Outlook is a popular emails client, but it is not free of glitches. MS Outlook users also face a different type of issues that hamper their regular functionality. One of such issues is emails getting automatically deleted in Outlook 2013 and other versions. This problem has affected many users and the user queries in Outlook forums are proof of it. Here are two user queries for the better understanding of the issue.

Query 1: “I am an Outlook users and my emails are being deleted automatically in Outlook. My Deleted Items folder looked suspiciously full last month, so I decided to check it out. I found out that a large number of emails have been deleted without my knowledge. Though I restored those emails to their respective folder, it happened again this month. I still have no clue how it had happened. Looking eagerly for a solution. Thanks.”

These queries are two examples of the issues Outlook users face. To help users get rid of this problem, we will learn how to prevent Outlook emails from being deleted. This write-up will talk about causes and solution of this issue.

Causes of Emails Getting Automatically Deleted in Outlook 2013

Different settings of Microsoft Outlook 2013 are responsible for Outlook automatic emails deletion. If certain options like auto-archiving, auto-deletion while exiting folder, etc., are enabled, these can result into auto Outlook emails deletion. To solve these issues, we have to reconfigure the current settings.

How to Prevent Outlook Emails From Being Deleted

The solution of this problem depends on its symptoms. This post will discuss three different solutions to three different types of symptoms. All the methods will help to stop auto deletion from occurring.

Stop Auto-Deletion of Outlook Emails in a Particular Folder

If items are getting automatically removed from a specific folder on every month, the AutoArchive setting is responsible for this.

  1. Right-click on the folder that is having this issue and click on Properties from the options.
  2. Click on the AutoArchive tab of Properties dialog box. Click on the corresponding radio button of Do not archive items in this folder option.
  3. Click OK to save the changes. This technique works fine with mail, calendar, and task folders.

Prevent Outlook Emails From Being Deleted from Deleted Items Folder

  1. Launch Outlook 2013 and click on File>> Options.
  2. Outlook Options box will appear. Select Advanced from the left pane and uncheck the box Empty Deleted Items folders when exiting Outlook situated in the section named “Outlook start and exit section.”
  3. Click OK button to save the changes you have made.

This new setting will not delete all items from Deleted Items folder every time you exit Outlook.

Stop Emails from Moving to Deleted Items Folder Automatically

This problem occurs if you choose to ignore any email in Microsoft Outlook. Keeping track of your choice, Outlook automatically deletes emails that are related. Instead of going to the Inbox, the emails go to Deleted Items Folder.

  1. Go to Outlook and then select the Deleted Items folder.
  2. Select the message currently having Ignore status.
    Note: To know if a message is being ignored, Check the Ignore control on the ribbon. If it is highlighted then this message thread is being ignored by MS Outlook.
  3. Navigate to Home tab and click on Ignore in the Delete section.
  4. When prompted, click on Stop Ignoring Conversation.

Now, this message will be moved to its original folder from Deleted Items folder. From now on, all future messages of this thread will not be deleted automatically.

Conclusion

Emails getting deleted automatically in Outlook 2013 is undoubtedly an annoying and awkward problem. If any Outlook user is facing this problem, they can try the solutions mentioned here. Rather than going through all these steps, it is better to have Outlook data backup to Office 365 account. Office 365 Importer is a dependable tool that is worth trying. Users can easily backup their Outlook data by using this utility.