How to Stop Outlook Automatically Deleting Emails From Inbox

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of preventing Outlook from automatically deleting emails from your inbox. If you've noticed emails disappearing without your consent, this guide will help you identify and adjust the settings responsible for this behavior.

Step 1: Check Your Deleted Items Settings

• Open Outlook on your device.
• Navigate to the File menu located at the top left corner.
• Select Options from the sidebar.
• In the Outlook Options window, click on Advanced.
• Scroll down to the AutoArchive section.
• Click on AutoArchive Settings to review your settings.
  • Ensure that "Run AutoArchive every" is unchecked or set to a longer duration.
  • Uncheck "Delete expired items" if it is selected.

Step 2: Modify Your Inbox Cleanup Options

• Still in the Outlook Options window, go to the Mail tab.
• Look for the Cleanup Tools button under the Clean Up section.
• Click on Cleanup Tools and select Mailbox Cleanup.
• In the Mailbox Cleanup dialog, check if any settings may be set to automatically delete items:
  • Review the "Items older than" settings.
  • Ensure that the option for "Permanently delete items" is not selected.

Step 3: Review Your Rules

• Head back to the Home tab in the main Outlook interface.
• Click on Rules in the ribbon, and then select Manage Rules & Alerts.
• Review any existing rules that might be moving emails to the Deleted Items folder:
  • Identify any rule set to delete or move emails automatically.
  • Modify or delete any problematic rules.

Step 4: Check Your Email Account Settings

• Return to the File menu and select Account Settings.
• In the dropdown, choose Account Settings again.
• Double-click on your email account to open the settings.
• Check the settings related to server behavior and auto-deletion:
  • Ensure that “Remove from server after X days” is unchecked.
  • Verify any settings that may affect email retention.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can successfully stop Outlook from automatically deleting your emails. Start by checking your Deleted Items settings, modifying your inbox cleanup options, reviewing any existing rules, and ensuring your account settings are correct. If you continue to experience issues, consider reaching out to your email provider for further assistance.