Outlook 2007 sent items gone
Discussion
Evening All
Had a hellish day with Outlook today. Had to restart my PC because a piece of research software we use had to be restarted. Upon restarting I could not get into Outlook. The message I got was the inbox needed to be repaired and to run scanpst.exe, needless to say scanpst.exe did not work. I had read scanpst.exe wouldn't work if the file was too big so I compacted the mailbox as suggested, I have/had some 15,000 sent items, and tried again....didnt work. Eventually I discovered this thread http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/o... and the post by 'Simon Jones' seemed to make sense and was easy to do...I tried it and no problems. I deleted the existing account as suggested, set up the new one (called Outlook1) with exactly the same details and it worked. However I noticed the auto fill on sending an email didnt have any addresses saved so I deleted this account and reset using the same name as before (Outlook) and voila the auto fill is working again. The only change I noticed in doing this was the address went from -00000001.pst to -00000002.pst.
So all was well, got mail to send again but then received a call from a client who I had emailed only Friday last...I say 'just a second whilst I go back to the email' and then discover the sent items folder is empty!!!!
I use Outlook 2007, with IMAP set up as also use an iPhone and accounts are synced. Any ideas how I might get the sent items back or are they gone forever?
Thanks in advance
Had a hellish day with Outlook today. Had to restart my PC because a piece of research software we use had to be restarted. Upon restarting I could not get into Outlook. The message I got was the inbox needed to be repaired and to run scanpst.exe, needless to say scanpst.exe did not work. I had read scanpst.exe wouldn't work if the file was too big so I compacted the mailbox as suggested, I have/had some 15,000 sent items, and tried again....didnt work. Eventually I discovered this thread http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/o... and the post by 'Simon Jones' seemed to make sense and was easy to do...I tried it and no problems. I deleted the existing account as suggested, set up the new one (called Outlook1) with exactly the same details and it worked. However I noticed the auto fill on sending an email didnt have any addresses saved so I deleted this account and reset using the same name as before (Outlook) and voila the auto fill is working again. The only change I noticed in doing this was the address went from -00000001.pst to -00000002.pst.
So all was well, got mail to send again but then received a call from a client who I had emailed only Friday last...I say 'just a second whilst I go back to the email' and then discover the sent items folder is empty!!!!
I use Outlook 2007, with IMAP set up as also use an iPhone and accounts are synced. Any ideas how I might get the sent items back or are they gone forever?
Thanks in advance
As long as you have what is known as cached exchange mode enabled (it is by default), all your email/calendar/etc items are saved to an OST file within the PC. You may very well have your original OST still on your PC with all your sent items in it, locations will be here for XP;
C:\ Documents and Settings\*username*\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\
or for windows vista/7/8 it will be
c:\users\*username*\appdata\local\Microsoft\Outlook\
Bear in mind you need to enable the option in windows explorer to show hiddens files or folders or it may not show. Check those locations, if there is a OST file in there it will probably be called outlook.ost, you might be able to mount this into your outlook and retrieve your sent items. If you need a hand, feel free to drop me a PM, I may be able to assist via log me in or something like that.
Cheers,
Ant
C:\ Documents and Settings\*username*\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\
or for windows vista/7/8 it will be
c:\users\*username*\appdata\local\Microsoft\Outlook\
Bear in mind you need to enable the option in windows explorer to show hiddens files or folders or it may not show. Check those locations, if there is a OST file in there it will probably be called outlook.ost, you might be able to mount this into your outlook and retrieve your sent items. If you need a hand, feel free to drop me a PM, I may be able to assist via log me in or something like that.
Cheers,
Ant
Bikerjon said:
Do you have web access to your email account? If so, are the sent items visible?
Yep this first, THEN check that the folder is a subscribed folder in the outlook account.http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/outlook-help/do...
Spantney - thanks for the detailed reply. I have a friend who is going to look at it for me tomorrow. He's an IT Pro, 20+ years working in Security etc and now a VM Ware specialist. He has told me not to use Outlook now until he looks at it, I found a 3.6GB .ost file on the C drive and he got me save a copy of that into a seperate folder so it doesnt get overwritten. I am hoping it is the file we need and an convert it .pst if thats what is needed and 'sent items' return.
