Methods to Fix the Problem of Disappearing Emails in Outlook
MS Outlook is undoubtedly one of the best desktop email clients. However,this email client also has several issues just like other email clients. One such problem is the missing of some emails from the Inbox folder. Many Outlook users face this problem frequently. This issue isn't limited to archived folders recently received emails can suddenly disappear from the primary inbox. The users are into business and deal with clients,missing an email could land you in a compromising situation. In this article,we have mentioned all the possible reasons and ways that will help you to overcome this problem.
Reasons Why Emails Disappear Suddenly from the Inbox
There are many reasons why your emails are missing from the inbox. While you can retrieve most of the emails successfully,there is a possibility that you might not be able to retrieve many.
- Problem related to configuration settings:There are chances that the app has some issues in the POP or IMAP settings of your account. This usually happens when you accidentally make any mistake while configuring the settings.
- Deleting Emails Unknowingly:Other possible reasons for emails missing from your mailbox could be the accidental deletion of emails. You might not realize this and look out for reasons for the problem. Another problem could be the configuration in your mobile and the outlook is synced too. If you are unaware of the sync,you are deleting the emails when they are getting deleted from the account.
- Not Being Active On The Application:Another reason for the disappearance of the emails could be your inactivity from the application for a certain period.
- Filter Option Not Set Correctly:In case you have applied the wrong filters,you might not be able to access the emails that are a few days old. You will be unable to access those emails' attachments and related files.
- Unauthorized access of Outlook Accounts:The last reason why you can't access the emails could be a result of your hacked Outlook Account,i.e. it is used by an unauthorized party. For that purpose,you must try changing your password to come out of this situation.
How Manual Methods Help in this Problem
Now you must have understood the major reasons behind the disappearance of some of the emails from the Outlook Inbox. To come out of this problem,let us now discuss the solutions that include both manual methods and the use of a professional tool.
Solution 1:Do Not Forget to check the deleted items folder
The users are unable to find a few emails in the Outlook mailbox,in that case,users have deleted those emails accidentally. These deleted emails of the inbox do not get removed from the mailbox right away. Rather,these emails get saved in the Deleted Items Folder. Hence,user wants to retrieve these deleted emails back in the Outlook Mailbox,head towards the Deleted Items Folder and recover all these emails from there.
Solution 2:Set Up Filters Correctly
There are chances when then filters become the reason behind the disappearance of the emails. To come out of this issue,user needs to change the filter settings.
- Start with Microsoft Outlook and click on the View tab.
- In the View area,you have to click on the View Settings button.
- In the new Advanced View Settings dialogue box,hit the Filter tab.
- Now,a new Filter dialogue box will appear,click on the More Choices tab.
- Review the settings under this tab,any specific filter are active,click the Clear All button in the bottom right corner to reset the view,then click OK.

Solution 3:Search emails with the help of Advanced Find
- Launch the Microsoft Outlook and head towards Inbox.
- In the top section,hit the Search box that will activate the Search Tools tab.
- Now,click on the Search tools drop-down and choose Advance Find thereafter.
- In the Advanced Find window,use the Messages tab to enter known keywords,or specify the sender in the From field. The user can also use the Time dropdown menu to search within specific dates to locate the missing item.
The user will see three categories for that matter;select one that suits user the most.

Solution 4:Begin by Exporting Old mail history,followed by Creating a New Outlook Profile,and Importing Old mail history.
You can export all the old emails and import them back to a new Microsoft Outlook Profile. This way you can bring all the disappeared emails back to your Outlook mailbox. Here are the steps that will help you to perform this method:
A. Exporting Old Mail history
- At first,you need to export the old mail history to bring back the lost emails.
- Launch the Microsoft Outlook application
- Now locate the File menu and click on that. Once done,select the Open & Export option.
- Select Export/Import from the menu of Open & Export.
- Once done,select the Export option from the Import and Export Wizard dialogue box.
- Select Outlook data file (.pst) from Export to a File dialogue box.
- Now select the mail account that requires these changes
- Once you have selected the mailbox,make sure that the Subfolders option is checked.
- Press the Next button to proceed
- The user will now see a new dialogue box. Click on the Browse button and select the location where users wants to export the file and give it a name of the preference.
- Under the Options section,choose Replace duplicates with items exported to ensure a clean backup,then click Finish

Creating a new profile fixes visibility issues caused by a corrupted Outlook profile,the PST data file itself is corrupted and a profile reset will not bring back the data.
B. Creating a New Outlook Profile
- If you wish to create a new Microsoft Outlook Profile,you have to open Control Panel. Follow the below-mentioned steps to process further;
- Now that you have entered in the Control Panel,locate the Mail icon and click on it to proceed further
- Once you have a dialog box in front of you,click on the Show Profiles option.
- Click on the Add tab to create a new profile.
- Add a profile name of your choice and hit the Ok button
- Follow all the on-screen instructions and provide all the details as required to create a new Microsoft Outlook profile.

C. Importing Old Mail History
This is the last step that will help you to retrieve all the lost emails to the newly created Outlook profile. To begin with this process,you must follow all the below-mentioned steps;
- To begin,click on the File menu,and under this header,select Open & Export from the given options.
- Once done,select the Import/Export option from the list.
- Now you will have a dialogue box in front of you. Select Import from another program or file and press on the Next button.
- Click on the Outlook Data file (.pst) from the list of other options available
- Hit the Next button to proceed further.
- Now in the next step,click on the Browse button.
Once done,you will have to search the file that you saved while performing the export function,select that file and wait for the history to sync properly. Once the system notifies you that all folders are up to date,you can now easily open your Outlook mailbox that will have all the emails in the mailbox.
As mentioned above,this was the last solution to retrieve the deleted emails from the mailbox.
How to recover permanently deleted emails easily?
The manual troubleshooting methods can restore visibility if a setting was changed,they decrease if user Outlook PST file is damaged or if emails were permanently removed. To avoid dullness,safely recover lost data,using a specialized software is recommended. The user can use Softaken for Outlook PST Repair for this purpose. Softaken for Outlook PST Repair offers a scanning engine that restores deleted emails,attachments,contacts,and calendars. repairing PST files,it allows users to export the recovered data into multiple formats including PST,MBOX,EML,MSG,and HTML making sure complete data flexibility. Users can also try a free version of this tool that provides limited access to most of the features of this amazing tool.
Conclusion
In this blog,we tried to cover all the possible reasons that result in the disappearance of the emails. Apart from the reasons,we have also mentioned all the required methods and their steps to overcome this problem,manual methods are dependent on complex methods and carry the risk of data overwriting if steps are missed. To ensure complete data integrity and save time,using a recovery software is the most secure path forward. This is the reason why we suggest all the users begin using Softaken for Outlook PST Repair. This tool has all the features required for executing the process in the best possible manner. Users may also download its trial version to experience the tool.

