Local (New Outlook) Email Folders EMPTY / Most Populated At Outlook.Com

Question

Local (New Outlook) Email Folders EMPTY / Most Populated At Outlook.Com

LGLDSR73-6492 630

I have no idea what is going on.

I have Microsoft 365 Personal and am using the New Outlook. With the exception of the Inbox, Sent, Deleted and Draft folders, ALL of my 40+ other email folders on my local machine are empty.

Some folders are also unpopulated online as well. The folder contents are gone. I am the only one with access to this system.

What is going on? I have changed absolutely nothing. I need these on my local machine as well as online.

I was just checking and noticed that all these Folders wound up in the Deleted Folder. I was a Network Administrator for 43 years at [Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]. I did not do this.

How can I get these out of that Deleted folder?

User's image

Beyond that are many, many other Folders.

NOTE: I do not recall seeing this before: why do some but not all populated folders have a red dot (Outlook.Com), though sometimes white at Outlook.Com:

User's image

And on the Local Machine a white dot:

White dot

Thank you,

[Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]

Moved from <Microsoft 365 and Office | Other>

LGLDSR73-6492 630 Reputation points

2025-12-07T19:24:21.9866667+00:00

Hi [Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]. Please answer when able and thank you. Better sooner than later lest it delete the content again!

Best,

[Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]

2 answers

Your answer

LGLDSR73-6492 630 Reputation points

2025-12-07T19:24:21.9866667+00:00

Hi [Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]. Please answer when able and thank you. Better sooner than later lest it delete the content again!

Best,

[Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]

Answer 1

Chloe-V 2,940 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi LGLDSR73-6492,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand this incident in which many local folders appear empty and content shows under Deleted Items in New Outlook. Below are clear steps to recover your data and keep it visible in New Outlook.

1. Restore items that are in Deleted Items

Open Deleted Items in New Outlook or Outlook on the web.
Select the folders/messages you want back > on the ribbon choose Move and pick the destination folder. You can also right‑click and choose Restore or drag & drop to the target folder.
If you do not see the items in Deleted Items, click Recover items deleted from this folder to open Recoverable Items, select what you need, and click Restore (they will return to Deleted Items, then you can move them wherever you want).

Note: Permanently deleted items are typically kept in Recoverable Items for a limited time (often 14–30 days, depending on mailbox settings).

2. If your content was originally in local folders/PST

New Outlook is cloud‑first. Local‑only folders (PST/“On my computer”) won’t surface unless the data is moved into your mailbox on the server.

A. Temporarily switch to Outlook (Classic)

Use the New Outlook toggle to return to Outlook (Classic), which fully shows local/PST folders.

B. Import your PST into your cloud mailbox

In Outlook (Classic) go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
Choose Import from another program or file > Outlook Data File (.pst).
Select your PST and import into your Microsoft 365/Outlook.com mailbox, ticking Include subfolders.
After import completes, reopen New Outlook—your folders now live on the server and will sync and display normally.

Tip for large archives: if a PST is very big, open it in Classic Outlook and drag folders in batches into your mailbox to reduce strain during import.

3. Prevent recurrence

Review Rules/Sweep in Outlook on the web to ensure nothing is auto‑moving content into Deleted Items.
Keep important folders on the server (Exchange/Outlook.com) instead of local PST so New Outlook always shows them, and they are backed up in the cloud.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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LGLDSR73-6492 630 Reputation points

2025-12-08T14:57:50.0566667+00:00

Outstanding answer! Thank you.

I have no Rules enabled, Sweep or otherwise.

You wrote: "Keep important folders on the server (Exchange/Outlook.com) instead of local PST so New Outlook always shows them, and they are backed up in the cloud."

[I] My local email synch's with Outlook.Com. Is that what you are referring to?

[II] What about the Red and White dots as shown in the lower portion of my Post?

Thank you again,

[Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]
Chloe-V 2,940 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-09T08:38:43.33+00:00
Hi LGLDSR73-6492,

Thank you for your response.

When emails and working folders are stored in the Outlook.com mailbox (on the server), New Outlook will always display and sync them fully, with data securely backed up in the cloud.

In contrast, PST or “On my computer” folders are local data. Currently, New Outlook does not use PST as the primary working storage and only offers limited support (mainly for viewing/searching). Full operations with PST still require Outlook (Classic).

Therefore, keeping important folders in your Outlook.com mailbox is the best way to ensure New Outlook can access and sync them seamlessly.

Regarding the red dot on Outlook.com/web or browser tab:

This badge indicates unread items (which may be in Inbox, Other, or Junk). It usually disappears after you open or mark items as read or click Inbox again to acknowledge.

