All of my folders containing emails have disappeared.

Question

I have had my account for years. Today I deleted my cookies and then I had a terrible time logging into my account. When I finally got there, EVERYTHING was gone. It's like a new account. I'm OLD, I don't have anyone to help me.

Answer 1

Hi Mary Fran

I understand how upsetting this must be, especially when you've had the account for many years and suddenly found your folders and emails missing after having trouble signing in.

First, could you please confirm:

• Do you still see your correct Outlook.com email address in the top-right corner after signing in?
• Are your custom folders missing, or are the Inbox, Sent Items, and other default folders missing as well?
• When you search for a recent email you know should exist, does it appear in the search results?

In the meantime, please try the following in Outlook on the web:

1. Open "Deleted Items" folder and look for any missing folders or emails. If found, move them back to their original location. Microsoft notes that deleted items can often be restored from Deleted Items or Recoverable Items.
2. In "Deleted Items", select "Recover items deleted from this folder" and check whether your missing emails or folders appear there. Outlook.com may be able to restore recently deleted content from the Recoverable Items area.
3. Use the Outlook.com search box to search for a known sender or subject line from one of the missing emails. Sometimes folders are accidentally moved rather than deleted.

Official Microsoft guidance: Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook

Please feel free to let me know how it goes so we can continue further. Thank you for your time and understanding.