To recover a deleted folder in Outlook, expand Deleted Items and move the folder back to its original location. If it is no longer there, recover any available messages through Outlook’s deleted-item recovery option, then create a replacement folder. These steps apply to Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, and Exchange accounts; Gmail, Yahoo, and other accounts show a Trash folder instead, so check Trash and follow your provider’s recovery steps.
Ordinary Outlook recovery cannot restore a permanently deleted personal folder itself. You may still be able to recover its messages within your account’s retention period, or retrieve the folder from an existing backup.
The short version
- Folder still intact: Expand Deleted Items and move the folder back with its contents.
- Folder permanently deleted: Recover available messages, then move them into a replacement folder.
- Outlook.com recovery: Use a computer browser to recover messages removed from Deleted Items within 30 days.
- Existing backup: A PST saved before deletion may contain the missing folder and messages.
| Method | When it helps | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Show the full folder list | Folder pane is hidden or collapsed | Access to existing folders |
| Restore a favorite | Only a shortcut disappeared | Shortcut to the existing folder |
| Move an intact folder | Folder remains under Deleted Items | Folder and its contents |
| Recover messages in classic Outlook | Supported Exchange mailbox retains the messages | Messages returned to Deleted Items |
| Recover messages in new Outlook or a browser | Account offers deleted-item recovery | Available messages restored |
| Create a replacement folder | Messages survived but their folder did not | A destination for recovered messages |
| Move surviving messages | Messages remain in a deleted folder or Deleted Items | Messages moved to your chosen folder |
| Open a PST | Existing archive contains the missing data | Access to backed-up folders and messages |
| Import a PST | Backup predates deletion | Selected backup content copied into Outlook |
| Restore with File History | Windows backup included the PST | An older PST file |
| Restore with Time Machine | Mac backup included the archive | The backed-up archive file |
| Recover through Gmail | Messages remain in Gmail’s Trash | Messages moved to your chosen destination |
| Recover through Yahoo Mail | Messages remain in Yahoo’s Trash | Messages returned to Inbox |
| Disable automatic emptying | You want to preserve future recovery opportunities | Prevention only |
Find the folder in the full folder list
Expand Deleted Items in Outlook’s folder list and look beneath it for the deleted folder. Checking only the messages displayed when you open Deleted Items can miss a folder nested underneath it. If the folder is there, use the matching move procedure below.
If the folder list is hidden, show it before checking for deleted folders. In new Outlook, select View > Folder pane > Folder list > Show. In classic Outlook, select View > Layout > Folder Pane > Normal.
If only a shortcut disappeared from Favorites, locate the actual folder in the full folder list. In Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, right-click it and select Add to Favorites. On Mac, hold Control, click the folder, and select Add to Favorites.
Move the folder back in classic Outlook
In classic Outlook for Windows, expand Deleted Items and drag the deleted subfolder to its former parent in the folder list. Its contents move with it. These steps apply to classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2024.
For the menu route, right-click the deleted folder and select Move Folder. Choose the destination where you want it restored, then open the folder from that location to access its messages.
To move it using the keyboard, press F6 to reach the folder list and use the arrow keys to select the deleted folder. Press Shift + F10, then M. Choose the destination with the arrow keys and press Enter.
Restore an intact folder in new Outlook or on Mac
In new Outlook for Windows, select Mail > View > Folder pane > Custom folder order. Expand Deleted Items, then drag the deleted folder to the intended parent or the main folder level. This works only while the folder remains inside Deleted Items.
In Outlook for Mac, expand Deleted Items and select the deleted folder. Open its context menu, select Move folder, then find and select the destination. If the folder is no longer under Deleted Items, check for recoverable messages through your account’s website on a computer.
Recover messages when the folder is gone
Once a personal folder has been permanently deleted, Outlook’s ordinary recovery tools can retrieve available messages but cannot rebuild the folder structure. For Outlook.com, you have 30 days to recover messages removed from Deleted Items. Use a computer browser for this second stage because Outlook mobile apps and mobile browsers do not support it.
On a computer, sign in to Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, open Deleted Items, and use the Recover items deleted from this folder option at the top of the message list. Select the messages you need, then select Restore. Recovered messages generally return to their original folder when possible, or to Inbox when that mail folder no longer exists.
In new Outlook for Windows, select Deleted Items, then select the Recover button next to Recover items deleted from this folder at the top of the message list. Select the messages, then select Home > Restore. Your account must offer recoverable items for this option to work.
In classic Outlook with a supported Exchange mailbox, stay online and select Deleted Items > Home > Recover Deleted Items From Server. Select the messages, choose Restore Selected Items, and select OK. Move the recovered messages from Deleted Items to their destination folder.
If your account lacks the recovery option or the messages are no longer retained, check an existing backup. Reinstalling Outlook or resetting its cache does not restore messages deleted from the server.
Recreate the folder and return its messages
After recovering messages, create a replacement Outlook folder to organize them again. In new Outlook, right-click your email address and select Create new folder. Enter the folder name and press Enter.
