Lost files in folder

Question

I had a folder in outlook called [PII: Removed] , when I clicked on the folder all the files were there. Then I clicked on a file within the folder and all files in that folder vanished! I thought I was seeing things. These files are extremely important as they pertain to my recently departed wife and burial communication with [PII: Removed] . How do I get these files back

Answer 1

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Hi James Campbell

I understand the items in your folder appeared and then vanished after you opened one item.

Please reply with:

• What account type is this Outlook profile using (Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo, IMAP, POP)?
• Do the missing items still appear if you sign in to the mailbox using a web browser (Outlook on the web / your provider webmail)?

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

Answer 2

Follow these steps in classic Outlook to locate and restore the missing items from the “Jilma Hospice” folder:

1. Check if the items are just hidden by a view filter
   1. Go to the folder where “Jilma Hospice” was (for example, under Inbox or another folder).
   2. Select the “Jilma Hospice” folder if it still appears.
   3. On the ribbon, select the View tab.
   4. In Current View, select View Settings.
   5. Select Filter… and review the Tasks, More Choices, and Advanced tabs.
   6. Clear any conditions that might filter messages (for example by date, read/unread, or keyword), then select OK.
   7. Check whether the messages reappear in the folder.
2. Look in Deleted Items
   1. In the folder list, select the Deleted Items folder.
   2. Look for the “Jilma Hospice” folder or the individual messages.
   3. If found, drag the folder or messages back to the desired location, or right‑click them, select Move, and choose the correct folder.
3. Recover from the Recoverable Items folder (server recovery) If the items were deleted from Deleted Items or removed with Shift+Delete, they may be in the Recoverable Items folder.
   1. Make sure Outlook is online and connected to the mail server.
   2. In the folder list, select Deleted Items.
   3. On the Home tab, select Recover Deleted Items From Server.
      • If this option is missing, the account may not support this recovery method.
   4. In the Recover Deleted Items window, sort by Subject, Deleted On, or From to help locate the “Jilma Hospice” messages.
   5. Select the messages to restore (use Ctrl or Shift to select multiple items).
   6. Select Restore Selected Items, then select OK.
   7. The items will be restored to their original folders; check the “Jilma Hospice” folder and related folders.
4. If the items are not found If the messages are not in Deleted Items or the Recoverable Items window, contact the email/system administrator. Administrators sometimes can recover items beyond the standard retention period, depending on server policies.

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References:

• Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook
• Items disappear or are not visible in an Outlook folder