How to Find or Recover a Missing Outlook Folder in Outlook Web Access

Issue
A folder named “Folder Name” or “Email Subject” is missing from Outlook. The folder may have been moved, removed from Favorites, deleted, or deleted from Deleted Items.

Use the steps below in order.

Step 1: Make sure the full folder list is visible

  1. Open a web browser and go to Outlook Web Access.
  2. Sign in to your email account.
  3. On the left side of the screen, make sure the mail folder pane is visible.
  4. If you do not see the folder list, click the Show navigation pane button, sometimes shown as a three-line menu icon.
  5. Look for a section named Folders.
  6. If you see More, click More to show the full folder list.

Step 2: Check whether the folder was only removed from Favorites

At the top of the folder list, Outlook may show a Favorites section. Favorites are only shortcuts to folders. Removing a folder from Favorites does not delete the real folder.

  1. Look under Favorites for Projects - 2023 - Marshall School Reno.
  2. If it is not there, scroll down to the regular Folders section.
  3. Look through the actual mailbox folders.
  4. Expand any folders that have an arrow next to them.
  5. Check whether Projects - 2023 - Marshall School Reno appears as a subfolder under another folder.
If the folder is found in the regular folder list, it can be added back to Favorites:

  1. Right-click Projects - 2023 - Marshall School Reno.
  2. Select Add to Favorites.

Step 3: Check whether the folder was moved under another folder

The folder may have been accidentally dragged into another folder.

  1. In the left folder pane, expand each folder that has an arrow beside it.
  2. Look under common locations such as:
     
     
    • Inbox
    • Archive
    • Deleted Items
    • Projects
    • 2023
    • Customer folders
    • Any folder near where the missing folder used to be
  3. Look carefully for the exact folder name.

If the folder is found in the wrong location:

  1. Right-click the folder.
  2. Select Move folder if that option is available.
  3. Choose the correct location.
  4. If the move option is not available, drag the folder back to the correct place in the folder list.

Step 4: Search for messages that were inside the folder

If the folder itself is hard to locate, search for messages that should have been inside it.

  1. Click the Outlook search box at the top of the page.
  2. Search for a name, subject, sender, or keyword that would likely be inside the missing folder.
  3. The name of a contractor, vendor, or contact related to the project
  4. Make sure the search is not limited to only the Inbox. Use All folders, All mailboxes, or the broadest search option available.
  5. Open any matching messages.
  6. If the messages are found, check where Outlook shows the message location or folder.
If the messages are found but the folder is not obvious, leave the search results open and contact IT. This can help identify whether the folder was moved, deleted, or partially recovered.


Step 5: Check Deleted Items for the folder

When a folder is deleted in Outlook on the web, it is normally moved to Deleted Items first.

  1. In the left folder pane, find Deleted Items.
  2. Click the arrow beside Deleted Items to expand it.
  3. Look for the missing folder by name.
  4. If the folder is listed under Deleted Items, right-click it.
  5. Select Move folder if available, or drag the folder back to the correct location in the mailbox.
Important: Deleted folders may appear underneath Deleted Items, but the contents may only be visible after expanding Deleted Items.


Step 6: Recover messages if the folder was deleted from Deleted Items

If the folder is not visible inside Deleted Items, it may have been deleted from Deleted Items or permanently deleted. Outlook on the web has another recovery area called Recover items deleted from this folder.

This step should be done from a desktop or laptop web browser, not a mobile browser.

  1. Click Deleted Items.
  2. At the top of the message list, click:
Recover items deleted from this folder

  1. A recovery window will open.
  2. Search or scroll for messages that belonged in “Folder Name”

  1. Use details such as:

    • Subject
    • Sender
    • Date
    • Deleted date
    • Project keywords
  2. Select the messages that need to be restored.
  3. Click Restore.

Step 7: Understand where recovered items go

When messages are restored from Recover items deleted from this folder, Outlook attempts to restore them to the original folder when possible.

If the original folder no longer exists, recovered mail messages may be restored to the Inbox instead.

If the folder itself does not come back:

  1. Create a new folder named:
“Folder Name”
  1. Go to the location where the recovered messages appeared, usually Inbox or Deleted Items.
  2. Select the recovered messages.
  3. Click Move.
  4. Choose the newly created folder.

Step 8: Recreate the folder if necessary

If the original folder cannot be restored but the messages can be recovered, recreate the folder manually.

  1. In the left folder pane, right-click where the folder should be located.
  2. Select Create new subfolder or Create new folder.
  3. Name the folder:
“Folder Name”

  1. Move the recovered project emails into the recreated folder.

Step 9: Contact IT if the folder or messages are not recoverable there MAY be another way that is only accessible via the admin area.

Important Notes

Deleted items are not recoverable forever. Microsoft 365 and Outlook retention settings vary by organization. Some items may only be recoverable for a limited number of days.

If the folder was only removed from Favorites, the folder was not deleted. It simply needs to be found in the regular folder list and added back to Favorites.

If the folder was deleted and is still inside Deleted Items, the folder can usually be moved back.

If the folder was deleted from Deleted Items, Outlook may allow recovery of the emails from Recover items deleted from this folder, but the original folder itself may not always be restored. In that case, recreate the folder and move the recovered messages into it.