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Items disappear or are not visible in an Outlook folder

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013, Microsoft Outlook 2010, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, Microsoft Business Productivity Online Dedicated, Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite Federal, Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2019

Symptoms

Some or all items disappear from a given folder in Microsoft Outlook. This occurs either immediately or after a set, consistent time period.

Cause

This issue occurs if a filter was applied to the default view settings of the Outlook folder.

Resolution

The items are not deleted but are being filtered from view in some way. Therefore, to resolve this issue, change the filtering options in some way.

Filtering options vary. However, some of the more common filtering options are as follows:

  • Date received
  • Keywords
  • Read/Unread status
  • Sender/Recipient
  • Importance
  • Size

View options will vary slightly, depending on the version of Outlook that you are using. To change the view options in Outlook, follow these steps.

For Outlook 2010 and later versions

  1. In the ribbon, select the View tab.

  2. In the Current View area, select View Settings.

  3. Select Filter, and then review the following tabs for any selections that could filter out specific messages:

    • Tasks
    • More Choices
    • Advanced

More Information

For more information about how to create, change, or customize folder views in Outlook, see Create, change, or customize a view.