The Outlook Missing Sent Items Dilemma: How to Fix it

Updated On - August 22, 2023 by Henry Bray | Reading Time: 5 minutes

Are you a regular user of Outlook, and do you use it to send or receive emails regularly? If yes, you must check your “sent” folder regularly. Because sometimes, it can happen that your sent emails, as well as attachments, aren’t available in that folder. Whenever you deliver or send an email or attachment to anybody in Outlook, it is stored in the sent item folder by default. But as you have found that some items are missing from the “sent” folder, your Outlook has some functional errors. Don’t worry! We will discuss the proper methods to fix Outlook missing sent items error.

Reasons behind the Outlook missing sent items error are?

Every error has a unique reason. You must be aware of the reasons that are causing the issue for you. It will help you avoid this error in the future. Here we have added several common reasons why users face issues.

• Among the most common causes of sent objects not appearing in the sent folder is that you suddenly closed Outlook.
• Another factor that might cause this issue is the incorrect delivery of the specific item.
• Whenever the feature to save copies of messages in the sent item directory in Outlook is deactivated,
• Most likely, the object you were going to send has been removed, and you see the error as a result.
• Whenever the memory capacity is depleted as a result of outdated and undesired emails

Primary or first-aid methods to fix Outlook missing sent items error

• First, relaunch your Outlook and check it. If it doesn’t make sense, restart your device and check if the issue has been solved.
• If you are running an outdated version of Outlook, update it to the most recent version.
• Remove all the old or unwanted emails from your “sent” folder in Outlook.

Top 5 effective methods to fix Outlook missing sent items error

Now we will discuss effective as well as permanent solutions. Keep reading

1st Method: Change the destination folder or directory of the “sent” folder

After creating or establishing a new directory to store supplied items, if your sent emails or texts disappear from Outlook’s sent message directory, you can locate them at this location. To choose an alternate folder, follow the measures outlined below.

• Start the Outlook program.
• Press the “New Email” tab; a different screen will appear; tap “Options.” Select the “Save Sent Items to” option checkbox. Choose the “Other Folder” choice.

• A new dialogue box will open on your display. Select “New.”

• Again, a new panel will appear. Choose a name for your new directory and the folder objects you wish to keep. And then hit OK.

• As a result, a new folder is established in which your sent objects are immediately saved.

Related Blog: Manual Guide to Fix Outlook PST Cannot Be Found Error

2nd method: Deactivate the cached exchange feature

Cached Exchange Mode is in charge of providing you with visibility to emails and other operations in Outlook, although when your machine is not linked to the network, it stores such data in OST data format on your device’s hard disk drive.

Whenever this OST file becomes too large, it corrupts your emails, mailboxes, folders, and so on. Due to which Outlook missing sent items error may appear. To disable cached mode, comply with the steps outlined below.

• Start the Outlook program. Select the File menu item.
• Select Account Settings, then go to the “Account Settings” option.

• Choose the account and then press the “Change” icon.

• Disable the “Use Cached Mode” box in the offline preferences.

• Reopen the Outlook program to ensure that all modifications are implemented.

3rd method: Check to mark the “save copies of messages in the sent items folder” option

Whenever you activate the mentioned feature, you have chosen to consistently store a duplicate of any object you send, such as emails, texts, documents, etc. To allow saving copies of transmitted objects, follow the actions outlined below:

• Start the Outlook program.
• On the top menu, select File. Select Options.

• Select Mail Scroll to the bottom of the Save Messages area, then to the Store Messages segment. Tick the checkbox to “save copies of messages in the sent items folder,” then hit OK.

4th method: Remove unwanted emails from the “sent” folder

The Sent Items folder has likely filled up all of the available storage space. That’s why the Outlook sent items directory is gone and Outlook shows Outlook missing sent items error. As a result, we recommend that you delete some outdated emails to make room for freshly received emails. The proper measures are as follows:

• Begin by right-clicking the Sent Items directory and selecting “Properties.”
• Select the “AutoArchive” option, then “Archive this folder using these parameters.”
• Change the “Clean out things older than” option to your liking.

• Next, select “Permanently erase old objects” and press “Apply” > “OK.”

5th. Repair your Outlook profile or PST file

Several users need more sent items in Outlook due to the corruption of their Outlook profile or the Outlook data file, which is a PST formatted file. You don’t need to worry because Microsoft has provided an in-built tool known as scanPST to repair corrupt PST files.

But the tool is just an essential PST repair utility. It can’t solve any critical corruption issues. Therefore, we will suggest using the Regain Outlook PST Repair tool. It is a professional PST repair tool with a simple-to-use UI and advanced features that is quicker and more reliable than any other manual solution. With this tool you can easily fix the Outlook missing sent items error.

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Pro Tips to Prevent Losing Sent Items in MS Outlook:

To prevent losing sent items in MS Outlook, follow these pro tips:

Double-check before deleting: Always double-check before deleting a sent email. This will ensure that you do not accidentally delete important emails.

Archive your emails: Archive your emails regularly to keep your mailbox clean and organized. This will also ensure that you have a backup of your important emails.

Check your Outlook settings: Ensure your Outlook settings are configured correctly. Check the folder settings to ensure that sent items are saved in the Sent Items folder.

Use a reliable email client: Use a reliable email client, such as MS Outlook, to prevent data loss. These clients are designed to save emails and other data properly, minimizing the risk of data loss.

Backup your data: Regularly backup your Outlook data file to prevent loss. This will ensure you have a backup of your important emails, even if your data file gets corrupted or deleted.

By following these pro tips, you can prevent the loss of important emails and ensure that your sent items are saved properly in MS Outlook.

Conclusion

Outlook Missing sent items error can be frustrating, but they can be recovered with the proper steps. Common causes of missing sent items include accidental deletion, misconfigured settings, sync issues, and corruption in the data file. However, you can prevent losing sent items by following pro tips like double-checking before deleting, archiving your emails, checking your Outlook settings, using a reliable email client, and backing up your data. By taking these steps, you can minimize the risk of data loss and ensure that your sent items are saved properly in MS Outlook. In case it’s too late to take precautions, use Regain Outlook PST repair tool.