Recover Deleted Outlook Emails from PST File

Updated on June 26, 2025 by Deepika Singh

The Outlook PST file is generally required to store emails, meetings, calendars, and other information within the Microsoft Outlook email program. Removal of email items is a widespread problem among Outlook users.

When you accidentally delete one or more emails from MS Outlook with a moving hand or by pressing the wrong key, you always have an Undo option with the Ctrl + Z function, which you can use immediately before executing any other action just after deletion to restore the deleted emails.

However, this is not a regular situation. In most cases, the user discovers much later that the emails he inadvertently deleted were truly vital to him, the company, or his business, resulting in a loss of income or, in some cases, a significant risk to the organization's validity.

In this article, you will learn about the root reasons and several appropriate solutions to recover deleted Outlook emails from the PST file.

Reasons behind the deletion of Outlook emails

The removal of emails is dependent on user actions, such as using the Outlook advanced settings to "Empty Deleted Items folder while exiting Outlook" or individually erasing the Deleted Items folder, deleting emails permanently or temporarily, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and sometimes corruption in files leads to the instantaneous or accidental removal of emails.

However, some common causes are as follows:

• Intentional or unintentional deletion of emails using the Shift + Del buttons
• If you have chosen the Outlook Advanced option "Empty Deleted Items Folder When Exiting Outlook."
• The set holding period for removed items has expired.
• Inadvertently removing items from the deleted items bin

04 Simple Way to recover deleted Outlook emails from PST files exist

Most of the time, the deletion of an important email happens without the user's knowledge. But it is likely that there are some methods to recover deleted emails from your Outlook PST files. Let us discuss the methods step by step as follows:

Method 1: Recover from the Deleted Items Folder

Removed emails that are still available in the Deleted Items folder can be recovered. To ensure a good recovery, go through the following procedures in order:

1. Open MS Outlook and navigate to the Deleted Items folder.
2. Choose the emails that you want to move, and then choose the folder to which you want to move them.
   
3. It is also possible to recover emails that have been deleted from the Deleted Items folder. Recover things recently removed from this folder by clicking on the "Recover items recently removed from this folder" link.
   
4. Next, choose the emails that you want to recover and click OK.
   
5. Inspect your Deleted Items folder now. These objects will be returned to their original location in this folder. You can move things to a new position.

Method 2: Use the Backup and Restore facility

If users practice the excellent routine of regularly backing up their PST files, they may simply recover lost Outlook emails from PST files using the most recent backup. They only need to carry out the necessary procedures.

1. Proceed to the Start menu, search for the Control Panel, and then open it.
   
2. In the Control Panel, look for the Backup and Restore option, press it, and then pick the Restore my files option.
   
3. Choose and upload your PST backup file from the device directory using the Browse button.
4. Give the restored file from the already taken backup file a saving path.
5. In this manner, you may recover the whole PST data set as well as the deleted emails.

If the user has activated the File History function in the Outlook program, the entire PST file, including deleted contents, can be restored to its earlier form. To do that, read the steps as follows:

1. Firstly, go to this location on your device: "C:\Users\UserName\Documents\Outlook Files."
2. Next, right-click the Outlook PST file and choose "Restore Previous Versions."
3. Flip to the Prior Editions tab in the next dialogue box and choose the most current version.
4. Then select the Restore option to restore that specific PST file edition to your PC.
5. Import this PST file into your Outlook program to utilize it whenever you need.

Method 3: Recover from Archive Folders (If Enabled)

It works only If auto-archiving feature was enabled in Outlook settings.

1. Go to File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.
2. Open your Archive .pst file.
3. Browse the archive folders for older or deleted emails.
4. Move them back to your active folders if needed.

Method 4: Recover Deleted Outlook Emails using Regain Software

Actually, it is important for all users to keep a backup of Outlook PST files to avoid further issues. But if you haven’t done so and, unfortunately, somehow your important emails have been deleted, then a professional PST Recovery tool can greatly assist you.

You can use the Regain Outlook Emails Recovery software. It is the most user-friendly software, with a step-by-step approach for straightforward and reliable PST file recovery. Using it, you can easily repair or recover corrupted or inaccessible PST files within just a few clicks.

Software Features and Benefits:

• Recover Emails That Have Been Permanently Deleted or Lost.
• Export Outlook emails into Office 365 and Exchange Server.
• Import recover Outlook emails into Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Amazon Mail etc.
• Total mailbox restoration.
• Restored PST files may be stored in a number of different formats.
• Email recovery that is both quick and secure.
• Allow to save recovered emails in many other email formats such as EML, MSG, MBOX, vCard, PDF etc.

Know How to Recover Deleted Outlook Emails Working Video – Watch Now!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: How do I recover deleted emails from a PST file in Outlook?

Ans: You can check the “Deleted Items” folder in Outlook. If the emails are not there, try using the “Recover Deleted Items” option (for Exchange accounts) or use a Regain Outlook Email Recovery tool.

Q2: Can I recover permanently deleted emails from PST files?

Ans: Yes, if the space hasn’t been overwritten, permanently deleted emails can be recovered using professional tool like Regain Outlook Emails Recovery.

Q3: Is there a manual way to recover deleted emails from a PST file?

Ans: You can use Outlook’s built-in “Recover Deleted Items” feature or scan the PST file with the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe), though it has limited recovery capability.

Q4: How to recover emails from an old PST file?

Ans: Simply import the old PST file into Outlook using File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, then browse and restore the emails.

Q5: What should I do if my deleted Outlook emails are not in the Deleted Items folder?

Ans: If emails are missing from the Deleted Items folder, they may be permanently deleted. Use Regain Outlook Emails Recovery to scan and restore them.

Q6: Can I recover emails from a corrupted PST file?

Ans: Outlook’s built-in tool may fail to restore corrupted PSTs. Use Regain Outlook PST Recovery for repairing and retrieving emails from damaged PST files.

Q7: Are there any free methods to recover deleted Outlook emails?

Ans: Yes, check the Deleted Items folder or use the “Recover Deleted Items” option if using Exchange. These are limited and time-bound solutions.

Q8: How effective is ScanPST.exe for recovering deleted emails?

Ans: ScanPST repairs structural issues in PST files but doesn’t always recover deleted emails. For complete recovery, Use Regain Outlook Recovery tool. It is available with free trial version, which can recover and save 30 items per folder at free of cost.