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When you accidentally delete Outlook items, such as email messages, calendar appointments, contacts, or tasks, you can often recover them if they are in your Deleted Items or Junk Email folders. In some cases, you can even recover items after the Deleted Items folder is emptied.

The first place to look for a deleted item, such as an email message, calendar appointment, contact, or task is the Deleted Items folder. If it's not there, you might still be able to recover it, depending on which type of Outlook you're using.

Select a tab option below for the version of Outlook you're using. What version of Outlook do I have?

Note: If the steps under this New Outlook tab don't work, you may not be using new Outlook for Windows yet. Select the Classic Outlook tab and follow those steps instead.

Restore items from your Deleted Items or Junk Email folders in new Outlook

  1. Select the Deleted Items or Junk Email folder. If folders are hidden, select the Show Navigation Pane icon.Select show/hide Navigation Pane to show or hide the folders list.

  2. Select the item or items you'd like to restore by hovering over the item and selecting the checkbox next to it.

  3. On the Home tab of the ribbon, select Move. Choose a folder from the list, or select Move to a different folder, and then choose a location from the full folder list. You can also drag messages to other folders, or right-click and select Restore.Select Move and select a folder to move your message to.

Recover an item that's no longer in your Deleted Items folder in new Outlook

If you can't find an item in the Deleted Items folder, the next place to look is the Recoverable Items folder.

Watch this video or follow the steps in this section to recover items from the Recoverable Items folder.

Having trouble playing the video? Watch it on YouTube.

  1. Select the Deleted Items folder, and then select Recover items deleted from this folder.Select recover items deleted from this folder to view the Recoverable Items folder.

  2. Hover over an item and check the box next to it. Select Restore from the Home ribbon.

Tip: You can select multiple items, or select the checkbox next to Recoverable Items to select all messages. Select Restore.

Select the checkbox next to Recoverable Items to select all messages to restore.

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See Also

Show a declined meeting on my calendar

Restore or recover a deleted contact in Outlook

Empty the deleted items folder in Outlook

Restore deleted contacts in Outlook

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