Outlook how to restore deleted folder​

Microsoft Outlook has long stood as a cornerstone of professional communication, productivity, and organizational control for millions of users worldwide. Whether used in a corporate environment with Microsoft Exchange or as a personal tool via Outlook.com, its capabilities for managing emails, calendars, contacts, and tasks are vast and dependable. However, with such complex functionality also comes the potential for errors accidental deletions being among the most common.

Imagine this scenario: you’re working late, your inbox is cluttered, and in an effort to tidy up, you accidentally delete an entire folder containing vital emails. Panic sets in. Those messages contained key information—project updates, client communications, even legal records. What now?

Fortunately, Microsoft Outlook includes several mechanisms to recover deleted content, including folders. But the process of restoring a deleted folder is not always intuitive. Factors like the type of account (Exchange, IMAP, or POP), retention policies, and user actions can influence recovery success. In this guide, we will explore in detail how to restore a deleted folder in Outlook, step by step, ensuring you are equipped with the knowledge to handle such mishaps calmly and efficiently.

Exchange Accounts (Office 365. Outlook with Microsoft 365. etc.): These accounts often offer robust recovery options including access to the “Recoverable Items” folder.

IMAP Accounts (Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc.): Deleted folders usually go into the Deleted Items or Trash folder but may not support folder-level recovery beyond a certain point.

POP Accounts: These download emails to your local device, and deletion might result in permanent loss unless you have a backup.

Understanding your account type is key to determining which recovery options you have available.

Method 1: Recovering a Deleted Folder from Deleted Items

This is the first and easiest place to check.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Open Microsoft Outlook.

In the folder pane (usually on the left side), click on the Deleted Items folder.

Look for the deleted folder. If you see it:

Right-click the folder.

Choose Move Folder or Move to Folder.

Select the destination where you want the folder restored (e.g., Inbox or another parent folder).

Click OK or Move.

Important Notes:

If you delete a folder, all its contents remain within the folder unless you deleted them individually.

The folder structure should be preserved when restoring from Deleted Items.

Method 2: Using “Recover Deleted Items” Feature (Exchange Only)

If the folder is no longer in the Deleted Items folder, Exchange users may be able to retrieve it from the “Recover Deleted Items” section.

Accessing Recoverable Items:

Click on the Deleted Items folder.

Navigate to the Home tab on the ribbon.

Click Recover Deleted Items From Server or Recover Deleted Items.

Note: The name might differ slightly depending on your Outlook version.

A new window will pop up displaying a list of deletions that are still recoverable.

Scroll through the list or use the search bar to find the folder or messages that belonged to it.

Select the items and click Restore Selected Items.

Limitations:

This method typically allows you to recover individual items, not full folders. You may need to recreate the folder and manually move the restored items into it.

Retention time for recoverable items is usually 14–30 days depending on your organization’s policy.

Method 3: Restoring from Server Backup (Exchange Admin Help)

If the folder isn’t in the Deleted Items or Recoverable Items folder, it may still be recoverable through an Exchange server backup. For this, you’ll need help from your IT administrator.

What to Do:

Contact your IT support or Exchange Administrator.

Provide the name of the folder and any relevant details (when it was deleted, what it contained, etc.).

Admins can use tools like eDiscovery, Exchange Admin Center, or PowerShell scripts to recover folders from server backups.

When is this needed?

After the retention period expires.

If Recoverable Items were purged.

If folders were deleted a long time ago.

Method 4: Check the Archive Folder

Some folders might have been automatically or manually archived.

How to Check:

In Outlook, look for a folder named Archive in your folder list.

Expand the Archive folder to see if your deleted folder was moved there.

If found, right-click and move it back to your desired location.

Why This Helps:

AutoArchive settings might be configured to move old items or folders to the archive. This especially applies to older Outlook versions or manually archived data.

Method 5: Use the Search Function

Sometimes, the folder isn’t deleted—it’s just misplaced.

Try This:

Use the Search Bar in the upper part of Outlook.

Type a known email subject, sender, or keyword.

Once found, right-click the message and choose Open Folder Location.

