Email disappearing from your inbox?

In Microsoft Outlook, why is my Exchange email disappearing from my Inbox at work after I read it at home?

If you have an Exchange server account, you have an Exchange server mailbox, which can store your email directly on the server. When your email is stored in your Exchange server mailbox, you can get to your stored email messages from any computer. However, when you connect to the Exchange server using Outlook, with mail delivery directed to your personal folders, unread mail will be moved into the Inbox of your personal folders instead of being stored in your Exchange server mailbox. Follow the appropriate instructions below to change this behavior:

Outlook 2002 or 2003

1. From the Tools menu, select E-mail Accounts... .
2. Select View or change existing email accounts, and then click Next.
3. Next to "Deliver new email to the following location:", from the drop-down menu, select Mailbox - Your last name, Your first name. Click OK.

Outlook 97, 98, or 2000

1. From the Tools menu, select Services... .
2. Select the Delivery tab. Next to "Deliver new mail to the following location:", select Mailbox - Your last name, Your first name. Click OK.

To move messages already stored in personal folders back to the server mailbox, drag them from your personal folder to a folder in the mailbox. For more information, see the Knowledge Base document In Microsoft Outlook, how do I move one or more messages to another folder? If you cannot see the list of folders, from the View menu, select Folder List.

Note: If your personal folders are only on your home computer, you will have to use your home computer to do this.

After directing mail delivery to your Exchange server mailbox, you can still use your personal folders to permanently store or make copies of your email on your personal computer.

Recovering deleted messages

If you are looking for an email message that you deleted from your personal folders, you may be able to recover it from Outlook's deleted items retention area. For more information, see the following Knowledge Base document At IU, how can I recover deleted items in Outlook if I am an Exchange user?

Also see:

• In Microsoft Outlook, how do I display and send the full headers of an email message?
• In Microsoft Outlook or Exchange, what options do I have for arranging the contents of my folders?
• In Microsoft Outlook 97, 98, 2000, 2002, 2003, or 2007, how can I make additional folders?
• In Microsoft Outlook, OWA, or Exchange, how can I change the order in which my messages are listed in the folder?
• In Microsoft Outlook 2002, 2003, and 2007, what are personal folder files, and how do I create them?