Regarding the white underline on the Outlook icon in the Windows 11 taskbar:

This is a Windows status indicator showing the app is running.

The envelope badge for “New mail” on the Outlook icon depends on these settings:

Windows: “Show badges on taskbar apps”

Outlook: Notifications

When both are enabled, the icon can display an overlay when new mail arrives.
LGLDSR73-6492 630 Reputation points

2025-12-09T17:54:32.94+00:00

Chole-V,

Thank you very much. Would you recommend I use the Classic version of Outlook?

Best,

[Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]
Chloe-V 2,940 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-10T09:22:55.3266667+00:00
Hi LGLDSR73-6492,

Thank you for your feedback.

Yes, I recommend using Outlook (Classic) for now if any of your working folders are still located in a local PST file or “On my computer,” or if you rely on features/add-ins available only in Classic Outlook. Classic is the best option to organize, restore items from Deleted Items, and perform a full import of your PST file into your Outlook.com mailbox. Once your important folders have been moved to the server mailbox (Outlook.com) and are visible on the web, you can switch to New Outlook for a cloud-first experience where everything will sync across devices and be backed up in the cloud.

Quick steps to complete the migration in Classic:

File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Import from another program or file > Outlook Data File (.pst).

Select your Outlook.com account as the destination and include subfolders.

For large archives, import in batches to keep the client responsive.

Verify on Outlook.com (web) that folders and messages appear correctly, then open New Outlook and confirm they are synced.
LGLDSR73-6492 630 Reputation points

2025-12-10T14:56:00.2566667+00:00

Thank you. I have switched to Classic. I do not have a .PST file, but rather a .OST file. Thoughts?

Best,

[Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]
LGLDSR73-6492 630 Reputation points

2025-12-10T15:10:44.5533333+00:00

Chole-V,

Thank you. I have switched to Classic. I do not have a .PST file, but rather a .OST file. Thoughts?

Best,

[Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]
Chloe-V 2,940 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-11T07:23:14.6433333+00:00
Hi LGLDSR73-6492,

Thank you for your reply and for confirming you have switched to Outlook (Classic).

Regarding “having an .OST instead of a .PST — what should be done?”

An Offline Storage Table (.OST) is the local cache that is tied to a specific Outlook profile, and it automatically synchronizes with your mailbox on the server (Outlook.com or Exchange). An OST file is not a backup, and it cannot be imported into a different mailbox. If your data already exists on the server, Outlook will re‑synchronize it, and no OST import is required.

If you still have local‑only folders on your computer, you will need to export them to an Outlook Data File (.PST) in Outlook (Classic) and then move or import that content into your Outlook.com mailbox so that it appears in New Outlook and across your devices.

Here are a few things you might try:

1. Restore content currently in Deleted Items (if applicable)

Open Deleted Items in New Outlook or Outlook on the web.

Select the emails or folders to restore, choose Move, and select the destination folder (you can also choose Restore or drag and drop).

If the items are not visible in Deleted Items, click Recover items deleted from this folder to open Recoverable Items, select the required content, and choose Restore. The items will return to Deleted Items; from there, move them to the desired location.

Reference: Recover and restore deleted items in Outlook

2. If you still have data only in local folders (not on the server)

Goal: move the data to the server mailbox so that New Outlook can display and synchronize it.

A. Export to a .PST in Outlook (Classic)

Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Export to a file > Outlook Data File (.pst).

Choose the folders to export (select Include subfolders if needed) and save the .pst file.

Reference: Export emails, contacts, and calendar items to Outlook using a .pst file

B. Bring the .PST into your Outlook.com mailbox (in Outlook Classic)

Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Import from another program or file > Outlook Data File (.pst).

Select your Outlook.com account as the destination and include subfolders.

For large archives, import in batches to keep the application responsive.

When finished, verify on Outlook.com (web) that folders and messages look correct; then open New Outlook and allow it to synchronize.

Note: New Outlook currently offers limited support for .pst. Full export and import actions should be performed in Outlook (Classic). See the Microsoft Support article above for details.

3. If the .OST belongs to an older or orphaned profile, and it contains mail that is not yet on the server

Outlook cannot import an OST file directly because it is bound to the original profile. The supported approach is to open the original profile in Outlook (Classic), export to a .PST, and then import into your current mailbox as described in step 2B.

Reference: Open or import items from an offline Outlook Data File (.ost)

Tip to avoid this incident in the future:

Keep important working folders in your Outlook.com (server) mailbox rather than in local‑only archives. Folders stored on the server are visible in New Outlook and are backed up in the cloud, while full export and import actions continue to require Outlook (Classic).
LGLDSR73-6492 630 Reputation points

2025-12-11T16:40:21.96+00:00

Chole-V*,*

I want to thank you for your time at putting together an answer with such depth and detail, absolutely outstanding.

