Find a Missing Email That Is Not in Junk or Quarantine

Find a Missing Email That Is Not in Junk or Quarantine

Overview

Someone says they sent you an email, but it is not in your inbox, your Junk folder, or quarantine. In most cases the message did arrive and was moved somewhere you did not expect. This guide walks through where to look in Outlook, and what to ask the sender if it truly never arrived.

Before You Begin

  • The sender's email address and roughly when they sent it.
  • Outlook on the web (outlook.office.com) is the best place to search, because it searches your whole mailbox even if your desktop Outlook has not finished syncing.

Steps

Search Every Folder

  1. Open outlook.office.com.
  2. In the search box, type the sender's email address.
  3. Make sure the search covers All folders, not only the current folder.
  4. Look at the Folder shown next to each result. The message may be in Archive, Other, a project folder, or Deleted Items.

Check Focused Inbox and Conversation View

  1. At the top of your inbox, click the Other tab if you see Focused and Other.
  2. If you use conversation view, the new message may be tucked inside an older thread with the same subject. Expand the thread.

Check Your Rules

  1. In Outlook on the web, click the Settings gear, then Mail, then Rules.
  2. Look for any rule that moves or deletes mail from that sender, that domain, or with words from the subject.
  3. Turn off or delete any rule you do not recognize, and tell IT if you did not create it. An unknown rule can be a sign that your account was compromised.

Check Blocked Senders and Recover Deleted Items

  1. Go to Settings, Mail, Junk email, and make sure the sender is not on your Blocked senders list.
  2. In Deleted Items, click Recover items deleted from this folder to see mail that was removed in the last few weeks.

If It Still Is Not There

  1. Ask the sender whether they got a bounce message, and to forward it to you. It tells us exactly why the message was rejected.
  2. Ask them to confirm the address they used. A single wrong letter is the most common cause.
  3. Open a ticket with the sender's address, the time sent, and the subject. We can trace the message in the mail system.

Troubleshooting

  • If messages from one sender always go missing: check your rules and blocked senders first, then ask IT to trace a message.
  • If you find a rule you did not create: change your password and open a ticket right away. See What to Do If Your Account Is Compromised.
  • If the message is in quarantine: see Release an Email From Microsoft Defender Quarantine.
  • If mail shows on your phone but not your computer: your desktop Outlook may be behind on syncing. Restart Outlook and give it a few minutes.

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Need More Help?

Submit a ticket at support.bostonmit.com or email support@bostonmit.com.