All of my folders in Outlook since 2022 have disappeared whilst all the other folders are ok

Question

All of my stored folders since July 2022 on classic desktop Outlook [part of MS Office LTSC Standard 2021] have disappeared. This has happened during the last few days and might have been due to a recent Windows update; a recent Norton update or because I added a new email address which I subsequently deleted. All folders and emails prior to July 2022 are ok. If I check my account on-line the same directories and emails are missing. Any advice would be gratefully received.

Answer 1

Dear @John Kelk,
Thank you for updating. I would like to explain that:

Your .pst file = your local Outlook data (emails and folders stored on the PC).

Your .bak file = a backup copy of that .pst, created when Outlook or Windows updated or when you added/removed accounts.

Since your folders are missing on both desktop Outlook and Outlook on the web, the data is most likely stored inside one of these files on your computer.

You can safely check these files:

Open Outlook > Go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File

Open each file located in: Documents > Outlook Files

(backup .bak file and rename one of .bak file to .pst file and import it to Outlook)

New folders will appear at the bottom of the folder list, please check if your missing 2022–2026 folders are there.

Answer 2

Hi Alex,

Many thanks for your answer. I'll start my reply by answering the series of questions that you asked:-

1. Are you using a work/school Exchange account (signs in at outlook.office.com), not POP/IMAP? I'm using MS Exchange for the Hotmail account with which I have problems but I do also have a couple of IMAP accounts. The version of Outlook was purchased as part of the suite of MS Office LTSC Standard 2021 on behalf of a registered UK Charity
2. Do you see an Archive or In-Place Archive mailbox in the left pane (Outlook or web)? There is an Archive folder but it has only 3 emails with random dates in it.
3. When did you first notice the folders were gone? Any new profile, new email address, or big clean‑up right before that? I first noticed the folders missing two days ago but, as I don't file emails on a daily basis, they might have been missing for as long as a week. Three things have occurred in the last week which might be responsible - a) there was a Windows update [Windows 11, version 25H2 on 31/01/2026] b) there was a Norton security update on 01/02/2026 which required a re-start and c) I added another IMAP account which I subsequently deleted.
4. On the web, in Deleted Items > Recover items deleted from this folder, do you see a big batch from the last few days? Try restoring a few to test. Yes - there are quite a few but I recognise them as being ones which I had deleted.
5. On your PC, is AutoArchive turned on? If yes, what .pst file path is shown? I thought that AutoArchive was turned on but I've just looked and it's off. I know that it has been turned on in the past with a 14 days update frequency. If it had been turned on when this problem occurred, the path name would have been: documents\outook files\archive.pst but unfortunately there is no such file. There is a file in the same directory which is a @hotmail.com.bak file but that is almost the same size with the same date stamp as the @hotmail.com.pst file which is in the same directory.
6. Are you signed into the same mailbox in both desktop and web (same primary email)? Yes
7. Do any rules move mail to other folders automatically? No
8. Has your admin applied new retention labels/policies to your mailbox recently? There is no Admin. We're a small charity and I deal with all these issues myself. I hope that my answers above will be of help to you in progressing this issue. I'm not a person with much computing background but I am an engineer and am most puzzled about the fact that apart from the emails which are in my Inbox/ Sent Mail etc. every other email from 11th July 2022 until today has gone missing. If the email were in a folder containing emails from 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026 then both the emails and the folders have disappeared. If I look in the folders which have not gone missing, I can only see emails up until 11th July 2022. This seems to point to a system issue rather than any sort of accidental deletion on my part Many thanks in anticipation of your continuing help.

Answer 3

Dear @John Kelk,
Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand that folders you made since July 2022 are gone. Older folders are still there. You also checked Outlook on the web, and those folders are missing there too. You looked for filters and “Recover Deleted Items,” and nothing helped. You don’t see the Repair Option for Office.

To better assistance, could you please confirm following information:

1. Are you using a work/school Exchange account (signs in at outlook.office.com), not POP/IMAP?
2. Do you see an Archive or In-Place Archive mailbox in the left pane (Outlook or web)?
3. When did you first notice the folders were gone? Any new profile, new email address, or big clean‑up right before that?
4. On the web, in Deleted Items > Recover items deleted from this folder, do you see a big batch from the last few days? Try restoring a few to test.
5. On your PC, is AutoArchive turned on? If yes, what .pst file path is shown?
6. Are you signed into the same mailbox in both desktop and web (same primary email)?
7. Do any rules move mail to other folders automatically?
8. Has your admin applied new retention labels/policies to your mailbox recently?

In the meantime, I recommend some steps below:

1/ Look in Archive

In Outlook (or web), expand Archive / In‑Place Archive. Check if the missing date range/folders are there. Retention can move older mail to Archive.

2/ Use search to find folder path

Search for an email from 2023–2024. Open it and check the folder path/breadcrumb shown above the message. This can reveal if a folder was moved under another folder by accident.

3/ Try server‑side recovery (web)

Go to Deleted Items > Recover items deleted from this folder. Sort by Deleted date. If you see a lot from recent days, restore a small sample to confirm.

4/ Check AutoArchive (PC)

Outlook > File > Options > Advanced > AutoArchive Settings. If a .pst is listed, open it: File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File and look for your folders there.

5/ Confirm account & policy

If nothing appears, ask your IT admin to review mailbox retention policies/tags and run a Content Search that also checks Recoverable Items. This can locate and restore data still within the retention window.

Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

I truly appreciate your patience and understanding. If you have any further questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. 

Thank you for your cooperation.

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Answer 4

Thanks for that. I have tried all of the above except using the repair tool as that doesn't appear as an option on my system. I have also spent the last two hours chatting with an MS agent who spent much time with control of my PC but again without success.

Answer 5

It sounds like your missing folders in Outlook may be due to a few potential causes, including recent updates or changes made to your account. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Check for Filters: Sometimes, items may not be visible due to filters applied to the folder view. You can check and modify the view settings in Outlook to ensure no filters are hiding your folders. To do this, go to the View tab, select View Settings, and check the Filter options.
2. Check Online: Since you mentioned that the same directories and emails are missing when checking online, it indicates that the issue may be with your account rather than just the desktop application. Ensure that you are logged into the correct account.
3. Recover Deleted Items: If you suspect that the folders were deleted, check the Deleted Items folder in Outlook or your online account to see if they are there. You may be able to recover them from that folder.
4. Account Synchronization: If you added a new email address and then deleted it, there might have been some synchronization issues. Make sure your account settings are correct and that Outlook is properly syncing with the server.
5. Repair Outlook: If the issue persists, consider running the repair tool for Outlook. You can find this option in the Control Panel under Programs and Features. Select Microsoft Office and then choose the Repair option.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you may want to reach out to Microsoft Support for further assistance, especially if this is a result of a recent update.

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References:

• Items disappear or are not visible in an Outlook folder