can i recover deleted emails

Question

My account has been hacked and several emails deleted. Can I recover the emails or see that the have been deleted?

Answer 1

Disclaimer: We noticed this thread is posted in the Swedish region, but the question is written in English. Following our forum policy, I am responding in English to match the language of your query. If you prefer to view this response in Swedish, please feel free to let me know.   

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Hi James Cunningham, 

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

I understand how concerning it can be to discover that emails were deleted after your account was compromised. Since you are now able to sign in to your Outlook.com account, the next steps depend on when and how the emails were removed. 

Here are the supported recovery options available for personal Outlook.com accounts: 

1, Check the Deleted Items folder 

If the emails were deleted recently, they may still be in the Deleted Items folder. Please open that folder and check whether the messages are still listed there. 

2, Recover items permanently deleted from Deleted Items (if available) 

If the Deleted Items folder is empty, open it and look for the option “Recover items deleted from this folder.” If the emails are shown there, you can select them and restore them.  Please note that this option is only available for a limited time, and once messages no longer appear there, they cannot be recovered. 

Note: For personal Microsoft accounts, there is no mailbox audit log or history view that allows you to see which emails were deleted in the past. If messages are no longer visible in the recovery list, they are considered permanently deleted and cannot be restored. 

Because this is a community support forum, agents here do not have access to account systems and cannot restore deleted emails or verify past deletions on your behalf. Since your account was compromised, it is recommended to: 

• Change your password immediately 
• Review recent sign‑in activity 
• Check Inbox rules, Forwarding, and Junk Email settings to ensure nothing was changed without your knowledge 

If you are unsure about your account’s security status or need confirmation of what recovery options remain, the next supported step is to contact Microsoft Support directly, where a support specialist can review your account in context. Please follow below steps to reach a live chat agent: 

1. Visit the Microsoft Support contact page: Contact - Microsoft Support  
2. In the search bar provided on the page, type "Outlook issue" and press Enter.  
3. Click on the "Get Help" button that appears.  
4. Scroll down the page until you see and click on the "Contact Support" option.  
5. When prompted to select your product or service, choose "Other Products".  
6. For the category, choose "Outlook".  
7. Look for and click on "Chat with a support agent in your web browser".  
8. Confirm your personal email when prompted - this is the email Microsoft will use to communicate with you during and after the support session.  
9. Explain your situation clearly: Be concise but provide all the relevant details.    

Please let me know if you have any questions while reviewing these steps, and I’ll be happy to assist further. 

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