ALL emails lost

marc eastham 0 Reputation points
2026-10-08T16:30:12.29+00:00

Just lost all emails from 2026 until 3rd october. all gone from my hotmail.co.uk & hotmail.com accounts off of phone, mac and webmail.. not deleted or archived.

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

    2026-10-08T16:30:32.1233333+00:00

    Since the same messages are missing on phone, Mac, and webmail, this points to a mailbox-side issue rather than a device sync problem.

    Try these checks in Outlook.com on a computer:

    1. Search the whole mailbox
      • Use the search box and search by sender, subject, or a word from one missing message.
      • Make sure the search is across all folders, not only Inbox.
    2. Check folders where mail is commonly moved
      • Deleted Items
      • Junk Email
      • Archive
      • Other tab if Focused Inbox is enabled
      • Any custom folders
    3. Check the message filter
      • Above the message list, select Filter and set it to All.
    4. Recover from Deleted Items
      • Open Deleted Items.
      • If the messages are there, select them and choose Restore or Move to > Inbox.
      • If they are not there, select Recover items deleted from this folder at the top of Deleted Items.
      • If the missing messages appear, select them and choose Restore.
    5. Check rules and forwarding
      • In Outlook.com, go to Settings > Mail > Rules and look for any rule that moves or deletes mail.
      • Also check Settings > Mail > Forwarding and confirm mail is not being forwarded elsewhere.
    6. Check account activity
      • Review recent sign-in activity for the Microsoft account in case someone accessed the mailbox and changed mail handling.
      • If suspicious activity appears, change the password and review mailbox settings again.

    Important limits from Outlook.com:

    • Messages removed from Deleted Items are recoverable for 30 days.
    • Messages in Junk Email are automatically removed after 30 days and are not recoverable from that folder.
    • Recoverable Items can’t be accessed from a mobile browser; use a PC or Mac.

    If the messages are not in any folder and do not appear under Recover items deleted from this folder, the remaining step is to contact Outlook.com support from the Outlook.com help flow.

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

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  2. Lychee-Ng 29,075 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-09T11:07:13.9266667+00:00

    Sorry to hear about your situation, marc eastham.

    I know how frustrating it is to lose such a large block of email, especially after you've checked carefully from all sources. Just wondering, have you tried any of the AI suggestions above, and what's the results? From my personal experience though, cases like this are something your should escalate rather than keep troubleshooting yourself.

    That said, since Microsft Q&A is just a user-to-user support forum, contributors here cannot review your account or server-side status. Since you have already confirmed the emails are not deleted or archived, please contact:

    • Sign in to https://outlook.live.com/ on a computer.
    • Open the Help tab > click the (?) icon at the top > describe or select your issue.
    • Try the suggested solutions. If they don't make any differences, click Contact support.
    • Alternatively, start from Contact Us - Microsoft Support   
      • Enter / choose an issue > click Get Help to make a request     
      • Scroll down > click Ask our Support Assistant and follow guidance   
      • If the issue persists, specifically state in the chat box that you need direct help.   
      • The Contact Support button should appear > click it > select the chat in browser option.

    User's image

    Note: The support contact team only works at certain times, so if the last window shows that it's unavailable, try opening it again the next day. If you prefer phone support, you can leave a phone number. This way, they can call you and help you. If you don't see chat option, choose another category and ask to escalate. 

    I wish I could be a greater help in your situation, but this issue seems to be more serious than just some syncing error. This is just a community platform, contributors here don't have access to internal or backend diagnostics tools to resolve the matter.

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