How can I restore Hotmail Outlook Inbox Emails (ALL INBOX EMAILS DISAPPEARED)?

Question

Hi There,

My Hotmail Outlook Inbox ALL EMAILS was suddenly disappeared after I purchased Microsoft 365 for increasing the storage to 1TB -- I needed ALL MY INBOX EMAILS to be restoring IMMEDIATELY because there are IMPORTANT EMAILS urgently needing to be RETRIEVE right away.

If YOU ARE UNABLE TO RESTORE MY INBOX EMAILS, I will cancel the Microsoft 365 purchase 1 YEAR PLAN right away;

Thanks,

[Moderator note: PII removed]

Answer 1

Hi Joseph T. Roberts,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

I understand how concerning it is to see all Inbox emails disappear, especially when some of them are important and this happened shortly after purchasing Microsoft 365.

To clarify first, upgrading to Microsoft 365 or increasing mailbox storage does not remove Inbox emails from Outlook.com or Hotmail accounts. When emails disappear around the same time as an upgrade, it is usually related to how the mailbox is being displayed or synced, rather than the purchase itself.

Before escalation, it is important to confirm whether the emails still exist on the server:

1. Sign in to Outlook.com using a web browser at https://outlook.live.com with the same Hotmail account.
2. Check Deleted Items and, if available, use Recover items deleted from this folder (this option only works within a limited time).
3. Review other folders such as Archive, Junk Email, or any custom folders to ensure messages were not moved.
4. If the emails are also missing on the web, this confirms the issue is not limited to the Classic Outlook app on Windows.

If the emails are not present on Outlook.com and cannot be recovered from Deleted Items, recovery requires an account‑level review, which cannot be performed from this user‑to‑user forum.

In that case, contacting Microsoft Support directly is the appropriate next step. For personal Outlook.com or Hotmail accounts, live chat is the recommended option. You can follow these steps:

1. Visit the Microsoft Support contact page: Contact - Microsoft Support  
2. In the search bar provided on the page, type "Outlook issue" and press Enter.  
3. Click on the "Get Help" button that appears.  
4. Scroll down the page until you see and click on the "Contact Support" option.  
5. When prompted to select your product or service, choose "Other Products".  
6. For the category, choose "Outlook".  
7. Look for and click on "Chat with a support agent in your web browser".  
8. Confirm your personal email when prompted - this is the email Microsoft will use to communicate with you during and after the support session.  
9. Explain your situation clearly: Be concise but provide all the relevant details.    

I hope this explains what can and cannot be addressed from the forum and outlines the correct path for further assistance.

Answer 2

To restore your missing emails in Hotmail Outlook, you can follow these steps:

1. Check the Deleted Items Folder: Sometimes, emails may have been accidentally deleted. Go to the Deleted Items folder in Outlook to see if your emails are there.
2. Recover Deleted Items: If you don't find your emails in the Deleted Items folder, you can try recovering them:
   • In Outlook, go to the Deleted Items folder.
   • Look for an option that says "Recover Deleted Items from Server" or similar. This feature allows you to recover items that were deleted from the Deleted Items folder.
3. Check Other Folders: Ensure that your emails are not in other folders like Archive or Spam.
4. Use Outlook Web App: Sometimes, accessing your account through the Outlook Web App can help in locating missing emails. Log in to your Hotmail account via a web browser and check your inbox there.
5. Contact Microsoft Support: If you still cannot find your emails, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for assistance. They may be able to help you recover your lost emails.

Make sure to act quickly, as there may be time limits on recovering deleted items.

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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