Accidental deleted a whole mail folder

Question

I seem to be missing a whole folder off my outlook email account . I must of deleted it but not sure how Or when, how can I retrieve it please ? I tried to look at deleted items but that just showed me individual items deleted from my inbox .

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Answer 1

Hi Sharon Tilke

I hope you are doing well ! I just want to check if you have had a chance to test the steps earlier? Please let me know if they helped resolve the issue or if you are still experiencing any difficulties. I am here to assist you further.

Best Regards

Answer 2

Dear Sharon Tilke

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand you are having problem with a missing mail folder in Outlook/Outlook.com and want to retrieve it. I am happy to assist you. Please follow these steps:

• Recover the folder’s contents from “Recoverable Items”  
  • Sign in to Outlook.com / Outlook on the web using a PC or Mac browser (not available in a mobile browser).  
  • Open Deleted Items.  
  • At the top of the message list, select Recover items deleted from this folder.  
  • Select the recovered emails that belonged to the missing folder and select Restore.  
  • Note: Items you restore are returned to their original folder when possible. Email is automatically deleted from Deleted Items after 30 days, and items removed from Deleted Items are recoverable for 30 days.  
• If you use classic Outlook (Windows/Mac): restore the folder itself  
  • In classic Outlook, go to Deleted Items and expand it .  
  • If the missing folder is listed there, drag the folder back to its original location to recover it with all messages.  
  • Note: You can recover a deleted folder only if it’s still in Deleted Items; a permanently deleted folder itself can’t be recovered (you can still try to recover messages).  
• Check if the emails were auto-moved (folder looks missing but mail is elsewhere) 
  • Check the Archive folder; archived messages can be restored by selecting them in Archive, choosing Move to, and selecting (or typing) the destination folder.  
  • Review inbox rules that might be moving or deleting messages automatically: Settings > Mail > Rules, then disable/edit rules that move mail out of the expected folder.  
  • If you’re looking for specific messages that used to be in that folder, check Junk Email and (if enabled) the Other tab, and use Deleted Items > Recover items deleted from this folder to restore.  
• If nothing appears in recovery results, contact Support via:  
  • Visit Contact - Microsoft Support     
  • Type a brief description of your issue in the search box    
  • Scroll down to the bottom > select Sign in to contact support    
  • Log in to your personal Microsoft account.     
  • Under Products & Services, select "Other Products"; Under Categories, select a suitable Category.   
  • Click "Chat with a support agent in your web browser" (during business hours) 

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Answer 3

If you accidentally deleted a whole mail folder in Outlook, it may be recoverable if it was a soft deletion. When a folder is deleted, its contents typically move to the Recoverable Items folder, specifically to the Deletions subfolder. You can recover items from this folder using the Recover Deleted Items feature in Outlook or Outlook on the web.

Here are the steps you can follow to attempt recovery:

1. Open Outlook or Outlook on the web.
2. Go to the Deleted Items folder.
3. Look for an option that says "Recover Deleted Items" or similar.
4. In the Recover Deleted Items window, you should see items that were deleted, including folders if they were soft deleted.
5. Select the folder or items you want to recover and follow the prompts to restore them.

Keep in mind that the default retention period for deleted items is 14 days, but it can be extended up to 30 days by an administrator. If the retention period has expired, the items may no longer be recoverable.

If you need further assistance, consider reaching out to your IT support or administrator for help with recovery options.

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References:

• Recoverable Items folder in Exchange Online
• Soft-deleted and hard-deleted items