On Outlook.com, right-click Folders and select Create new folder. In Outlook on the web, select Folders > More options > Create new folder. Enter the name and press Enter.
In classic Outlook, right-click the intended parent and select New Folder, then enter the name and press Enter. Creating the folder gives you a destination for recovered messages; it does not retrieve missing messages by itself.
Select the recovered messages, then select Home > Move and choose the replacement folder. You can also drag the messages into it. If messages survived inside a deleted subfolder, open that subfolder under Deleted Items and move them the same way, or select surviving messages directly in Deleted Items.
Recover the folder from an existing PST backup
A PST backup can help if it contains the missing data from before deletion. In classic Outlook, select File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File. Select the backup’s .pst file, choose Open, expand its folders, and copy the required folder or messages into your live mailbox.
Opening the file also restores access to a PST that was merely closed. If the missing folder belonged to an archive, check your archived Outlook emails before assuming it was deleted. Expand the archive’s folders to look for the missing content.
To import a backup instead, select File > Open & Export > Import/Export in classic Outlook. Choose Import from another program or file, select Next, choose Outlook Data File (.pst), and select Next. Browse to the backup, choose how duplicates should be handled, and select Next.
Enter the backup’s password when required and select OK. Choose the source folder containing the data you need and the destination mailbox, then select Finish.
In new Outlook builds that offer importing, select Settings > Data files > Import. Under Outlook Data File (.pst), select Get started > Select file, choose the backup, and select Open. Choose the source under Folders to import from, check Include subfolders, and select Next.
Choose duplicate handling and select Next, then choose the account and destination under Choose a destination folder. Select Import to bring in the selected content. If your build lacks Import, use classic Outlook’s import route.
Look for an older copy of the archive file
File History can help only if an existing Windows backup included the PST. On Windows 11, close Outlook, open File Explorer, and right-click the folder containing or formerly containing the PST. Select Restore previous versions and choose a version from before deletion.
Expand Open and select Open in File History to inspect the backup. Expand Restore and select Restore to... to recover a separate copy. Open or import that recovered PST in Outlook.
On Mac, Time Machine can restore an Outlook archive file included in an existing backup. In Finder, open the location that contained the archive, use Spotlight to open Time Machine, then select a backup from before deletion. Select the archive file and click Restore.
You can open or import a recovered PST using supported Windows Outlook. The Mac OLM/PST importer is a legacy feature, so recovering an archive file does not mean you can import it into current Outlook for Mac. Restoring the file also does not roll back a server mailbox.
Check Gmail or Yahoo for connected accounts
For a Gmail account used in Outlook, open Gmail’s website on a computer. Select More > Trash, select the messages using their checkboxes, then select Move to and choose the destination. Messages normally remain in Gmail’s trash for 30 days.
For a Yahoo account using New Yahoo Mail, open Yahoo Mail in a desktop browser. Select the More icon below the mail folders, open Trash, select the message, and choose Restore to Inbox. In classic Yahoo Mail for desktop, select Trash, select the message, then select Move > Inbox. Both provider routes recover surviving messages rather than an Outlook folder object.
Keep Deleted Items from emptying automatically
After recovery, you can disable automatic emptying to preserve future recovery opportunities. In classic Outlook, select File > Options > Advanced. Under Outlook Start and Exit, uncheck Empty the Deleted Items folder upon exiting.
Under Other, check Prompt for confirmation before permanently deleting items, then select OK. In new Outlook, select View > View Settings > Mail > Message handling. Under When closing Outlook, uncheck Empty deleted items folder.
On Outlook.com, select Settings > Mail > Message handling, then uncheck Empty my deleted items folder and select Save. These settings affect future deletions and do not restore data already lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you recover deleted Outlook messages on a phone?
You can recover messages that are still in Deleted Items. Open that folder, select a message, then select … > Move to folder > Inbox and repeat for additional messages. This mobile route recovers individual messages rather than an intact deleted folder.
Why is an IMAP folder missing even though it still exists on the server?
Classic Outlook may not be subscribed to that folder. In Mail, right-click the top-level IMAP account folder, select IMAP Folders > Query, select the missing folder, and choose Subscribe. If the server folder list is stale, right-click the account, select Update Folder List, and repeat.
Can Outlook repair a folder missing from a damaged PST?
The installed SCANPST.EXE tool can repair PST corruption, but it does not guarantee recovery of deliberately deleted data. Back up the PST, close Outlook, and open the tool. Select Browse, choose the affected PST, select Start, and select Repair if errors are found. Reopen Outlook, inspect Recovered Personal Folders and Lost and Found, and move recovered folders or items into a usable data file.
Which keyboard shortcuts move recovered messages in classic Outlook?
Select the messages and press Ctrl + Shift + V to open Move Items. You can also press Ctrl + X, select the destination folder, and press Ctrl + V to move messages. To copy them, press Ctrl + C instead, then select the destination and press Ctrl + V.
Can deleted messages from a child’s Outlook.com account be recovered?
Microsoft says deleted messages from children’s accounts cannot be recovered. You cannot rely on Outlook.com’s second-stage recovery to retrieve those messages.