Lost all files

If you have lost all your Excel and Outlook files, you may need to consider a few recovery options. For Outlook, if you are dealing with a corrupted personal folder file (.pst), you can use the Inbox Repair tool (Scanpst.exe) to attempt to repair the file. However, Microsoft Support Engineers cannot guarantee complete recovery of all corrupted Office files, including Excel and Outlook files.

If you need immediate assistance, contacting a Microsoft Support Engineer would be advisable, as they can provide guidance on recovering your files, but keep in mind that not all data may be recoverable.

References:

• Support Engineers can't guarantee complete repair of all corrupted Office files
• How to repair your Outlook personal folder file (.pst)
• Items placed in root folder seem to be lost in Outlook
• Items placed in root folder seem to be lost in Outlook
• Restore all the files in a volume using the MARS Agent

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks for reaching out. I understand how stressful it can be to lose important Excel and Outlook files, especially when they contain critical work. I'm here to help!

First, for Excel, check the Recover Unsaved Workbooks option in Excel by going to File → Open → Recover Unsaved Workbooks. This feature often saves temporary versions if the file wasn’t manually saved.

Second, look into the AutoRecover folder or your system’s Temp directory. Excel usually creates backup copies there. If your files were stored in OneDrive, you can also restore previous versions using Version History.

Third, for Outlook, start by checking the Deleted Items folder and then use the Recover items deleted from this folder option. If your data file is corrupted, running the Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST.EXE) can help repair PST or OST files.

Last, if these steps don’t work, consider restoring from backups or using file recovery tools like Windows File Recovery or third-party solutions. If you’re on Microsoft 365, your admin might also be able to recover items from the server within retention limits.

I hope you find this information helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer".

Regards,

Carlo