Fixing inbound emails going to Deleted folder

Robert Wells 0 Reputation points
2026-10-05T21:59:09.6533333+00:00

All of a sudden all of my incoming Outlook emails are going into my Deleted file.

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home
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  1. EmilyS726 270.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-05T22:37:09.3533333+00:00

    Hello

    Use the AI answer first.

    If that doesn't address the issue, one more thing to check.

    If you use Classic Outlook on any Windows device, do this on those devices

    Close Outlook completely.

    Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.

    Type outlook /cleanrules and press Enter to clear and reset client-side rule stores

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-05T21:59:25.0633333+00:00

    Common causes in classic Outlook for Windows are:

    1. The conversation was set to Ignore
      • Go to Deleted Items.
      • Select one of the messages that was moved there.
      • On the Home tab, select Ignore.
      • If prompted, select Stop Ignoring Conversation.
      • If the Ignore button is highlighted, that conversation is currently being ignored. After stopping it, the selected message is moved back to its original folder, and future messages in that thread should stay out of Deleted Items.
    2. A rule is moving mail to Deleted Items
      • In Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, check Settings > Mail > Rules.
      • Remove any rule that deletes messages or moves them to Deleted Items.
      • Also check Sweep and remove any suspicious sweep rules.
    3. Blocked senders or junk settings are causing mail handling problems
      • In Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email.
      • Remove legitimate senders or domains from Blocked senders.
      • In classic Outlook, go to Home > Junk > Junk E-mail Options.
      • On the Options tab, clear Permanently delete suspected junk e-mail instead of moving it to the Junk E-mail folder.
    4. If this started after suspicious account activity
      • Change the Microsoft account password.
      • Review account security activity.
      • Sign out of all sessions.
      • Then recheck rules, blocked senders, and sweep settings because those can remain after a password change.

    If mail is still going to Deleted Items after these checks, review Deleted Items for a message from the affected thread and test the Ignore button first, because that is a documented Outlook behavior that automatically sends future messages in that conversation to Deleted Items.

    References:

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

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