Forum Discussion
Microsoft To Do Tasks Disappeared
Hello,
I used to have ~100 tasks in my To-Do application these days. As of yesterday, they have been reduced to ~50. Multiple tasks disappeared from various lists (the lists are all intact).
I rely on To-Do a lot and that's why I have it on 2 Windows PCs, 3 iOS devices and 1 Android. All are synced to the ~50 baseline, which as of yesterday, since to be my as-is in Microsoft's servers.
All 6 applications (in all 3 different platforms), are on To-Do version 2.55 (latest one as we speak today). Of course I have uninstalled/re-installed, log-out/in, and changed passwords to my Office 365 account several times, with no effect.
When I visited the web app, to check the situation, my tasks were not deleted (i.e. reduced from ~100 to ~50), but I noticed, that these ~100 tasks, were not exactly my latest update (i.e. I have seen tasks here and there that I have recently closed, or changed that were not reflected in the web app). But at least the heavy reduction from ~100 to ~50 was not done (some hope there). But when I signed out and signed it again (always in the web app), then I saw all these tasks disappearing from here as well.
So now, all 6 apps (Windows, iOS and Android), plus the web app, are ALL SYNCHORNIZED to this ~50 tasks baseline, which as of yesterday, seems to be my new as-is in Microsoft's servers. The disappeared messages are not in deleted tasks folder of Office365/Outlook, etc. They are totally gone.
Can anyone support me, or suggest something to me ?
Thank you!
77 Replies
This service seems to be able to hook into your To Dos directly and export/import for you:
https://www.todovodo.com/home
I guess it's just an app that uses an API to access your data directly, whereas the official apps may or may not show the data correctly, as we're seeing here. My iOS app was showing everything, but suddenly the web/browser app stopped showing almost all of my items. Nice.
Microsoft, please read this.... The only way to export our todos is to export our entire Outlook data, which can take days? All emails, calendars, and everything?
Definitely switching off this incompetent service immediately. Completely ruined Wunderlist. Glitchy UI, sync issues, less customization, no data export, less options, etc. The entire MS product hierarchy is a glitchy convoluted mess. Unbelievable.
- Indeed. Even Apple lets export individual files and data from the services
Viterbi Had the same problem. I was lucky that I had downloaded the app on my iPhone. So I opened it and all tasks were there. Then, I reopened the to-do web desktop and apparently it synced the tasks that are on my phone. The problem is that right now I cannot trust to-do like before. So I exported all my tasks to TickTick, and I'll do it on a weekly basis do avoid any future issues. If to-do fails again, I'll start using TickTick or other app.
- sierra_kirk I had the same problem after I reinstalled Windows on my computer, but thanks to you after created a test task now I have all my tasks back again.
It's really a strange issue- Same for me, I got a new phone and my task list of 180 items went to 50 on ALL of my devices. The trick of adding a dummy into the list fixed it for me.
- I had this same problem on my new phone today and found this thread when I was searching for solutions. Was disappointed to read posts spanning several years with no fixes. I resigned myself to re-creating my missing tasks. Thankfully, my computer version of the lists were full and complete - it was only my new phone that had lost some tasks from several lists. I spent time emailing my full lists from my computer to myself thinking I could copy and paste the missing tasks one by one. After adding the first missing task back on to a list on my phone, I suddenly realised that list was now full and complete - and my added task was now in twice! I went to each of the lists that were missing tasks and just added a dummy new task (random letters) and found that once I added a new item, the list updated itself with all of the missing tasks too! Not sure why it wouldn't sync without me adding another task. Anyway, I thought I should share this unexpected fix in case it helps anyone else.
- i love you
sierra_kirk Just registered to be able to say THANK YOU ever so much for your post. Also got a new phone on Friday, and exactly the same thing happened - To Do was only showing a handful of tasks in each list on the new phone, and strangely the same in the 365 webapp via Office 365, but desktop app on windows and still syncing To Do on old phone both still showed the full list (which I had also hurriedly emailed to myself as a back-up). Adding a dummy task back to each list worked brilliantly - resolved the issue by then prompting a reinstatement of all missing tasks in that list on new phone and the online webapp, so that after adding one dummy task to each list all tasks had been restored back to the full complement, matching my old phone and desktop app.
- Same thing happened to me too. Lost all tasks, from phone, desktop, and web app. Don't see them deleted either. It happened first time about 2 moths ago. I recreated the list from memory. it happened again two days ago. Now I don't see the point in re-creating the list because is it will happen again. I was using the app to help manage my life. Now that trust is replaced with doubt. Shouldn't there be a backup somewhere, or some way to retrieve it?
I suspect that Outlook functionality is related to the loss of my tasks from To Do. I created new lists in To Do after hundreds of old tasks suddenly disappeared (call me crazy) and noticed today that Outlook is showing my tasks from the To Do app under the To-Do Bar. I don't believe Outlook previously showed my To Do app tasks and I suspect some new functionality in Outlook wiped out my old tasks. Either way, thanks a lot, Microsoft, for losing years of my work. Pretty unbelievable in the age of mirrored servers.
My whole life revolves around To Do tasks - I have 100s of tasks, some were storing reference info from 10+ years ago (started with Wunderlist) - and suddenly 2 days ago, they ALL disappeared - from my iPhone, Windows 11 desktop and from To Do online. My lists still exist, as do my completed tasks (um, you have my permission to delete those if your servers are full ;-)), but no active tasks. I'm trying to stay out of panic mode, but there's no way I could even begin to recreate this content. I HAVE to believe that MS has all of this content backed up on mirrored servers somewhere and I'll eventually get it back.
- help! I have 10 years worth of notes (from wunderlist days) that all just vanished, when it forced logged me out (bc I have a new work Teams account). I’m in a panic. My whole life is in there. Any ideas?
- Same problem! Twice this week I have had task disappear!! Anyone heard of another program to use? Unacceptable.
Beetleh help! I have 10 years worth of notes (from wunderlist days) that all just vanished, when it forced logged me out (bc I have a new work Teams account). I’m in a panic. My whole life is in there. Any ideas?
- Shouldn’t Microsoft have a copy of our data somewhere? This shouldn’t be local to our devices..
- Same issue- has anyone had any luck with tech support? Supposedly they have their own tech support team, but I haven't heard back from them yet.
- I found To Do support under Office365 support and chatted with them. I was told there is an ongoing bridge in progress to solve this known issue and that they are migrating data to new servers. I'm HOPING this will eventually lead to a full data recovery for all of us!
Chris98070 My loss was SO long ago now I fear it’s gone! How do we find out when problem solved if ever?!
