Emails missing in Exchange on Mac after outage yesterday.

While I was able to delete and restore access to my email account on my desktop, the missing emails are still missing, on every platform/device: desktop, iphone, ipad and even logging in to my account via browser on Outlook. Luckily I have a remote backup drive to restore them but Microsoft needs to do better. Exchange went down in multiple cities, yet the answer I received shifted blame for the missing data to me. Not my fault on any level.

Hello, @ZenWorx，

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A platform!

Since Microsoft Exchange had a recent outage, the issue could be a combination of server-side and client-side problems.

Here are some steps to work through the problem:

First, ensure that macOS and Apple Mail are up to date, as updates can often resolve compatibility issues. If that doesn't help, try removing and re-adding your Exchange account in System Preferences > Internet Accounts—remember to restart your Mac before adding the account back. Also, verify via your web browser (using Outlook Web Access) that your missing emails are still on the server, which will help determine if the issue is with your local sync settings.

If the problem continues, rebuild your mailbox in Apple Mail by selecting your Exchange inbox and choosing Mailbox > Rebuild. Check your device settings on your iPhone or iPad, ensuring that settings such as "Mail Days to Sync" aren’t limiting the emails you see. Additionally, confirm that there are no network, firewall, or VPN issues that could be interfering with the connection to Exchange.

As a temporary solution, consider using the Outlook app for Mac, which might handle Exchange accounts more reliably.

If the answer is helpful, please click on “Accept answer” as it could help other members of the Microsoft Q&A community who have similar questions and are looking for solutions.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

Best Wishes,

Alex Zhang

I don't think you understand. The emails are missing from EVERYWHERE. Even the Exchange inbox on the web, Outlook - everything. There's nowhere to restore or rebuild them from except for my external hard drive back up (thank god). I may just boot Exchange altogether and use a gmail account for my business.

This is and was a Microsoft problem only. Got any other ideas?

Hello, @ZenWorx

Great to know that the issue has already been resolved and thanks for sharing the solution so that others experiencing the same thing can easily reference this!

Since the Microsoft Q&A community has a policy that "The question author cannot accept their own answer. They can only accept answers by others(https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/support/accepted-answers#why-only-one-accepted-answer)", I'll repost your solution in case you'd like to "Accept (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/support/accept-answer#accepted-answer-in-a-question-thread)" the answer).     

Issue Symptom:

The author had a challenging time with the Microsoft Exchange outage and its impact on his email. While you've managed to restore access on his devices, the missing emails remain an issue across all platforms, including web access. He wants to get ideas on how to get them back when Apple Mail won't even connect on his desktop.

Resolution:

When the problem arose, the author dealt directly with Microsoft. Luckily because he had backups he could successfully restore the emails and therefore had solved the problem. However, the writer took into account that not everyone who relies on Microsoft has a backup and not everyone can afford one. So, unless Microsoft solves the problem itself, others who have the same experience will be left in the lurch. This is exactly why he pursued the matter, and this post is all about advocating for more accountability.

Hope you can consider accepting the answer as it could help other members of the Microsoft Q&A community who have similar questions and are looking for solutions.

Thank you for helping to improve Microsoft Q&A!

Best Wishes,

Alex Zhang

Firstly, why do you assume I'm a "he"? Women can't solve tech issues on their own? Secondly, the issue was not resolved as I used a back up of my own to restore the emails. Microsoft has not found them so they are still considered lost or missing in my book until Exchange comes up with them separately.