Bikerjon - I have logged into the wen accesss for the account and only imap messages are shown in the sent items on there.
lestag - I have ben advised to leave Outlok as it is for now so nothing else is overwritten.
Thanks for the replies fellas, much appreciated. Will lt yo uknow if it can be rescued.
Bikerjon - I have logged into the wen accesss for the account and only imap messages are shown in the sent items on there.
lestag - I have ben advised to leave Outlok as it is for now so nothing else is overwritten.
Thanks for the replies fellas, much appreciated. Will lt yo uknow if it can be rescued.
Yes that is how the account is set up SMTP as outgoing!
When I log into the web account its shows 1.41GB/1.95GB for the emails held there which is basically the inbox with just over 6,000 emails in it. Could that mean there is a chance the 3.6GB .ost file in the C-drive will include the sent items with 15,000 to 16,000......using basic man maths its 3 times the size.
When I log into the web account its shows 1.41GB/1.95GB for the emails held there which is basically the inbox with just over 6,000 emails in it. Could that mean there is a chance the 3.6GB .ost file in the C-drive will include the sent items with 15,000 to 16,000......using basic man maths its 3 times the size.
Sorry, I didn't make it clear.
I'm suggesting that if your email account/address is with gmail for example, but you use your ISPs SMTP server for outgoing, gmail will never see the outgoing mail so it won't be saved.
To answer your question though, that's entirely possible. Fingers crossed.
I'm suggesting that if your email account/address is with gmail for example, but you use your ISPs SMTP server for outgoing, gmail will never see the outgoing mail so it won't be saved.
To answer your question though, that's entirely possible. Fingers crossed.
lestag said:
check you default data file (personal folder in outlook)
there is a bug in IMAP on outlook that sent items will go to the default personal folder sent items rather than the IMAP Mailbox sent items you think it should go to.
That's not a bug. AFAIK, that has always been the default action with Outlook when using IMAP / POP3 mailboxes.there is a bug in IMAP on outlook that sent items will go to the default personal folder sent items rather than the IMAP Mailbox sent items you think it should go to.
I remember having to create a rule to move all my sent items to... sent items on the server, as Outlook always placed them in the local pst file.
OP - do you have an archive.pst on your PC anywhere?
BlueNGT said:
<snip>
I had read scanpst.exe wouldn't work if the file was too big so I compacted the mailbox as suggested
<snip>
^^ this suggests that archive ran - which has probably archived everything to archive.pst.I had read scanpst.exe wouldn't work if the file was too big so I compacted the mailbox as suggested
<snip>
Edited by TonyRPH on Wednesday 19th June 10:54
TonyRPH said:
That's not a bug. AFAIK, that has always been the default action with Outlook when using IMAP / POP3 mailboxes.
pop3 is differenthttp://www.msoutlook.info/question/486
:cough:
This setting does not always work , especially if you are using the "send to email" function in windows explorer
One of the reasons why I have moved my mail hosting to office 365
Update fellas. I have changed the sent items folder to the IMAP sent messages folder instead of the normal outlook sent folder. Friend spent a couple of hours on the machine last night and it appears its past its best, lots of unreported errors within Vista.
Cant find the sent items. The only place it might be, apart forensic search of the hard drive, is this .ost file.
Is there a way to open the .ost file or change it to a .pst file if thats what is needed? I have run the Kernel OST viewer but it comes back straight away to say 'the ost file is severly damaged'. Is it goosed?
Cant find the sent items. The only place it might be, apart forensic search of the hard drive, is this .ost file.
Is there a way to open the .ost file or change it to a .pst file if thats what is needed? I have run the Kernel OST viewer but it comes back straight away to say 'the ost file is severly damaged'. Is it goosed?
BlueNGT said:
Update fellas. I have changed the sent items folder to the IMAP sent messages folder instead of the normal outlook sent folder. Friend spent a couple of hours on the machine last night and it appears its past its best, lots of unreported errors within Vista.
Cant find the sent items. The only place it might be, apart forensic search of the hard drive, is this .ost file.
