Losing important emails can be stressful, especially when they’ve been permanently deleted from the Trash or Deleted Items folder in Outlook. Fortunately, there are several methods to recover these emails, depending on your Outlook setup and backup availability.
Methods to Recover Emails That Have Been Deleted From Trash in Outlook
We have 5 distinct methods here to recover emails that have been deleted from Trash in Outlook. Lets take a look at all of them individually.
1. Recover from "Recoverable Items" Folder
Outlook retains deleted emails in the Recoverable Items folder (formerly "Dumpster") for a limited time before permanent deletion.
Steps:
- Open Outlook and go to the Deleted Items folder.
- Click Recover Deleted Items from Server (for Exchange) or Recover Deleted Items (for Outlook 365/2019).
- Select the emails and click Restore.
Note: This method works only if the emails haven’t been purged from the Recoverable Items folder.
2. Restore from Outlook AutoArchive or Backup
If you have AutoArchive enabled or a PST backup, you may recover deleted emails from there.
Steps:
- Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
- Select Import from another program or file and choose your backup PST.
- Follow the prompts to restore emails.
3. Use Windows File Recovery (For Deleted PST)
If your Outlook PST file is deleted, Windows File Recovery can help retrieve lost PST file.
Steps:
- Download Windows File Recovery from Microsoft Store.
- Run the tool with the appropriate command to scan for PST files.
- Recover and import the PST into Outlook.
4. Check Email Server or Exchange Backups
For business accounts, administrators may have server backups.
Steps:
- Contact your IT admin to restore emails from an Exchange or Office 365 backup.
5. Use SysTools Outlook Recovery (For Permanently Deleted PST Data)
Accidentally deleting important emails from the Trash (or Deleted Items) folder in Outlook can be frustrating. If the emails are no longer in the Recoverable Items folder, you may need a professional recovery tool like SysTools Outlook Recovery to retrieve them. It supports deep scanning and recovers emails, attachments, and metadata.
Steps to recover emails that have been deleted from Trash in Outlook:
- Visit the official website and download the software.
- Install it on your Windows computer (the tool supports all Outlook versions).
- Launch the software and click "Add File" to browse for the Outlook PST file.
- Select the file from the system.
- If you don’t know the PST location, the tool can help find it with "Search" option.
- Choose a scanning mode (Quick Scan for recently deleted emails or Advanced Scan for permanently lost data).
- The tool will analyze the PST file and display recoverable emails, including those deleted from Trash in Red color.
- Browse through the recovered emails in the preview panel.
- Select the emails you want to restore or export all data with "Export" tab.
- Choose the "PST" format and export the recovered emails that have been deleted from Trash in Outlook.
Steps to Import Recovered Emails Back to Outlook
- Open Outlook and go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
- Select "Import from another program or file" and choose the recovered PST file.
- Follow the prompts to complete the import process.
Why Use this Software Solution?
- Recovers permanently deleted emails from Trash.
- Recovers attachments, contacts, and calendar items.
- Supports corrupted & password-protected PST files.
- Exports to PST, EML, MSG, PDF, or directly to Office 365.
If emails are deleted from the Trash and not recoverable via Outlook’s built-in options, SysTools Outlook Recovery provides a reliable solution. It ensures maximum data recovery with minimal effort.
Prevention Tips
- Enable AutoArchive to back up emails periodically.
- Regularly export PST files as backups.
- Increase retention policies in Exchange/Outlook 365.
Conclusion
Recovering emails deleted from the Trash in Outlook is possible using built-in features, backups, or specialized tools. For severely corrupted PST files, professional recovery software may be the best solution. Always maintain backups to avoid permanent data loss.
Would you like a more detailed guide on any of these methods? Let me know!