How do I stop Outlook from auto deleting emails and how do I restore an email that Outlook has auto deleted?

Question

How do I stop Outlook from auto deleting emails and how do I restore an email that Outlook has auto deleted?

Answer 1

Please note that this is a user-to-user community. As moderators, I have limited access to internal development details. My role is to direct users to the appropriate support channels and resources. While I cannot provide backend analysis, I will do my best to assist you within my responsibilities.   

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Hi Rhonda Russell

Please reply with:

• Does the email go to Deleted Items, Archive, Junk, or does it disappear from all folders?
• Is this an Outlook.com/Hotmail, Gmail/Yahoo IMAP, POP, or another email account?
• Does it happen to all emails or only certain senders/conversations?
• Is Recover Deleted Items From Server available in Deleted Items?

Also try the steps below.

1) Check whether the conversation was accidentally ignored

• Open Deleted Items.
• Select one affected message.
• On the Home tab, select Ignore.
• If prompted, select Stop Ignoring Conversation.
• Send yourself a test message in the same thread and check whether it stays in the Inbox.

2) Turn off automatic emptying of Deleted Items

• In Classic Outlook, select File > Options > Advanced.
• Under Outlook start and exit, clear Empty Deleted Items folders when exiting Outlook.
• Under Other, enable Prompt for confirmation before permanently deleting items, if available.
• Select OK.

3) Check rules that may delete or move mail

• Select File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
• On the E-mail Rules tab, select the affected email account.
• Look for rules with actions such as:
  • Delete it
  • Permanently delete it
  • Move it to another folder
  • Move it to Deleted Items
• Clear the checkbox beside any suspicious rule first instead of deleting it.
• Send a test email and confirm whether it stays in the Inbox.
• If the issue stops, go back and edit or delete that rule.

4) Check AutoArchive deletion settings

• Select File > Options > Advanced.
• Under AutoArchive, select AutoArchive Settings.
• Clear Permanently delete old items, if selected.
• Clear Delete expired items, if selected.
• If you do not want Outlook to archive or delete mail automatically, clear Run AutoArchive every n days.
• Select OK.
• Right-click the Inbox or the affected folder.
• Select Properties > AutoArchive.
• Choose Do not archive items in this folder, or make sure the folder is not set to delete old items.

5) Restore the deleted email

• Open Deleted Items or Junk Email.
• If the message is there, right-click it and choose Move > Inbox.
• If it is not there, select Deleted Items.
• On the Home tab, select Recover Deleted Items From Server, if available.
• Select the email.
• Choose Restore Selected Items, then select OK.
• Check Deleted Items again, then move the restored message to Inbox.

6) If this is a POP account, check other devices

If the account is configured as POP or POP3, another device or mail app may be downloading messages and removing them from the server.

• Select File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
• Check the Type column for the affected account.
• If it says POP or POP3, check every phone, computer, or mail app using the same account.
• Look for a setting that removes mail from the server after download.
• If you use the account on multiple devices, IMAP, Outlook.com, or Exchange-style sync is usually safer than POP, if your provider supports it.

If the message still cannot be found

If the message is not in Deleted Items, Junk Email, Recover Deleted Items From Server, Archive, or another folder, it may no longer be recoverable.

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Answer 2

First check your deleted items, archive, and junk folders to see if the email was moved instead of permanently deleted. You should also check if you have any inbox rules or auto-archive settings that might be moving or deleting emails automatically. If the email was recently deleted, you may also be able to restore it using the Recover Deleted Items option in Outlook.