How to retrieve missing folders from Outlook

To retrieve missing folders in Outlook, you can follow these steps:

1. Check the Deleted Items Folder: Sometimes, folders can be accidentally deleted. Check your Deleted Items folder to see if the missing folders are there. If you find them, you can restore them.
2. Use Advanced Find: If you suspect that items are misplaced, you can use the Advanced Find feature to locate them:
   • For Outlook 2010 and later, select the Inbox folder, then click into the Instant Search bar to display the Search tab. Select Search Tools and then Advanced Find. Choose Any type of Outlook item and browse to the root folder (your email address). Disable Search subfolders and click OK. After that, select Find Now to see if any items appear.
   • For Outlook 2007, the steps are similar, but you access Advanced Find through the Tools menu.
3. Check for Hidden Folders: Sometimes folders may be hidden. You can use the MFCMAPI tool to check if the PR_ATTR_HIDDEN property is set to True for the affected folder. If it is, you can uncheck this property to make the folder visible again.
4. Recover from Backup: If you have a backup of your Outlook data files, you can restore the missing folders from there.

To prevent this from happening again, consider regularly backing up your Outlook data files and being cautious when deleting items.

References:

• Items placed in root folder seem to be lost in Outlook
• Default folder is missing in Outlook and Outlook on the web

Dear Leonard Keith Berthelsen,

Thank you for posting in the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand how concerning it is to have important emails and folders go missing. 

I see there is an AI-generated answer on your thread. Much of its guidance, including the "Advanced Find" steps and the suggestion to use the MFCMAPI tool, is designed for the older classic Outlook for Windows and is not applicable or recommended for the New Outlook for Windows client you are using. Let's focus on the correct approach for your version. 

The recovery method depends entirely on the type of email account you are using. Could you please confirm: 

1. What is the email service for the affected account? (e.g., Is it a Microsoft account like @outlook.com or @hotmail.com, a Gmail/IMAP account, or another provider?) 
2. Are the folders missing from the folder list entirely, or are they visible but empty? 
3. Did this happen after a specific event? (e.g., after updating the Outlook app, or after you changed an account password?) 

In the meantime, here are the safe, initial checks for New Outlook: 

• View Settings: At the top of your message list, ensure you are viewing "All" emails and not "Focused", as the Focused inbox filters messages. 
• Folder Pane: In the folder pane on the left, check carefully for any small arrows (>) next to your account name or existing folders. Click these to fully expand the folder structure, as the missing folders might simply be nested or collapsed under a visible folder. 
• App Refresh: Try signing out of the Outlook app and signing back in to refresh the data sync. 

Once you provide the account type, I can give you the specific steps for that service. Thank you for your cooperation!