I did find a video and apparently MS 365 Personal does not support recovering deleted items per the screen capture below as taken from the text at the bottom of the video:

My email is synched with(Classic) Outlook.Com. On a side note, I cannot replicate the layout above. E.g., File / Home / Send/Receive, etc.

You wrote: "Keep important working folders in your Outlook.com (server) mailbox rather than in local‑only archives. Folders stored on the server are visible in New Outlook and are backed up in the cloud, while full export and import actions continue to require Outlook (Classic)."

Should I revert to the New Outlook? With respect to that, when I close out Classic, it will reopen as the New Outlook and I have to change it to Classic. Strange.

Again, a thousand thanks for sticking with this!

All the Best,

[Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]
Chloe-V 2,940 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-12T06:52:44.44+00:00
Hi LGLDSR73-6492,

Thank you for sharing the details and the screenshot regarding the current incident. To fully restore your data and ensure Outlook (Classic) opens by default on your PC, please follow the steps below.

1. Restore items in Deleted Items or the hidden Recoverable Items container

How it works: The Recover Deleted Items capability depends on your account type (Outlook.com/Exchange) and the Outlook app in use. With Outlook.com/Exchange mailboxes, you can recover items from Deleted Items and the second‑stage recycle bin (Recoverable Items).

Steps by app

Outlook (Classic)

Open Deleted Items.

Go to Home > Recover Deleted Items from Server.

Select the items > Restore.

New Outlook (Windows)

Open Deleted Items.

Click Recover items deleted from this folder at the top.

Select items > Restore.

Outlook on the web (Outlook.com)

Open Deleted Items.

Select Recover items deleted from this folder > choose items > Restore.

Note: In Outlook (Classic), the Recover command appears only when the Deleted Items folder of an Outlook.com/Exchange account is selected and Outlook is online. If your data is in POP/IMAP or local PST folders, that command will not be available.

Retention window: Items in Recoverable Items are typically kept 14 days by default (can be extended to 30 days). After that period, items are no longer user‑recoverable.

2. If some content still resides in local folders/PST (not on the server)

New Outlook is cloud‑first; local PST content will not surface until it’s moved into your server mailbox. Please use Outlook (Classic) to transfer local data:

A. (Optional) Export to PST

File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Export to a file > Outlook Data File (.pst)

Choose folders (tick Include subfolders) > save the PST.

B. Import the PST into your Outlook.com mailbox

File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Import from another program or file > Outlook Data File (.pst)

Select your Outlook.com account as the destination (Include subfolders).

After the import, verify on Outlook.com (web) that folders/messages appear; New Outlook will then display them and sync across devices.

Note: Full import actions are performed in Outlook (Classic). New Outlook currently provides read access to .pst and drag‑and‑drop for emails but does not yet support complete import for contacts/calendar.

3. Make Outlook (Classic) your default and stop auto‑switching to New Outlook

In New Outlook, turn the New Outlook toggle Off and choose “Switch back to classic Outlook.” Future launches will open Classic.

In Windows Settings > Apps > Default apps, set MAILTO and file types .eml/.msg to Outlook (Classic) so links and files open in Classic.

4. Preventive recommendations

Keep all working folders in your Outlook.com (server) mailbox rather than local archives, so New Outlook always shows them, and data is backed up on the server.

Be mindful of the 14–30 day recovery window for Recoverable Items; if longer retention is required, it must be configured at an admin level.

5. Clarifying the “Recover” command

Messages such as “Recover not available” usually appear when the account type/context does not support server‑side recovery (e.g., POP/IMAP/local PST). With Outlook.com/Exchange, the recovery options in Classic/New/Web are available as described above.

Bottom line: Please continue using Outlook (Classic) to restore and move any local content into your Outlook.com mailbox; turn New Outlook off and set Outlook (Classic) as the Windows default so it launches consistently; once all folders live on the server and appear on the web, you may switch to New Outlook at your convenience.

Once you have completed the required steps, please let us know, and we will provide further assistance should any incident persist.

Answer 2

simo-k 67,805 Volunteer Moderator

What is the email connection method? (Exchange connection, IMAP connection, POP connection)
If it is a POP connection, you will no longer be able to view emails once the cache period on Microsoft’s cloud side has expired.

LGLDSR73-6492 630 Reputation points

2025-12-09T19:40:41.2733333+00:00

Simo,

Please advise and thank you.

Best,

[Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed]

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Local (New Outlook) Email Folders EMPTY / Most Populated At Outlook.Com

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