Emailed my word document to myself and now it's gone.

Jane Fisher 0 Reputation points
2026-09-13T19:54:04.3533333+00:00

I spent 15 minutes writing up my resume on Microsoft Word and the emailed it to myself in order to preserve it since the library computer I am using deletes everything overnight. I did check the email that day and it did show up. Now I go back to finish it and the email has dissapeared without a trace. Before I get 300 answers saying to check my junk mail and my trash I already did and those are empty. Preferably I'd like to chat with a Microsoft agent though it seems Microsoft avoids talking to their customers like the plague these days.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Kai-H 26,760 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-14T09:08:43.3033333+00:00

    Hi, Jane Fisher

    The attachment may still exist even if the received copy disappeared. Because the message was sent to the same address, the best remaining places are the sent copy and Outlook’s hidden recovery area.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Open your email in a desktop browser and check Sent Items. Find the message you sent to yourself, open it, then download the Word attachment. Search using part of the resume filename, your own email address, or the date it was sent.

    Search the entire mailbox, not just the Inbox. In Outlook, try hasattachments:yes together with your name, filename, or a unique word from the subject. Also confirm that you signed in with exactly the same email account used at the library.

    Open Deleted Items, then select Recover items deleted from this folder at the top. This searches the hidden Recoverable Items folder, which can contain messages even after Deleted Items was emptied. Use a PC or Mac because this recovery option may not appear on mobile.

    If the sent copy and hidden recovery list are both empty, recovery will depend on the email provider’s retention period.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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