How to Fix It When Outlook Folders Are Missing (2024)

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Discovering that one or more folders are missing in Outlook could be an oversight or something more significant. Either way, this is a relatively common problem with straightforward resolutions.

Why Folders Are Missing in Outlook

Several things could cause your folders to disappear in Outlook. Any of the following could be the root of the problem:

• The folders are hidden, not missing
• There's an unresolved bug in the software
• A folder was inadvertently deleted
• Outlook isn't syncing with the server
• The personal folder file is damaged

How to Fix Missing Outlook Folders

All of these solutions are relatively easy to complete, but we've ordered these tips in a specific way, so start from the top and work your way down.

1. Close and reopen Outlook. This might seem like a simple step, but you'd be surprised by the problems that seemingly fix themselves by simply shutting the program down for a few seconds.

2. Show any hidden folders. Your "missing" folders could just be hidden folders. If you see a right-facing arrow next to a folder, click to expand it and reveal any nested folders.

3. Update Outlook. If a bug is to blame for the missing folders, an update might be available to fix it.

4. Recover a deleted folder from the trash. If you accidentally deleted an entire folder, but haven't emptied your Deleted Items folder yet, you can send it right back to its original spot.

5. Recover a deleted folder from the server. If you accidentally deleted an entire folder and have already emptied your Deleted Items folder, you can attempt to retrieve it from the server.

   Unfortunately, a folder that has been permanently deleted is not recoverable, but you might be able to recover messages that were in the folder from an applicable folder on the server, such as Recoverable Items or something similar.

   You may also be able to undelete individually deleted emails even if you can't recover the entire folder. It won't return the folder to your list, but maybe you can retrieve some of the messages that were in it.

6. Repair the program. This is a smart step to take if you're not sure why the folders are missing; a repair will attempt to fix any and all problems.

   Outlook has a built-in repair tool you can trigger from Control Panel; try the Quick Repair first, then choose Online Repair if you need to.

7. Fix connection issues. If your internet connection isn't working properly, then Outlook is likely having trouble syncing with the server. When this happens, some or all of your Outlook folders could disappear or appear empty, and folders you recently created on the server might not appear in the desktop app. Restoring the connection should put everything back in working order.

   If Outlook isn't downloading your mail, that's a big indicator that there's a syncing issue going on.

8. Repair Outlook's personal folder file. If this PST file is corrupted, folders might be missing. Fortunately, Outlook provides the Inbox Repair Tool to fix this issue.

   This tool, called scanpst.exe, is included in your Office installation and should be stored here:

    C:\ProgramFiles\MicrosoftOffice\root\[version]\

9. Import your backed-up PST file. Restoring the missing folders is easy if you have a backup of your Outlook emails. The backup includes any folders that existed at the time of the backup.

   This only works if you were proactive and created a backup of your Outlook data before the folders went missing.

10. Repair your Outlook profile. This is different from repairing the Outlook program itself, so we recommend completing this step even if you repaired Outlook earlier.

    This option isn't available for Exchange accounts in Outlook 2016.