I cannot find the SENT items in the Archive Folder (it is a pst file).

Hello Michael,

Thank you for posting on Microsoft Community.

To resolve this issue we will set the Archive PST file as the default PST for a moment and reset the original PST as default. Follow these steps: 

1. Click on the File tab > Account Settings > Account Setting drop-down button.

2. On the Email Accounts window click on Data Files tab.

3. Select the Archive PST file and click on Set as Default at the top of the window.

4. Close the Email Account window and close Outlook 2010.

5. Open Outlook 2010 and reset the default data file back to your original default PST file.  

Check if this works and you are able to see the Sent Items folder in the Archive PST file.

Hope the above information helps. Let us know the result.

Thank you.

Tks for the reply Mohan,  Sorry for the delay in coming back - I have been away.

I have done exactly as per your suggestions above and the SENT folder still does not show in the Archive folder.

I did the SEARCH again and I can still see the emails listed in the SEARCH results that are in the SENT archive folder.  So the data is still there somewhere!

One clarification; in yr point 5, you say "....reset the default data file back to your original default PST file. "  My original file is a ".ost", not a ".pst" file.  the archive folder is an ".pst" file.

In other ideas?

Tks  Michael

Hello Michael,

Thank you for your response and for the update.

Let us try the following step:  

1. In Outlook 2010 check below the navigation pane (left-hand pane) and check, you will see small buttons for Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes etc.

2. Next to these buttons you will see an ‘Arrow’ button and right next to this button a small drop-down chevron.

3. Click on the drop-down button and find the Folders icon/button.

4. Click on Folders to bring all folders for all Data Files into view. 

Check if you are now able to see the Sent Folder in Archive PST.

Hope the above steps help. Let us know if you need further assistance.

Thank you.

Thanks for the email Mohan. I have already tried looking at the folder list and the sent items do not show in the archive folder.

Do you have any other ideas for me to try?

 thanks for your help. Michael

Hello Michael,

Thank you for your response.

Since the folder list does not show the Sent Items folder for the Archive PST, here is a new suggestion. Let us follow these steps to create a new blank Outlook Profile and open the Archive PST file in the new Outlook Profile:

We shall create a new Outlook Profile and to test the issue. Please follow these steps from the article below.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/829918

After setting up the new Profile, make sure to follow the step: Turn on or off profile prompt from the instructions in the above mentioned article and make your new Profile as the default Profile (on the same window follow the steps Set a default profile). After these steps are completed – close and reopen Outlook 2010. It should open in the new Profile.

Open the Archive PST in the new Profile. Once opened make sure to bring the folder list into view as per suggestions from my last post. Check if you are able to view the Sent Items folder for the Archive PST in the new Profile. If this works then you will have to set up your email account/s in the new Profile and transfer other information if any (for example calendar, contacts and notes), from the old to the new Profile  

Please try the above and let us know the result.

Thank you.

Tks for the email Mohan and sorry for the delay in responding.

I set up a new profile as per your email and unfortunately there is still no SENT folder under the "Archive July 14 ON" - see picture below:-

For checking sake I also when thru all the other folders (the ones seen by clicking the white triangle - like 'InBox', 'Deleted Items' and '1 aPersonnal') to make sure the SENT folder was not "hiding" somewhere - no luck.

I also did a SEARCH again (in the new profile) to make sure that Emails that are in the SENT folder can be found - and like at the beginning they are still showing in the SEARCH results - see picture below:-

So the emails are still there somewhere!

Can you give me any other ideas?

Tks for your help,  Michael

I also have the exact same problem with Outlook 2010. And I found a 3rd party PST viewer, Kernel Outlook PST Viewer, and it can see the Sent Items just fine, so this has to be a bug in Outlook. I even set Outlook up on a completely separate computer, and still can't see the Sent Items. I also created a brand new PST, Sent Items are getting archived, but you can't see the Sent Items folder in the archive... Very frustrating. I see so many people complaining about this, but no fix! :/ 

Can we get an Official Microsoft person to look into this bug!? I see a lot of people having the same problem as me, but no one ever comes up with a fix. It would be nice if someone from MS would create an internal bug report, and get someone to actually work on this bug, and release a fix.

So again, here is the bug:

When you archive your items in Outlook, in my case, 2010, (but I've also seen lots of other people having the same problem in 2007 and 2013 as well) everything shows up fine in the archive, except for the Sent Items folder. This folder cannot be found. However it is there, it is just hidden. You can make a search and find items from this folder. I can also use a 3rd party PST viewer, and it can see the Sent Items folder. I have also tried to create a brand new archive - same problem. I have also tried it on a separate computer - same problem. And yes, I've tried repairing the PSTs as well - no luck.

Apparently a bug in Outlook.

Microsoft, please work on a fix for this bug.

Thanks! 

On this PC I have yearly archives 2002 to date, they are all intact

The only many people complaining revealed a +3 year old post, and the problem there was with the view being used