Is there a way to open the .ost file or change it to a .pst file if thats what is needed? I have run the Kernel OST viewer but it comes back straight away to say 'the ost file is severly damaged'. Is it goosed?
You can run SCANOST.EXE on an OST file.Cant find the sent items. The only place it might be, apart forensic search of the hard drive, is this .ost file.
Is there a way to open the .ost file or change it to a .pst file if thats what is needed? I have run the Kernel OST viewer but it comes back straight away to say 'the ost file is severly damaged'. Is it goosed?
BlueNGT said:
Update fellas. I have changed the sent items folder to the IMAP sent messages folder instead of the normal outlook sent folder. Friend spent a couple of hours on the machine last night and it appears its past its best, lots of unreported errors within Vista.
Cant find the sent items. The only place it might be, apart forensic search of the hard drive, is this .ost file.
Is there a way to open the .ost file or change it to a .pst file if thats what is needed? I have run the Kernel OST viewer but it comes back straight away to say 'the ost file is severly damaged'. Is it goosed?
Sorry to hear that you are still having trouble mate. Unfortunately OST files can become unstable when they get too big and whilst it isn't the worst I've heard of, 3.6Gb for an OST is on the larger side of life.Cant find the sent items. The only place it might be, apart forensic search of the hard drive, is this .ost file.
Is there a way to open the .ost file or change it to a .pst file if thats what is needed? I have run the Kernel OST viewer but it comes back straight away to say 'the ost file is severly damaged'. Is it goosed?
There are OST to PST converters available however most if not all you would have to pay for. I downloaded one on free trial a while ago and although it converted the file it heavily restricted what I was able to import from it until I bought a full license (which I didn't do!). If your sent items are very important maybe it would be worth downloading something like this;
http://www.systoolsgroup.com/ost-recovery.html
try it on trial to make sure it can recover and then maybe purchase a license? Sorry I can't really be of more help.
Cheers,
Tony
Spantney said:
Sorry to hear that you are still having trouble mate. Unfortunately OST files can become unstable when they get too big and whilst it isn't the worst I've heard of, 3.6Gb for an OST is on the larger side of life.
There are OST to PST converters available however most if not all you would have to pay for. I downloaded one on free trial a while ago and although it converted the file it heavily restricted what I was able to import from it until I bought a full license (which I didn't do!). If your sent items are very important maybe it would be worth downloading something like this;
http://www.systoolsgroup.com/ost-recovery.html
try it on trial to make sure it can recover and then maybe purchase a license? Sorry I can't really be of more help.
Cheers,
Tony
Thanks again mate. I have had this http://www.remosoftware.com/remo-repair-outlook-ps... running for the last 4.5 hrs. Says its good for .pst and .ost. repair. They have a suite of repair programs so will see how it goes....if the sent items are in their and can be coverted by paying then I dont mind. If it doesnt work the systoolgroup one as it was one I had also seen.There are OST to PST converters available however most if not all you would have to pay for. I downloaded one on free trial a while ago and although it converted the file it heavily restricted what I was able to import from it until I bought a full license (which I didn't do!). If your sent items are very important maybe it would be worth downloading something like this;
http://www.systoolsgroup.com/ost-recovery.html
try it on trial to make sure it can recover and then maybe purchase a license? Sorry I can't really be of more help.
Cheers,
Tony
New Desktop to be purchased next with nothing loaded apart from what is required for business, then Laptop switched to windows 7 and retired to household duties.
Bikerjon said:
Bit confused why you're looking at OST repair tools when the account seems to be IMAP? Or is it Exchange afterall? There's some fundamental differences between the two when it comes to this sort of stuff!
When I first got the machine it was set up on Exchange but that was only for 12 months then moved away from that firm to set up on my own 4 years ago. Was advised to go down IMAP route as was then linked to iPhone but it appears all sent items were stored locally on the machine and not onto the IMAP server. Mail sent from the iPhone is in the 'sent messages' folder but everything else is gone. This Remo repair appears to be extracting a lot of sent items and even deleted items. Will look at what its recovered when it finishes, back them up and hopefully import back into Outlook.
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