how to recover email drafts outlook

James Hurth

2 min read

·

02-11-2024

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Losing a draft email can be frustrating, especially if you've spent a lot of time crafting the perfect message. Luckily, Outlook offers several ways to recover lost drafts. Here's a breakdown of the most common methods:

1. Check the "Drafts" Folder

The first and most obvious place to look for a lost draft is in your Drafts folder. Outlook automatically saves drafts as you work on them, so there's a good chance your email is still there.

To access your Drafts folder:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Navigate to your Inbox.
3. Look for the Drafts folder in the left-hand navigation pane.

If your draft is not in the Drafts folder, don't worry! There are other methods to try.

2. Search for the Draft

Outlook's search function can be surprisingly effective at finding lost drafts. Here's how to use it:

1. In the Search bar at the top of your Outlook window, type in a few keywords from the draft's subject or body.
2. Outlook will search your entire mailbox, including your Drafts folder, for matching emails.

3. Use the "AutoRecover" Feature

Outlook's AutoRecover feature automatically saves your work at regular intervals, creating backup copies of your drafts. To access these backups:

1. Close Outlook.
2. Open File Explorer and navigate to the following location:
   • Windows: C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\AutoRecover
   • Mac: /Users/[Your Username]/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Outlook/AutoRecover
3. Look for files with the .dra extension. These are your AutoRecover backups.
4. Open the appropriate file to recover your draft.

4. Utilize Outlook's "Recover Deleted Items" Feature

If you accidentally deleted your draft, you can still recover it from the Deleted Items folder:

1. Open your Deleted Items folder.
2. Look for the deleted draft email.
3. Right-click on the draft and select Move to Folder.
4. Choose the Drafts folder to restore the email.

5. Contact Microsoft Support

If all else fails, you can reach out to Microsoft Support for assistance. They may be able to help you locate your lost draft or troubleshoot any issues preventing you from accessing it.

By following these steps, you should be able to recover your lost email drafts and get back on track with your correspondence.