Accidentally deleting an important email from Outlook is quite common, especially when managing a large mailbox. Fortunately, a deleted message is not always gone permanently. Depending on where the email was deleted from and how long ago it was removed, Outlook provides several ways to recover it. In this guide, we’ll explain how to recover deleted emails in Outlook using different built-in methods, along with an automated option for situations where the usual recovery methods do not work.
Why Do Outlook Emails Get Deleted?
Emails can disappear from Outlook for several reasons. Sometimes they are accidentally deleted, while in other cases they may be removed during mailbox cleanup or due to synchronization issues. Emails can also become inaccessible when the Outlook PST file gets damaged or corrupted.
Before trying recovery, it is useful to know whether the email is in the Deleted Items folder, has been permanently deleted, or is stored inside a damaged PST file.
How to Recover Deleted Emails in Outlook from Deleted Items
The first method is the simplest one. When you delete an email normally, Outlook usually moves it to the Deleted Items folder instead of removing it permanently.
Follow these steps:
Open Microsoft Outlook.
Go to the Deleted Items folder.
Search for the email you want to restore.
Right-click the email.
Select Move and choose the folder where you want to restore it.
This method works when the deleted message is still available in the Deleted Items folder. It is usually the first thing to check when figuring out how to recover deleted emails in Outlook.
Recover Emails Using the Recoverable Items Folder
If the email is no longer visible in Deleted Items, Outlook may still retain it in the Recoverable Items area, depending on your account type and retention settings.
To check for recoverable messages:
Open Outlook and select Deleted Items.
Look for the option to recover items deleted from this folder.
Select the required email.
Click Restore or Recover Selected Items.
Check your mailbox for the restored message.
The availability of this option can vary depending on whether you are using Microsoft 365, Exchange, Outlook.com, or another account configuration. This makes it an important method when looking at how to recover deleted emails in Outlook.
Recover Deleted Emails from an Outlook PST Backup
If you regularly create backups of your Outlook data, an older PST file may contain the deleted email.
First, locate your backup PST file. Then:
Open Outlook.
Select File → Open & Export.
Choose Open Outlook Data File.
Browse to the backup PST file.
Open it and look through the required folders.
Copy the required email back into your current mailbox.
This approach is useful when the email existed in an earlier backup. However, it will only recover data that was actually present when the backup was created.
Use ScanPST for a Damaged PST File
Sometimes the problem is not deletion itself. If the PST file is corrupted, emails may appear to be missing or Outlook may fail to display mailbox data correctly.
Microsoft provides the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) for diagnosing and repairing certain PST problems. The general process is:
Close Outlook.
Locate and open ScanPST.
Select the affected PST file.
Start the scanning process.
Review the detected errors.
Create a backup of the PST when prompted.
Start the repair.
Reopen Outlook and check the mailbox.
ScanPST can be useful for minor PST-related issues, but it may not recover every deleted item, particularly when the data is severely damaged or permanently removed.
How to Recover Deleted Emails in Outlook with an Automated Tool
When the standard Outlook recovery options are unsuccessful, specialized recovery software can be considered. This is particularly relevant when emails are stored in a corrupted or inaccessible PST file.
SysTools Outlook Recovery Tool is one automated option that can scan Outlook data and help recover mailbox items from damaged PST files. Depending on the condition of the file, you can use the software to scan the PST, preview available mailbox data, and select the items you need to recover.
A typical recovery process involves:
Launch the automated tool.
Add the affected PST file.
Select the appropriate scanning option.
Allow the software to analyze the mailbox data.
Preview the recoverable emails and folders.
Select the required items.
Export the recovered data to the available destination format.
Before running recovery on an important mailbox, keeping a copy of the original PST is a good precaution. It also helps to preview the recovered emails before exporting them so you can verify that the required data is available.
How to Recover Deleted Emails in Outlook Without Losing Attachments
If the deleted email contained important attachments, simply recovering the message is not enough. You should also verify whether the attachments are accessible after recovery.
After recovering an email, open it and check:
Email body and formatting
Sender and recipient information
Date and subject
Attachments
Folder location
Other relevant mailbox properties
For PST-based recovery, previewing the recovered content before exporting can help confirm whether the required information is intact.
What If Outlook Cannot Find the Deleted Email?
If none of the above methods works, the email may have been permanently deleted, removed due to retention policies, or lost because of PST corruption. In such cases, recovery depends heavily on whether the original mailbox data still exists somewhere in the PST, backup, server, or another storage location.
If you are still trying to determine how to recover deleted emails in Outlook, avoid repeatedly modifying or repairing the original PST without keeping a backup. Working from a copy can reduce the risk of making the situation worse.
Tips to Avoid Losing Outlook Emails
A few simple practices can make future recovery easier:
Maintain regular Outlook/PST backups.
Avoid keeping extremely large PST files unnecessarily.
Empty Deleted Items only when you are sure the messages are no longer needed.
Keep important emails in organized folders.
Use appropriate mailbox retention and archive settings.
Keep a backup copy before attempting PST repair.
Conclusion
In this article, we covered how to recover deleted emails in Outlook using several approaches, starting with the Deleted Items folder and Recoverable Items folder. We also discussed restoring messages from a PST backup and using ScanPST when a damaged PST is causing mailbox data to become inaccessible. If these built-in methods are not enough, an automated solution such as this tool can be considered for recovering data from corrupted PST files. The best method ultimately depends on whether the email was normally deleted, permanently removed, or affected by PST corruption.
