How to get old sent messages from years ago?

Question

How to get old sent messages mails from years ago?

Answer 1

Hi Shravari,

Do you want to clean up your Mailbox?

1. Select the Inbox or the specific folder you want to clean.
2. Click the Filter option and choose Oldest to newest to surface old emails first.
3. Use the checkbox at the top to select all visible emails, then click Delete.
4. To bulk-delete older mail precisely:
   • Type received:<MM/DD/YYYY in the search box.
   • Press Enter, select all results, and delete.
5. Empty Deleted Items to permanently remove them and free mailbox space.
6. Optional: Right-click a folder → Empty folder to clear everything in one action.

I’m eager to hear back and work together to find a solution.

Answer 2

To retrieve old sent messages from years ago in Outlook, you can follow these steps:

1. Locate your old Outlook data file: Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder where Outlook data files are typically stored:
   • C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents\Outlook Files\
   • or C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\ Look for files ending with .pst, which contain your emails, contacts, and folders.
2. Open the PST file in Outlook: Once you find the PST file, open Outlook (desktop app, not the browser version). Go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, select the PST file, and click Open. This will add a new folder tree next to your current mailbox, displaying all your old emails, including sent messages.
3. Import into your current profile (optional): If you want to merge the old messages into your current Outlook profile, you can use the Import feature under File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Import from another program or file > Outlook Data File (.pst).

If you do not have a PST file, check if you have a backup on an external drive or cloud storage.

Keep in mind that if you only have an .ost file, it cannot be opened directly and requires special software to convert it to PST.

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References:

• How do I recover my old email messages, my contacts and everything else I had in Outlook? - Microsoft Q&A
• Finding Sent or Saved Messages