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Outlook 365 read messages disappearing when switching folders (bug?)

This started yesterday.

Outlook 365. Windows 10 Pro. All updates applied.

Nothing in Outlook was changed. The error just started happening.

Outlook has been repaired, and reset. This did not fix the problem.

1) Message received in Inbox and is unread

2) Message is marked as read (either after X seconds or manually, I've tried both)

3) Message is then shown as read in inbox

4) Switch to another folder (e.g. sent)

5) Switch back to Inbox

6) Read message is shown for a second and then it disappears.

7) Disappearing message is not in trash, bin or anywhere. It has gone for good.

More information.

a) It's not a filter issue - filters are off, other read emails in the inbox are shown.

b) There are no rules.

c) No add-ins are enabled.

d) If an old already-read message is marked as unread and then marked as read then it will disappear as described above.

e) the email account is IMAP/SMTP and other methods of accessing the account (Browser / iOS) are working correctly.

f) the disappearing emails also disappear from the IMAP/SMTP account.

g) scanpst.exe not used because Office 365 does not seem to have this anywhere.

h) a test with an email message with unique text in the subject line has shown that the disappearing messages cannot be found by "search all mailboxes". 

i) just Windows security in use. No other anti-virus etc.

IMHO this is an Outlook bug. It seems to be caused when a message is marked as read. It's a serious one for us as we have been losing business emails. For the time being we're avoiding Outlook altogether.

Any solutions gratefully received.

Kevin Thomas @ Herschel Systems

Moved from: (Outlook.com | Email | Sending, receiving, and reading email)

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Hi Kevin,

Based on your description you are accessing your account through Outlook desktop application, and it seems that your email only works as expected when accessed via browser or a different device. Could you confirm this? If so, you mentioned that the message disappears in Outlook 365 after switching to a different folder and it can no longer be found even if you check your other folders. Do you mean that the email is also gone when accessing your account via browser afterwards?  

Could you please open your email via browser and your Outlook 365 at the same time to see if the email would also disappear when your account was accessed via browser as it disappears on the application?

Have you tried to remove and re-add the account from the Outlook desktop application to see if the issue will be resolved? If not yet, please do so. Here are the articles below for your reference: 

Remove or delete an email account from Outlook

Add an email account to Outlook

Please reply to this thread to let me know how the issue progresses. Similarly, if you have more questions, please inform me by replying to this post. 

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Hi Genevieve,

I can confirm that the email account is accessed through the Outlook desktop application.  When we access via browser and iOS it works correctly. When we access via the Outlook desktop application we have the disappearing message problem.

The emails that disappear do not seem to be in any folder in the Outlook desktop application and are also deleted from the IMAP account inbox on all other devices and browser.

I have deleted the account in the Outlook application and then re-added it. The problem is still there.

Here is a link to a video of the problem happening:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RPMkbLJ32SwNxVBw5

In this link there's an unread message with the subject "Microsoft Outlook Test Message". I right-click the message and mark it as read. Then I go to another folder. Then I return to the inbox. After about 8 seconds the message disappears. It is not in the trash, archive or bulk mail folders. It has gone for ever!

If it was my application I'd say that there was a bug in an event that runs when a folder is selected.

If you need any more information please let me know.

Regards

Kevin @ Herschel Systems

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Can confirm the EXACT same issue above, that apparently just started since a Win 10 update on 10/9/2019.

The above procedure to fix did not help. It only happens with a single account (yahoo IMAP), and three other mail accounts are unaffected. There are no filters set on that account, as with the others.

I have lost very important legal documents and a land sales contract for two estates because of this.

Karl ...

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Hi - I am having the same issue and it is occurring on both Desktop Outlook (2013) and browser (Rogers) version. An e-mail will be received in my in-box and it lasts for about 8 seconds and then disappears completely; does not go to any other folder including Trash. I have reset everything I can think of and deleted/added account and the problem persists on both platforms. No rules or filters are in place to cause this issue at my end and it is beginning to get extremely frustrating.

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All these seems to be related t the same issue. Not sure why Microsoft is not taking this seriously?


https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/outlook-365-read-messages-disappearing-when/475372c6-4996-49fd-9c09-47fc006f5f73?rtAction=1571940842351&tm=1571940890362

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/dissappearing-emails/2d06ac06-681a-42e7-83d8-4a77edf5e257

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/new-emails-received-in-outlook-2016-mailbox/93788fc5-2f93-496c-8906-439773e74ca4

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/yahoo-emails-disappearing-in-outlook-once-read/d6c16362-846c-49c4-818d-bcacb3190718

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For now I have created a .pst data file and created a rule to send a copy of my IMAP inbox to the .pst Inbox. So even if (when) my IMAP Inbox get wrongly auto deleted, I have the copy in my .pst Inbox.

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For now I have created a .pst data file and created a rule to send a copy of my IMAP inbox to the .pst Inbox. So even if (when) my IMAP Inbox get wrongly auto deleted, I have the copy in my .pst Inbox.

That will work, but instead of going to that trouble I've just been selecting the read messages I want to keep, BEFORE changing folders from the Inbox, and moving them to a Safe folder created for the purpose.

Kludgy in both cases, but whatever works ...

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Glad to see that I'm not the only one with this problem!

I noticed some people referred to Yahoo accounts causing a problem. Ours is a BT Mail (UK) account - which used to be Yahoo in the past. Not sure if that is relevant?

Current workaround is to access mail using iOS mail on my iPad, mark all messages as read on there, then open Outlook to work through messages.

It's a waste of time and effort, but it means we won't lose any more messages.

Probably.

Looking at Mozilla Thunderbird at the moment. Seems like a feasible alternative to Outlook?

Kevin @ Herschel Systems

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I have a rogers email account / Yahoo and this started happening today by has also affected email received yesterday. I have not looked further into the past. Afraid to do so......I am trying to get phone support but don't have much more time.

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Glad to see that I'm not the only one with this problem!

I noticed some people referred to Yahoo accounts causing a problem. Ours is a BT Mail (UK) account - which used to be Yahoo in the past. Not sure if that is relevant?

Current workaround is to access mail using iOS mail on my iPad, mark all messages as read on there, then open Outlook to work through messages.

It's a waste of time and effort, but it means we won't lose any more messages.

Probably.

Looking at Mozilla Thunderbird at the moment. Seems like a feasible alternative to Outlook?

Kevin @ Herschel Systems

I used Thunderbird after Outlook Express was considered much too good for MSFT's customers and it was killed.

Switched back to Outlook when security issues starting being reported in TB. That's probably fixed now, but do your due diligence, I just might revert back myself.

Used a MSFT mail client since Windows for Workgroups (was a beta tester), and was a NT sysadmin for a medium size company, and have never had a single email automatically disappear doing so.

Sorry to say, welcome to lack of attention to detail in the 21st century ...

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Last updated December 5, 2023 Views 3,151 Applies to: