In recent times we have come across many Outlook users complaining of a particular problem that they just can’t seem to get rid of. You see, these folks realize that whenever they delete one or more emails from their accounts, these emails have a habit of returning back to the Inbox.
Outlook deleted emails keep coming back to Inbox
If you are one of the many folks who are facing this problem, then please follow the solutions laid out below and things should end well:
- Disable Outlook add-ins
- Delete and Rebuild the OST file
- Delete contents from the Recoverable Items folder
Before you begin, make sure that you have updated your Office software.
1] Disable Outlook add-ins
The first thing you should do here is to disable problematic add-ins. It’s not easy to tell which add-in could be the culprit, therefore, your best bet is to disable all add-ins, then enable them one after the other, each time testing if emails return after being deleted.
To get this done, you must launch the Run dialog box.
- Simply press the Windows key + R, and right away the box will appear.
- Next, type Outlook /safe into the box and hit the Enter key.
- Doing this will open Outlook in Safe Mode.
If the problem is no longer a nuisance, then it means that one or more add-ins are the primary cause.
So now it’s time to find and disable each add-in.
From within Outlook, click on File, then select Options.
- After that, click on Add-ins, then look for Manage Com-in Add.
- Click on the Go button that sits beside it.
- Clear the checkbox from a single add-in.
Restart the Outlook app.
Have a look right now to see if the problem has finally been solved.
Once you have identified the problematic add-in, you may disable or remove it.
2] Delete and Rebuild the OST file
Next, we suggest deleting the OST file and, from there, rebuilding a new one right after.
Begin by closing the Outlook app if this hasn’t been done already.
Once that is done, press the Windows key + R to fire up the Run dialog box.
From there, type the following into the box and hit OK, or the Enter key.
%LOCALAPPDATA%/Microsoft/Outlook
Right away, the Outlook folder will open.
Next, you must seek out the .OST file from within the newly opened folder.
Once found, please delete it.
Now we have to Rebuild the OST file.
Microsoft Outlook cannot work properly without the .OST file, therefore, must be recreated, so let us discuss how to get this done.
Return to the Outlook application.
Click on File, then select Info via the left navigation bar.
Look for Account Settings and click on it.
You will see a small dropdown menu. Select the Account Settings option from it.
The next step to take here is to double-click on Microsoft Exchange.
From the pop-up box, please click on More Settings.
Select the Advanced tab, then click on Offline Folder File Setting.
Choose a location where the .OST file will be saved, then click on the OK button.
If you see an error message, ignore it and click OK to have the .OST file created.
Finally, click OK, followed up by Finish, and that’s it.
3] Delete contents from the Recoverable Items folder
The final solution here, if all others have failed to work out as intended, is to empty the Recoverable Items folder.
Before going forward, please note that this solution will delete all emails, even the ones that were accidentally deleted.
To begin, please press the Windows key + X to open Windows PowerShell in Admin mode.
You will now be required to run the following command:
Search-Mailbox -Identity "xxxx yyyy" -SearchDumpsterOnly -TargetMailbox "Discovery Search Mailbox" -TargetFolder "xxxxyyyy-RecoverableItems" -DeleteContent
When the above command is initiated, it will delete the Outlook mailbox, but at the same time, it will save a copy to the new mailbox.
For those who do not want to have a copy saved, then use the following command instead:
Search-Mailbox -Identity "xxxx yyyy" -SearchDumpsterOnly -DeleteContent
Hopefully, one of the solutions listed here will solve the deleted emails problem plaguing your version of Outlook.
READ: How to encrypt Emails in Outlook
How do I recover permanently deleted emails in Outlook?
First, you must ensure you are online and connected to the Outlook mail server. After that, go to your email folder list, then click on Deleted Items. From the Folder menu, go ahead and select Recover Deleted Items, then choose the items you want to recover. Finally, select Restore Selected Items, then hit the OK button to complete the task.
How to back up and restore emails in Microsoft Outlook?
Open the Outlook app, then go to File > Open and Export > Import/Export. From here, you must choose Import from another program or file, then click the Next button. Once that is done, then, please select Outlook data file (.pst) as the preferred file type to import, then hit Next. Choose the folder from which you want to import, then specify where the data is to be imported. Finally, click the Finish button to begin the import.
