Using New Outlook on Windows for personal email, calendar, and contact management
If the account was hacked, the missing messages may have been moved or deleted. Check these places in Outlook.com on a computer:
- Deleted Items
- Open Deleted Items.
- If the messages are there, select them and choose Restore.
- If they are not there, at the top of the message list select Recover items deleted from this folder.
- Select the messages and choose Restore.
- Messages removed from Deleted Items are recoverable for 30 days.
- Archive
- Open the Archive folder.
- If the messages are there, select them and choose Move to > Inbox.
- Junk Email
- Open Junk Email.
- If the messages are there, select them and choose Report > Not junk.
- Messages in Junk Email are automatically removed after 30 days and are not recoverable.
- Other tab
- If Focused Inbox is enabled, check the Other tab.
- If a message is there, select it and choose Move to > Move to Focused inbox.
- Rules and filters
- Above the message list, select Filter and set it to All.
- Check Rules settings and remove or edit any rule that is moving messages out of the inbox.
- Rules can only be viewed and edited on a computer.
- Secure the account
- Before changing the password, run a full malware scan on the PC: Windows Security > Virus and threat protection > Scan options > Full scan > Scan now.
- Then change or reset the password.
- Check account settings for unexpected changes in connected accounts, forwarding, and automatic replies.
- Review the Recent activity page to see sign-ins from the last 30 days.
If the missing emails do not appear in Deleted Items, Recover items deleted from this folder, Archive, Junk Email, or Other, and they were permanently removed, they cannot be recovered.
If self-help does not resolve it, use Outlook.com support from Help in Outlook.com, or the Microsoft account recovery helper.