This will reveal if the folder still exists, possibly moved by accident.

Method 6: Recover from Outlook Data Files (.pst or .ost)

If Using POP or IMAP:

Your emails and folders might be stored locally in a .PST file. Here’s how to recover deleted content:

Step-by-Step:

Go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.

Browse to your PST file location and open it.

Navigate through the folder list and check if the deleted folder is present.

You can drag and drop the folder into your current mailbox.

Restore with ScanPST Tool (Inbox Repair Tool):

If your PST file is corrupted and causing missing folders:

Exit Outlook.

Run ScanPST.exe (usually located in the Office installation folder).

Browse to the PST file and click Start.

Allow the tool to scan and repair issues.

This might recover deleted or corrupted folders.

Method 7: Recover with Third-Party Recovery Software

Accidentally deleting an important folder can feel like a disaster—especially if it contained essential documents, project files, or personal memories. Fortunately, Panda Assistant, a powerful data recovery tool, is designed to help you quickly and easily restore deleted folders on Windows or macOS systems.

Step 1: Launch Panda Assistant

Open Panda Assistant on your computer. If you haven’t installed it yet, download it from the official website and follow the installation instructions. Once installed, run the program to access the main interface.

Step 2: Select the Drive

Choose the storage location where the folder was originally located—this could be your computer’s hard drive, an external USB drive, or an SD card. Click Next to proceed.

Step 3: Scan for Deleted Folders

Panda Assistant offers two scan types:

Quick Scan for recently deleted items.

Deep Scan for a thorough search across the entire drive.

Select Deep Scan if the folder was deleted a while ago or if a quick scan doesn’t find it.

Step 4: Preview and Locate Your Folder

Once the scan is complete, you’ll see a list of recoverable files and folders. Use the built-in preview function or search bar to locate the deleted folder.

Step 5: Restore the Folder

Select the folder you want to restore and click the Recover button. Choose a different location (not the original one) to save the recovered data and avoid overwriting.

Final Tip:

Always back up important data regularly. While Panda Assistant is highly effective, having backups ensures you’re protected against future mishaps.

Method 8: Restore from a System Backup

If your computer or network system uses regular backups, you might be able to restore your Outlook data from one.

What to Do:

Identify when the folder was last available.

Access your backup software or speak to your IT team.

Locate the Outlook PST/OST file from that date.

Restore the file to a temporary location.

Open the restored file in Outlook and retrieve your folder.

Preventing Future Folder Deletions

Now that you’ve recovered your folder, it’s time to take preventive measures to avoid this happening again.

Tips:

Regular Backups: Use Outlook’s export feature or a third-party tool to create backups of your mailbox.

Use Archive Instead of Delete: Archiving ensures your content is out of the way but not gone.

Retention Policies: Talk to your IT admin to understand or configure retention settings.

Enable Deletion Confirmation: Some Outlook versions can prompt a warning when deleting folders.

Organize with Labels and Categories: Instead of creating too many folders, consider using tags or categories.

Set Up AutoArchive Rules Carefully: Make sure these rules don’t move or delete critical folders unintentionally.

Special Considerations for Outlook Web Access (OWA)

If you use Outlook in the browser:

Go to your Deleted Items folder.

Click Recover Items deleted from this folder at the top.

Select the folder items and click Restore.

Note: Like the desktop version, you often cannot recover full folders, just individual messages.

When Recovery Isn’t Possible

Despite all these methods, sometimes recovery is no longer an option. This could happen if:

The Deleted Items folder was emptied.

The retention period expired.

Your mailbox was migrated and the folder was lost.

You’re using a POP account with no backups.

In such cases, it’s best to:

Search old backups.

Check with your IT support for enterprise-level recovery.

Consider using forensic email recovery specialists if the data is legally or financially critical.

Losing a folder in Outlook can feel overwhelming, but as this guide has shown, there are multiple recovery paths available. From the Deleted Items folder to advanced recovery tools and administrative support, Outlook offers several layers of protection to help you retrieve lost data. Whether you’re a solo user or part of a large organization, acting quickly and following the right steps increases your chance of successful recovery.