email not functioning properly

Question

Requesting help.  All of my emails coming into "[moderator note: PII removed]@hotmail.com" are going to my junk mail file or my delete file.  Rarely does one enter my in-box.  Also my in-box shows a number of five (5) emails in the box when there are not.  Can I get some help please.

Answer 1

Hi stray825,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand how confusing it can be when emails are redirected to Junk or appear to be missing while the Inbox still shows unread messages. Thank you for clearly explaining the behavior you are seeing.

The Q&A Assist response already covers the most common causes, such as blocked senders, Junk Email settings, and Inbox count inconsistencies. If you have not had a chance to try those steps yet, please let me know the outcome after reviewing them.

In addition to what was already shared, there are a few other areas that are worth checking, as they can cause emails to appear missing or be removed automatically:

1. Inbox rules and Sweep rules: please review whether any rules or Sweep actions are configured to move or delete incoming messages. These rules run automatically and may affect mail delivery without obvious prompts.
2. Focused Inbox and view filters: if Focused Inbox is enabled, new messages may be delivered to the “Other” tab instead of the main Inbox. Also, ensure the Inbox is not filtered or sorted in a way that hides messages while still increasing the unread count.

Since this is a public support forum, contributors can assist by offering guidance and reviewing settings, but do not have access to internal tools or account‑specific information. If the issue continues after completing the checks above and those in the Q&A Assist answer, contacting Outlook.com support directly would be the next step, using the support‑contact steps already outlined in the Q&A Assist response, as they are quite detailed.

I hope this helps clarify the next steps, and please feel free to share any updates after trying the suggestions.

Answer 2

Use two checks in Outlook.com / Outlook on the web:

1. Check blocked senders and junk settings
   1. Sign in to Outlook.com.
   2. Select Settings > Mail (or Options).
   3. In the left pane, open Blocked senders or Block and allow.
   4. Remove any legitimate addresses or domains (for example, common senders or entire domains like @hotmail.com) that should not be blocked.
   5. Save changes.
   If using Outlook 2016 with the same account:
   1. On the Home tab, select Junk > Junk Email Options.
   2. Open the Blocked Senders tab.
   3. Remove any legitimate addresses or domains, then select OK.
   If messages are still going to Junk by mistake after this, use the Not junk or Not spam option on those messages so Outlook.com can learn and adjust filtering.
2. Get direct Outlook.com support if the Inbox count is wrong If the Inbox shows 5 unread messages when there are none, or if mail continues to route incorrectly after adjusting blocked senders and junk settings:
   1. Sign in to Outlook.com.
   2. Select Help on the menu bar.
   3. Enter the issue (for example, “all mail going to junk and wrong unread count”).
   4. If self-help articles do not resolve it, scroll down to Still need help? and select Yes.
   5. Use the option to chat with a support agent in the browser and provide the affected Hotmail address and a description of the problem.

If sign-in is not possible, use the “If you can't sign in” option from the Outlook.com support page to start recovery and support.

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References:

• Where are my email messages or calendar events in Mail and Calendar for Windows 10?
• Mail goes to the Junk folder by mistake
• Email is missing from your Outlook.com inbox
• Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com