I am missing folders on my Outlook after Microsoft 365 was uploaded.

Question

I am missing folders on my Outlook after Microsoft 365 was uploaded.

Maria Gallgan 0

I am missing folders on my Outlook after Microsoft 365 was uploaded. I had mistakenly cancelled the annual payment for Microsoft 365, I had to buy it again and they installed it for me. They told me to check if everything was OK in Outlook. I did not realize at that time that some folders were missing. How can I find these?

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Answer 1

Maria Gallgan 0

Thanks so much for the response. I am using Outlook for Windows.365 the missing files do not show anywhere. These are files that I created myself

. I tried outlook.com and possibly I did not login properly as there was absolutely no emails whatsoever on my Outlook on the web.

Folder pane is normal and there weren’t any hidden files. Also not in the deleted files

maria

Winnie-B 9,930 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-04T07:17:48.8033333+00:00
Hi Maria Gallgan

Thank you for the additional details.

If this is Classic Outlook for Windows and the folders existed before the reinstall, please check the following:

In Outlook, go to "File" > "Account Settings" > "Account Settings" > "Data Files".

Look for any additional Outlook Data Files (.pst) listed there.

If you see more than one data file, expand each one in the Folder Pane and see whether the missing folders are located there.

If you recently had work done on the PC, ask the person who reinstalled Microsoft 365 whether an older Outlook data file (.pst) from the previous installation was preserved.

To help narrow this down further, could you please confirm:

Are all of your old emails still present, and only the custom folders are missing?

Did the person who installed Microsoft 365 reinstall Outlook on the same computer, or was this moved to a new computer?

Under "File" > "Account Settings" > "Data Files", how many data files are listed?
Maria Gallgan 0 Reputation points

2026-08-04T13:54:53.5+00:00

I appreciate your help Winnie. Under data files I have two of my emails address no Pst file. Best Buy, who did the reinstall did it virtually on the same computer. I believe I will have to go to Best Buy and have them take a look at my computer. This is a huge loss for me as I had very important files there.
Hornblower409 12,485 Reputation points

2026-08-05T11:46:19+00:00

@Maria Gallgan said

I have two of my emails address no Pst file

What is the domain (the part after the "@") in your two email addresses? (Do not reply with your full email address)

These are files that I created myself

Just to be sure I understand.

Did you create your own Outlook Data Files (.PST types) and use them for storing some of your Outlook data? e.g. You moved messages from your email accounts to folders in the PST for archiving?

Or Outlook folders that you created under your email accounts? e.g. You created a folder named "Wedding" and used it to help keep your email organized?
Ian-T 8,400 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-06T04:10:09.03+00:00

Thank you so much Hornblower for the follow up on this.

Please feel free to check out his comment as well Maria Gallgan. Thank you for your time

Answer 2

Hi Maria Gallgan

I understand how concerning it can be to discover that folders are missing after Outlook was reinstalled.

To help narrow this down, could you please confirm:

What type of email account are you using (Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo, or another provider)?
Are the missing folders visible in Outlook on the web?
Are the missing folders custom folders that you created yourself, or standard folders such as Inbox, Sent Items, or Drafts?

This information will help determine the most appropriate next step.

In the meantime, if you are using Classic Outlook for Windows with a personal Microsoft account, please try the following:

1, Check Outlook on the web

Sign in to Outlook on the web and see whether the missing folders appear there.
If they appear on the web, the folders still exist in your mailbox and the issue is likely with the Outlook desktop app's folder display or synchronization.

2, Make sure the Folder Pane is fully visible

In Outlook, select “View” > “Folder Pane” > “Normal”.
Expand any folders with arrows next to them, as the missing folders may be nested under another folder.

3, Check the Deleted Items folder

If the folders were accidentally moved or deleted, they may still be available under “Deleted Items”.

Answer 3

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