Lost Emails

Question

All of my emails that were in my SUBFOLDERS have disappeared. How do I recover them? cannot find them on any of my devices - gmail online, phone, tablet, and outlook - they are all gone. The folders are there but are empty.

Answer 1

Hi Thomas Alvis

I understand you’re having an issue where emails in your subfolders disappeared (the folders are still there but now empty), and you can’t find the messages on any device. I’m happy to help. Are these emails in an Outlook.com mailbox, or is this actually a Gmail mailbox being accessed through Outlook (since you mentioned “gmail online”)?

I would love to hear from you soon. Have a nice day!

Answer 2

Follow these steps in Outlook.com / Outlook on the web to try to recover the missing messages from your subfolders:

1. Check Junk Email and Deleted Items
   • In the left pane, open the Junk Email folder and look for the missing messages. If found:
     • Select the message → Not junk → Not junk to move it back.
   • Open the Deleted Items folder and look for the messages. If found:
     • Select the message → Restore to move it back to its original folder.
   • Note: Messages are automatically removed from Junk Email after 30 days and are not recoverable.
2. Recover items removed from Deleted Items
   • In Outlook.com / Outlook on the web, select the Deleted Items folder in the left pane.
   • At the top of the message list, select Recover items deleted from this folder.
   • In the Recoverable Items list, look for the missing emails (they may be listed without their original folder structure).
   • Select the items to restore, then select Restore.
     • Messages will be restored to their original folders when possible; if the original folder no longer exists, they go to the Inbox.
   • Note:
     • The Recoverable Items folder cannot be accessed from a mobile browser; use a PC or Mac.
     • If the messages do not appear here, they have likely been permanently removed and cannot be recovered.
3. If using classic Outlook (desktop) with the same account
   • In classic Outlook, open the Deleted Items folder.
   • On the Home tab, select Recover Deleted Items From Server.
   • Select the items to recover → Restore Selected Items → OK.
   • If the deleted items are not listed, contact the mail/system administrator for further recovery options.

If the messages are not in Junk Email, Deleted Items, or Recoverable Items, they are no longer recoverable through Outlook’s built-in recovery features.

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References:

• Email is missing from your Outlook.com inbox
• Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook