My Inbox was erased in Hotmail over the weekend

Based on the available information, there are a few common Outlook.com/Hotmail behaviors that can result in a suddenly empty Inbox:

1. Messages automatically moved or filtered

• Inbox rules or Sweep rules can move or delete messages as they arrive.
• Check for any rules that might be moving or deleting mail:
  • Go to Rules settings and review all rules. If a rule is incorrectly moving messages out of the Inbox, edit or delete it.
• Also verify the Filter setting above the message list is set to All, not Unread or another restricted view.

2. Messages moved to other folders (Junk, Other, Archive, Deleted Items)

• Check these folders carefully:
  • Junk Email: If messages are here, select them and choose Not junk > Not junk.
  • Other tab (if Focused Inbox is on): Look under Other and move any misclassified messages back using Move to > Move to Focused inbox.
  • Archive: If messages were archived, select them and choose Move to > Inbox.
  • Deleted Items: If messages are here, select them and choose Restore.
• If messages are not visible in Deleted Items, use Recover items deleted from this folder (available only on a computer) to see if they are still within the recoverable period.

3. Automatic deletion and recovery limits

• Messages removed from Junk Email are automatically and permanently deleted after 30 days.
• Messages removed from Deleted Items are only recoverable for 30 days. After that, they cannot be restored.
• If the Outlook.com mailbox has been inactive (no sign-in) for at least one year, Microsoft may close the mailbox and delete all email, per the Microsoft Services Agreement.

4. Account or folder issues

• If folders appear to have disappeared or reverted, items may still be discoverable via search, and the folder behavior is addressed in the updated Outlook.com experience.

5. Getting direct Outlook.com support

• For account-specific investigation (for example, if none of the above explains the loss), use Outlook.com’s built-in support:
  • In Outlook.com, select Help on the menu bar and enter the issue.
  • If self-help does not resolve it, scroll to Still need help? and select Yes to reach Outlook.com support.
  • If sign-in is not possible, use the dedicated “can’t sign in” support entry point.

If the messages are not in Junk, Other, Archive, Deleted Items, or the recoverable items view, and the mailbox has not been active for an extended period, the messages may no longer be recoverable.

References:

• Email is missing from your Outlook.com inbox
• Outlook.com folders disappear or go back to a previous name
• Working with message folders in Outlook.com
• Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook
• Emails deleted from Outlook.com are reverting back to the Inbox