Lost all Notes in Outlook Folder!!

CW 0 Reputation points
2026-10-31T20:43:05.66+00:00

All my Notes in my Outlook folder are missing. I can see the Notes folder but 0 notes and it is still enabled in my account settings, but the folder is empty. I recently emptied my Junk Email and Deleted Items folders so not sure if that had anything to do with it. I tried to recover these emails and didn't work. I have checked Outlook online and Recently Deleted on my iPhone, but cannot find the notes. Does anyone know what happened and can this be recovered?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Settings
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  1. Hornblower409 18,685 Reputation points
    2026-11-03T05:19:48.7233333+00:00

    @CW said

    All my Notes in my Outlook folder are missing.

    1 -- When you say "Notes", do you mean Outlook Notes (below), Microsoft OneNote, or a mail folder named "Notes"?

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    2 -- Which product are you using when you look for the missing items: Outlook Web ( https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/ ), Outlook for Windows (classic), New Outlook, or Outlook for iPhone?

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-31T20:43:19.38+00:00

    If the Notes folder is visible but empty, and recovery from Deleted Items already failed, the most likely possibilities supported here are:

    1. The items may still exist but are not visible because of a view/filter issue in Outlook.
      • In Outlook for Windows, open the affected folder.
      • Go to View > View Settings > Filter.
      • Check Tasks, More Choices, and Advanced for anything filtering items out.
      • Common filters that hide items include date, keywords, read/unread, sender/recipient, importance, and size.
    2. If the items were deleted when Deleted Items or Junk Email was cleared, check recovery locations again in Outlook on the web:
      • Open Deleted Items.
      • If the items are there, move them back to another folder.
      • If not, use Recover items deleted from this folder from Deleted Items.
      • In Outlook on the web, items removed from Deleted Items are recoverable for 30 days.
      • Junk email is also retained for 30 days before automatic deletion.
    3. Search the mailbox in Outlook on the web with the scope set to All folders using a known word, sender, or subject from one of the missing items.
      • Also check Archive and Junk Email.
      • If anything is recovered, move it into a newly created regular mail folder instead of Notes.
    4. If using Outlook mobile, confirm the folder list is expanded.
      • Outlook Mobile can collapse folders in the navigation pane.
      • Tap the > on the right side of a folder row to expand it.
    5. If the Notes folder exists but still shows no items anywhere, try a clean browser session for Outlook on the web.
      • Open Outlook on the web in an InPrivate/Incognito window and check the Notes folder again.
    6. If the notes still do not appear after these checks, there is no supported self-service recovery path here beyond Deleted Items and Recoverable Items. For classic Outlook, if an item is not in the Recover Deleted Items window, the documented next step is to contact the system administrator.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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