Classic Outlook. Along with these, all the manual methods to resolve “unable to move items in Outlook” are prone to human errors and might be time-consuming for new users.

Smart users prefer a risk-free and secure offline solution to fix Outlook items move issues without facing technical troubles. Even their Outlook data files are corrupted, errors occur due to version differences, or Outlook is facing a malware attack. They opt for an automatic solution to get the job done securely, accurately, and instantly.

The free manual methods often fail to finish the task to the end, do not maintain data integrity, and also do not provide a guarantee to preserve the folder structure as it is, as it was previously before the process in the complete repair procedure. However, if you are still looking for freeways, then get ready to face the issues arises while using manual workarounds. Follow the given instructions in every section of the manual methods to resolve the Outlook move issue for free.

How to Fix Outlook Cannot Move the Items Manually

In the guide below, we will use Outlook to fix “Outlook cannot move the items” manually. Remember, to use all the freeways, the items should be present in your Outlook account. In the steps of the manual methods below, we are assuming the items are present in the Outlook environment.

1st Method: Cannot Move the Items Outlook by Updating Outlook

Open Outlook on your computer system.
Go to “File” option, choose “Office Account” menu, and click on “Update Options.”
Finally, click on “Update Now” button to start the update of Outlook.
Done, after completion of the update process, you can move items in Outlook.

2nd Method: Fix Unable to Move Items in Outlook Using ScanPST.exe

Open ScanPST.exe tool on your computer by following the location below.
C:\Program Files (x64)\Microsoft Office\root\Office (version)
After that, double-click on it to start “ScanPST.exe” tool.
Then, click on “Browse” button to add the PST file.
Next, hit the “Start” button to start the “Scan” process.
Lastly, click on “Repair” button if any errors are found inside your PST file of Outlook.
Done, wait to complete the repair. After completion, your Outlook cannot move items error is solved.

3rd Method: Disable Add-ins in Outlook to Fix Move Items Issue

Open Microsoft Outlook on your Windows PC.
Click on “File” tab, and choose “Options” menu.
Next, select the “Add–ins” section and choose “COM Add–ins” option.
Now, click on “Go” button to check a list of all active “add-ins.”
Here, untick all the “Faulty” add-ins, click on “OK,” and restart Outlook application.
Finally, check your Outlook. Your issue unable to move items in Outlook is resolved.

4th Method: Empty Deleted Items to Move Items in Outlook

Open Outlook on your desktop computer.
Go to “File” and select “Options” Tab.
Then, choose “Advanced” option from the side panel.
After that, go to “Outlook start and exit” option, and tick the box of “Empty Deleted Items when exiting Outlook.”
Finally, click “OK” to save the settings and restart Outlook.
Done, your “cannot move the items Outlook” issue is solved.

5th Method: Organize Items to Solve Issue Outlook Cannot Move Components

Run Microsoft Outlook on your Laptop Computer.
Open “File” tab, go to “Account Settings” and choose “Account Settings.”
Now, click on “Data Files” menu and choose “PST” file from the accounts list.
After that, select “Settings” and choose “Compact” option to compress the PST size.
Lastly, click on “OK” button to complete the process.
Done, unable to move items in Outlook is resolved.

Learn the Reasons Why Freeways are Not Useful

The use of manual methods to solve Outlook cannot move the items issue is fine, but these solutions are lagging in some areas, so before using any freeways read all the limitations of manual methods. The manual methods have a few loopholes that are described below.

The manual workarounds are time-consuming and have lengthy steps, which might not be easy for non-technical users.
Missing or attempting any wrong steps of any manual methods to fix cannot move the items Outlook will lead to data loss.
Updating an Outlook application requires a good internet connection, and it consumes times to solve unable to move items in Outlook error.
ScanPST.exe tool only fixes the PST and OST files error in case of corruption of PST files, the tool fails, and you are not able to resolve cannot move the items Outlook issue.
All the manual workarounds require technical knowledge to run the process and get results.

Automatic Solution to Resolve Outlook Items Move Error

To avoid the limitations of freeways and for a quick, hassle-free result to fix Outlook cannot move the items error, you can try the SHA-secured PST Converter Wizard by BitRecover on both Mac and Windows devices. This tool is a fully offline-based solution that can convert PST files in batches without damaging the folder structure. Additionally, this professional solution can convert any corrupted PST files, whether they are in ANSI or Unicode PST format. The tool keeps data integrity, and folder hierarchy is maintained along with data privacy during the complete conversion process.

Download the free trial version of this secure application, and check out the working procedure by following the steps below in the next section.

Download Now Purchase Now

Quick Steps of Automatic Solution

Run the suggested application on your Windows Operating System.
Now, choose the option between “Select Folder” and “Select Files,” & hit “Next” button.
After that, choose the required “Folders” from the preview panel and click “Next.”
Then, select “PST” as a saving option, and set the “Destination Path.”
Finally, click on “Repair” button to start easy repair of “PST” file.
Done! Using this tool, you can easily solve the unable to move items in Outlook problem.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, on the topic of Outlook cannot move the items. In this guide, we have shared five manual methods to fix the cannot move the items Outlook problem. Secondly, we are providing the major reasons that inform why freeways are not useful to resolve unable to move items in Outlook.

Apart from this, to fix this issue securely, accurately, and easily, the users need to try the expert-suggested repair tool for quick, trouble-free results.