Recovery of Lost Outlook Folders

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About 3 months ago, I converted my email (Outlook 2019) from POP to IMAP at the recommendation of   AOL, my email provided since Verizon folded theirs. This week, after becoming very dissatisfied with IMAP, I had them change back to POP. During this process, three Outlook folders that I had established originally under POP and then again under IMAP disappeared from the IMAP file list in Outlook. They still appear in the POP-related list in Outlook but are empty. AOL advised me today that since these folders were apparently never established on their IMAP server they cannot be recovered.

I frequently back up the Outlook data files (.pst) both through File History and Macrium Reflect, I’m wondering if there is a way to recover just these folders. I don’t think I would want to restore a complete pst file as I imagine that any messages sent or received since it was created would be lost. Any advice or recommendations on this would be most appreciated.

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You can use Outlook to open the saved pst file which will open with its folders and emails below your current Outlook files. Will have as name of the folder the email address of the user when saved. Move the folders you want to the current Outlook file. Close the old file and you will be good to go.

The link below is Microsoft’s instructions for this function.
Open and close Outlook Data Files (.pst)

Edit: Must know where the pst back up file is stored to direct Outlook to it so it can open it.

HTH, Dana:))

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Didn’t work. After opening the target .pst file nothing new was added. The same folders were isplayed under “e-mail address” as wwere there before. The missing folders weren’t added. All folders in the target .pst file are empty.

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Maybe the folders were local – you would expect this with POP. They should be visible in one of your backups – can you go back further?

When you create a folder in IMAP it should create the same folder on the server – assuming the mail client settings were correct. Any mail in those folders should also be in your local OST file – do you have one of those?

cheers, Paul

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I was originally on POP. In Outlook I established the three missing folders and moved applicable mail to them as needed. At the time the folders disappeared, I was having AOL change me from IMAP back to POP. During the time I was under IMAP, I established the same folders on my PC in the Outlook folder list for IMAP. I did not establish them on the server, and don’t know if that was even possible. AOL advised that folders I set up locally in Outlook are NOT automatically set up on the server.  Therefore, they were unable to recover them. After the return to POP, the IMAP folders I established locally were gone. I was unable to locate a folder on my C: drive by searching for *.ost. Out of luck?

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Donald Eager wrote:

I frequently back up the Outlook data files (.pst) both through File History and Macrium Reflect, I’m wondering if there is a way to recover just these folders.

If you have a Macrium Reflect image created before the change to POP, you should be able to recover the folders from the image.

Win 11 home - 24H2
Attitude is a choice...Choose wisely

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Should I look at the image folder or the folder for the files and folders backup?

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Mount the image and copy the folders you want to recover to a new location.

Browsing Macrium Reflect images

Win 11 home - 24H2
Attitude is a choice...Choose wisely

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