I accidentally chose this and clicked next: purge items when switching folders while online in Outlook.

Hi @MisterSupremo,
Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum, and thank you for reaching out to us.

Based on your description, it appears that you accidentally purged your email folders in Outlook and are now trying to recover them. When a folder is purged, it typically means the emails were deleted from the Deleted Items folder and moved to the Recoverable Items folder.

The good news is that these emails are not permanently deleted immediately. They can still be recovered within a limited time window, usually 30 days for personal accounts, and potentially longer for enterprise accounts depending on your organization's retention policy.

To recover your email folder for Classic Outlook, you can follow these steps below:
Open Outlook (desktop version).

1. Go to the Deleted Items folder.
2. On the Home tab (or Folder tab in some versions), click Recover Deleted Items from Server.
3. A window will appear showing emails that are still recoverable.
4. Select the emails or folders you want to restore.
5. Click Restore Selected Items, then click OK.

For more detailed guidance, including a video tutorial, you can check this Microsoft article.

Additionally, if you have admin access or can contact your IT administrator. Emails may also be recoverable using tools such as the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center or eDiscovery, which provide advanced recovery options beyond the standard user interface.

If you have any issues while following my suggestions or have any questions. Please do not hesitate to let me know, I would love to assist you further.

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