Disappearing emails

Broudy, Louis 0 Reputation points
2026-09-14T00:45:13.34+00:00

I received an email and below the email was a draft response from AI which I forwarded to the sender who received it and the copy of the sender's email to me. Both documents disappeared from my computer. The sender resent copies which also disappeared while I was drafting a thank you response. Why are the responses disappearing and how do I fix?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Email
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-14T00:45:26.5433333+00:00

    The messages are most likely being hidden from view or moved, not permanently lost.

    Try these checks in Outlook.com, in this order:

    1. Search the whole mailbox
      • Use the search box at the top.
      • Search by sender name, subject, or a word from the missing message.
      • Make sure the search is not limited to Inbox only.
    2. Check all likely folders
      • Inbox
      • Deleted Items
      • Junk Email
      • Archive
      • Any custom folders
      • If Focused Inbox is enabled, check both Focused and Other.
    3. Remove message filters
      • In the Inbox, set Filter to All.
      • If items are hidden by a view or filter, they can appear to have disappeared.
    4. Check whether items were filtered from view
      • In Outlook, go to View > View Settings > Filter.
      • Review filter settings such as:
        • Date received
        • Keywords
        • Read/Unread status
        • Sender/Recipient
        • Importance
        • Size
      • Clear any filter that could hide the missing messages.
    5. Check Deleted Items and recover deleted mail
      • Open Deleted Items.
      • If the messages are there, restore or move them back to Inbox.
      • If they are not there, select Recover items deleted from this folder at the top of Deleted Items and restore them if found.
    6. Check rules, Sweep, and forwarding
      • Go to Settings > Mail > Rules and look for anything that moves or deletes mail.
      • Check for any Sweep actions affecting Inbox mail.
      • Go to Settings > Mail > Forwarding and confirm mail is not being redirected.
    7. If this happened more than once without any action taken, secure the account
      • Change the Microsoft account password.
      • Review recent sign-in activity and security information.
      • Recheck rules, forwarding, connected accounts, and automatic replies.

    If the messages disappeared while drafting a reply, a mailbox rule, filter, or account issue is the most likely cause based on the available guidance. If the items were only hidden, removing the filter or changing the view should make them visible again.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Kai-H 26,760 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-14T10:02:17.0566667+00:00

    Hi, Broudy, Louis

    The messages may still exist on the mail server, while the Outlook app is failing to display or synchronize them correctly. Because this happens while composing, an Outlook add-in or damaged local profile may also be interfering.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Sign in through https://outlook.live.com and leave it open while testing. If the messages remain there but disappear only from the computer app, the problem is local to Outlook rather than the mailbox.

    If using classic Outlook on Windows, close Outlook, press Windows key + R, type outlook /safe, and press Enter. Draft another reply. If the problem stops, disable add-ins under File > Options > Add-ins > COM Add-ins > Go, then re-enable them one at a time. Add-ins can cause Outlook to freeze or behave incorrectly when sending or replying. Outlook troubleshooting guidance

    Install all available Office updates, then repair the Outlook profile under File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select the account, and choose Repair. Repair an Outlook profile

    If the issue continues, create a new Outlook profile from Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles > Add, rather than removing the current profile first. A new profile rebuilds the local mailbox connection without risking the existing setup.

    These steps help determine whether the cause is Outlook synchronization, an add-in, or a damaged profile.

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

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment."    

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