Outlook.com emails disappearing automatically – no rules found

Patrick Rohde 0 Reputation points
2026-10-30T14:08:36.34+00:00

Hello,

I am experiencing an issue with my personal Outlook.com mailbox where certain incoming emails disappear shortly after arriving.

I have personally observed messages appearing in Outlook Web and then disappearing without deleting or moving them myself.

Other messages arrive and remain in the mailbox normally.

Troubleshooting already completed:

  • Checked Inbox, Junk Email, Archive and Deleted Items.
  • Checked Recover Deleted Items.
  • Reviewed inbox rules and Sweep rules.
  • Confirmed that automatic forwarding is disabled.
  • Disabled POP and IMAP.
  • Checked connected applications and revoked unused permissions.
  • Examined the Inbox Rules Table and Associated Contents Table using MFCMAPI.
  • Found no unexpected rules.

My questions:

Could Outlook.com automatically remove certain messages without a visible inbox rule?

Are there any other places where hidden or server-side rules could exist?

Is there a way to identify what happened to messages that disappeared and cannot be recovered?

Are there any additional diagnostic steps available for personal Outlook.com accounts?

I would appreciate any technical guidance on investigating this issue.

Thank you.Hello,

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home

Answer recommended by moderator
Patrick Rohde 0 Reputation points
2026-10-31T08:47:23.2+00:00

I resolved it this morning. After digging even more through MFCMAPI i found a rule that blocked all mails from the sendes that i was looking for.

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  1. Carl-L 24,580 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-31T06:35:37.4966667+00:00

    Hello Patrick Rohde,

    Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

    Before we proceed, may I know if there are any common point with the affected email? Also, may I know if this happens when you send a test email to yourself?

    I'm waiting for your reply.

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