Missing emails from Outlook

Question

While changing my password I have lost hundreds of saved emails, a couple of folders and some old folders previously deleted have reappeared.

The missing emails are over the past 5 years but older emails still remain in the same folders,

Paul K

Answer 1

@Paul Kerr said

While changing my password I have lost hundreds of saved emails

And also posted in https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5988939/cant-remove-folders

I'm having trouble deleting folders that have re-appeared while changing my password

Did you do the password change because you suspected that your account had been hacked?

When you talk about "folders", do you mean Windows Folders (that might have contained saved emails), Outlook Folders, or both?

Answer 2

This pattern can happen when Outlook.com folder changes did not persist correctly, or when messages were moved, filtered, or deleted rather than permanently lost.

Recommended checks, in order:

1. Search for messages from the missing folders
   • Use search to find messages that were in the folders that disappeared or changed.
   • If folders reverted to an old name or disappeared, items saved in those folders can still often be found by search.
2. Check Deleted Items
   • Open Deleted Items.
   • If the missing messages are there, select them and choose Restore.
   • If they are not visible there, at the top of Deleted Items, select Recover items deleted from this folder.
   • If the messages appear, select them and choose Restore.
   • Messages removed from Deleted Items are recoverable for 30 days.
3. Check Junk Email
   • Open Junk Email.
   • If the missing messages are there, select the message and choose Report > Not junk.
   • Messages in Junk Email are automatically deleted after 30 days and are not recoverable after that.
4. Check the message list filter
   • Above the message list, select Filter and set it to All.
   • A filter can hide messages even though they still exist.
5. Check rules on a computer
   • Go to Rules settings and review any Inbox or Sweep rules that might move messages to another folder.
   • Edit or delete any rule that is incorrectly moving mail.
   • Rules can only be viewed and edited on a computer.
6. If using desktop Outlook, check for a folder view filter
   • In Outlook, go to View > View Settings > Filter.
   • Review filters such as date received, read/unread, sender, recipient, importance, or size.
   • Items can appear to disappear when a folder view filter is applied.
7. If folders reverted or old deleted folders reappeared
   • This matches a known Outlook.com folder issue where a created or renamed folder can revert to the old name or disappear after sign-in.
   • The documented workaround is to use search to find items, and the issue is fixed in the new Outlook.com.

If the missing mail is not in Deleted Items, Recover items deleted from this folder, Junk Email, search results, or affected by filters/rules, use Help in Outlook.com and continue to Still need help? for support.

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