I have accidentally deleted my entire inbox

Tim McClain 0 Reputation points
2026-03-17T21:41:08.8533333+00:00

How I move all deleted items back to my inbox? Please help, it's freaking me out.

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For business

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  1. AI answer

    2026-03-17T21:41:21.2966667+00:00

    In Outlook, deleted messages normally go to Deleted Items, and from there many can still be restored.

    Follow these steps in order:

    1. Check Deleted Items and move everything back
      1. In Outlook, go to the Deleted Items folder in your email folder list.
      2. Select the messages to restore (use Ctrl+A to select all if available).
      3. Right‑click the selection and choose Move > Inbox, or drag the selection back to Inbox.
    2. If Deleted Items was emptied or messages were permanently deleted (classic Outlook) If using classic Outlook and the items are no longer in Deleted Items:
      1. Make sure Outlook is online and connected to the mail server.
      2. In the folder list, select Deleted Items.
      3. On the Home tab, select Recover Deleted Items From Server.
        • If this command is not present, the account does not support this recovery method.
      4. In the Recover Deleted Items window, select the items to restore.
      5. Select Restore Selected Items, then OK. The items will be restored to Deleted Items.
      6. Move them from Deleted Items back to Inbox as in step 1.
    3. If using Outlook.com or Outlook on the web
      1. Go to the Deleted Items folder.
      2. Select the items to restore (use the checkboxes next to each message).
      3. On the ribbon, select Move and choose Inbox (or drag them to Inbox).
      4. If the messages are not in Deleted Items, select Recover items deleted from this folder (above the message list, when available), select the items, then Restore. They will go back to Deleted Items, and from there can be moved to Inbox.
    4. Time limits and when recovery is not possible
      • In Outlook.com/Outlook on the web, items removed from Deleted Items are recoverable for 30 days.
      • If the account shows Trash instead of Deleted Items, or if the Recover Deleted Items command is missing, recovery beyond the Deleted Items folder may not be supported.
      • Permanently deleted folders themselves cannot be recovered, but individual messages may still be recoverable using the steps above.

    If the messages do not appear in Deleted Items or the Recover Deleted Items / Recover items deleted from this folder options, they are likely beyond the recoverable period or not supported for recovery.

    References:

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

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  2. Hendrix-C 19,990 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-17T22:14:31.0266667+00:00

    Hi @Tim McClain,

    According to your concern, you don't need to worry much about it. In New Outlook, if you accidently deleted your all your inbox, you could easily recover it since the deleted email usually goes to Deleted items folder. Even if it's not there, there still be a second recovery area called Recoverable Items folder can give you chance to recover your lost emails:

    • In New Outlook, expand the left Navigation Pane and go to the Deleted Items folder

    User's image

    • Select the message you want to restore. For a big batch, you can use Ctrl+A to select all visible messages
    • In the Home tab, select Restore all and all the selected messages will be restored to their original folder

    User's image

    • If you don't see the emails in the Deleted Items folder, click the line "Recover items deleted from this folder". This will open Outlook secondary recovery area.
    • Then you can repeat the same steps to recover your deleted emails.

    Hope this will help. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to reach out in the comments under this post. I will be happy to assist you further.

    Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your response.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it.

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  3. lawrence blake 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-17T17:38:31.5266667+00:00

    I had my entire INBOX deleted [over one thousand items .They are in RECOVER ITEMS DELETED section .HOW CAN i RESEND THEM ALL BACK AS ONE FOLDER TO inbox WITHOUT RETURNING THEM EACH ONE BY ONE-which will take forever.

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