Lost all contacts and sent email on Outlook

Question

Hello

Please i need your help on this issue.

Lost all contacts and sent email on Outlook from 5/25/24 to 8/30/24. Possible One Drive Sync issue which was turned off.

Screen shot below shows that my One Drive is syncing my PST folders even though the One Drive syncing was turned off.

I believe this new 8/30/24 One Drive syncing is the root cause of all my contacts, sent mail from 5/25/24 to 8/30/24, as well as my July 2024 Inbox emails being deleted from Outlook.

I confirmed today with my email provider that the outlook settings for POP are correct and are not set up with IMAP.

As additional background information:

1. I did not turn on One Drive sync - since August 30, 2024 it keeps turning itself on even though I checked that my settings are set to permanently not sync.  In order for this to not occur again. How can i check the settings to make sure it is permanently turned off and cannot go automatically back on.
2. It Could be a possible there is a contributing factor to the lost emails and contacts be that I previously had a One Drive Business Account ) before I subscribed to Microsoft 365 Business Standard on May 29, 2024. Does it mean Outlook could be syncing to another location on One Drive?
3. It also be another possible issue contributing to this issue and where the contacts and emails are syncing and being saved is that I have two Microsoft logins accounts: 
4. When I turned on my computer this morning, One Drive starting syncing and I selected delay for 24 hours.
5. I have not downloaded any emails from my Earthlink domain to Outlook since August 30, 2024 when I lost all my contacts, sent emails, and some Inbox emails.  I am using EarthLink web mail.

Answer 1

Hi @IniobongNkanga-8038 ,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A platform!

 

According to your description, it sounds like a complex situation involving OneDrive and Outlook settings. Let's break this down step by step to help you resolve the issue:

Step 1: Confirm OneDrive Sync Settings

1. Open OneDrive Settings:
   • Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray and select "Settings."
2. Disable OneDrive Sync:
   • Go to the "Account" tab and choose "Unlink this PC." This will stop OneDrive from syncing completely.
3. Disable Specific Folder Sync:
   • If you still wish to use OneDrive for other purposes, go to the "Choose folders" button (under the "Account" tab) and uncheck any folders that contain your Outlook data (e.g., PST files).

Step 2: Verify Outlook Settings

1. Check Data File Location:
   • Open Outlook > File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files tab.
   • Ensure that your data file (i.e., .PST or .OST file) is located in a directory that is not synced by OneDrive.
2. Check POP Settings:
   • Confirm with your email provider that the POP settings are correctly configured to ensure emails are not deleted from the server after they are downloaded.
3. Back Up Contacts and Emails:
   • Export your contacts and emails to a separate PST file for backup. Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Export to a file and choose "Outlook Data File (.pst)."

Step 3: Check OneDrive Business Account and Multiple Microsoft Logins

1. Check if Outlook is Syncing to the Wrong OneDrive Location:
   • Sign in to both OneDrive accounts and verify where the Outlook data files are being stored.
   • Ensure the correct OneDrive account is linked to your current Microsoft 365 subscription.
2. Verify Microsoft Account Logins:
   • Make sure Outlook is logged into the correct Microsoft account that matches your 365 subscription.
   • Go to File > Office Account in Outlook to check the logged-in account.

Step 4: Delayed Sync Issue

1. Check OneDrive Status on Startup:
   • If OneDrive starts syncing on startup, you can delay its startup or disable it from running automatically when you turn on your computer:
   • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
   • Go to the "Startup" tab and disable OneDrive.

Recovery Steps

1. Recovery of Lost Contacts and Emails:
   • Since you mentioned that your emails and contacts were lost on August 30, 2024, you can try to restore your OneDrive to a previous version:
   • Go to the OneDrive web app, click on the gear icon, and choose "Options".
   • Under "Restore your OneDrive," choose a date before the issue occurred and restore.
   • Alternatively, check the "Deleted Items" and "Recoverable Items" folders in Outlook to see if any of the lost content can be recovered.

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Please feel free to contact me for any updates. And if this helps, don't forget to mark it as an answer.

Best,

Jake Zhang

Answer 2

PST File shouldn't locate OneDrive Sync location or any removable media.

check both onedrive and local for any of PST File.

create copy of PST Files then run scanpst.exe on copy of pst file.

repaired pst files attache to Outlook then search lost data on attached pst files.