Forum Discussion
Outlook Deleted Files Missing
My desktop was recently updated to Windows 10. After the update, I noticed that any files I delete in Outlook (Office 365 version) are not moving to the "Deleted Items" folder. They are just disappearing. I delete the files by clicking on the trash can symbol. I didn't see this problem before updating to Windows 10, so wondering if the update changed some settings that I'm just not seeing.
- OMG! I've been having this issue for over a year. I can see all Deleted Items emails in the online/web version but on the Desktop Outlook I can see that there are thousands of emails listed in the [brackets] but zero show up in one email and only ones more than 2 years old show up in another. It made NO sense. I've spent HOURS Googling this. Hours on with Microsoft support. I've created new profiles. Deleted OST files. Reinstalled. NOTHING worked until I tried your solution to right click and select "Clear Offline Items", then I synchronized the folder (which took a few minutes) and POOF - there they are!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm having the same issue with other sub folders. Any idea how to do the "Clear Offline Items" for the parent and ALL subfolders?- Those aren't the ones I'm having issues with. It's Sub folders with Sub/Sub folders. It's an arduous task to do each one that has this glitch. I also discovered a secondary issue: That when I clicked on a folder with this issue the Clear Offline only addresses PART of the problem. The other part affecting me not seeing emails in a folder was discovered by clicking on the Folder - Going to "Filter" on the bottom of the Home tab bar - going to the Advanced tab - and I discovered that under "find items that match these criteria" there is something that says "Owner Contains L". which is so random. But it's on every folder and once I removed them (after the Clear Offline) I could see everything!!!
- I already had this kind of problem. It can be caused by a synchronization problem with the .ost cache file.
Close outlook, delete the .ost file, open Outlook and retry.
If not resolved, you can disable the caching to ost file and setup your Outlook in “live” mode
If that not resolved the problem, delete the profile and recreate it I’m almost certain it will resolve your problem. I've been having this issue for months and have tried everything.
Using Office 2016 and even tried upgrading to 2019.
Outlook set up as MS Exchange used with outlook.com account.
Problem: Everything seems to work fine with the exception that when selecting the Deleted Items folder nothing is there. If you click on "Recover items recently removed from this folder" you get a long list of emails that were probably emails that have been automatically deleted due to the 30 day automatic removal of emails from the deleted items folder but no emails that were recently deleted that you might want to move back to your inbox cause you deleted by accident say. When using a browser or the Mail app in Win 10 the deleted items folder is full of the emails you had recently deleted.
I had tried everything, deleting mail profiles, accounts, uninstall / reinstall. Revo uninstaller and cleaning any reg keys left behind and nothing fixed it. Just a few minutes ago I right clicked on the deleted items folder like I've done a million times by now trying to figure this out but this time I noticed at the bottom of the Outlook window it showed there were 360 items in the folder although the window was empty showing no emails, just prior to that I had just added my MS account for the 50th time and it showed it was updating the deleted items offline folder. So for the heck of it I figured I'd click on the "Clear Offline Items" button on the General tab of the deleted items property window. Closed the property window and clicked on the refresh folder button in the quick access toolbar and items began to appear in the deleted items pane. WTH. If anyone still has this problem please try this and reply here if that fixed the issue for you.
Thanks,
Yes, I did finally get it figured out. Right click on the deleted items folder, select properties. Then on the general tab click on Clear Offline Items, close the properties window and click on the refresh folder icon at the top of the outlook window. That did the trick instantly. I've tried all of the things listed in StevenRPF post but oddly none of those things worked. I had even deleted the profile, uninstalled outlook, deleted every reg entry and folder associated with outlook including the ones under app data and none of that fixed it. Then I noticed the Clear Offline items button and figured WTF and clicked on it. One thing I'd never done or noticed and all of my deleted emails started to appear once I clicked the refresh icon. Hope that helps you.
Hitting the button should move them to the Deleted items folder, but I'd suggest you also check the Recover Deleted items functionality (use the button on the ribbon after you select Deleted items).
VasilMichev Yes, hitting the button should put them in the Deleted Items folder, but it does not. I have looked at the Recover Deleted Items functionality and see some of the deleted files. My problem is that any files I delete should be going to the Deleted Items folder and they are not. I'm trying to figure out if a setting somehow got switched when I updated to Windows 10 as everything worked fine until I updated.
I cannot think of any W10 option that would affect this. Well, sticky keys maybe or something similar, as holding the Shift key while doing the deletion will "hard" delete the item, placing it in the Recover deleted items container. You can prevent that by enabling the "prompt for confirmation before deleting" option under Options -> Advanced.
