Summary: The Sent Items folder isn't always visible in Outlook Express. We'll look at the options to make the Sent Items folder visible, and make sure that Sent Items are getting placed there.
I'm now using Outlook Express for all my email. But I can't find the sent mail folder! I used to use Yahoo mail and could click on "sent mail" and all the messages I sent were there. How do I find my sent items when using Outlook Express?
My first reaction to this question was ... "well, it's right there in front of you!"
But of course I was wrong. It's quite possible to have Outlook Express set up such that the Sent Items folder is quite well hidden. And then it's not at all obvious how to get it back.
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The "trick", so to speak, is to make sure that the folder list pane is visible.
To do that, click on the View menu, Layout... menu item, and you should see a dialog much like this one:
The item to pay attention to is the one called Folder List. Make sure that is checked and press OK.
Once you do so Outlook Express will display the folder list in the upper left:
And there you'll note that the Sent Items folder is visible. (Outbox, also visible, is different - that contains items for which you've pressed the Send button, but haven't actually been sent yet, or are in the process of being sent.)
There's one more important setting that's also easily overlooked.
Outlook Express only actually puts things into your Sent Items folder if you tell it to.
Hit the Tools menu, Options item, and then click on the Send tab at the top of the dialog box. You should see something like this:
The arrow points to the setting we care about: make sure that "Save copy of sent messages in the 'Sent Items' folder" is checked.
Related:
Ask Leo! - Why doesn't MSN Hotmail save my Sent Mail?
Ask Leo! - Are free email services worth it?
Article C2778 - September 4, 2006
Like Richie I to lost my "sent items". Everything after March11/09' is GONE! Yet all my "inbox" items, drafts etc are all there. i use "Outlook Express" can anyone help? I've tried "retore" to no avail. Got a hold of my internet provider and he had never run across this problem. Greg.
Posted by: Greg at March 20, 2009 12:41 PMI can see the sent folder, and I can send email but outlook express does not save a copy of the sent email to the sent folder. It just stopped 3 days ago. The "save a copy of the sent messages is checked in the tools-options-send but still nothing.I cannot prove that I sent any email.
Posted by: rahul at April 2, 2009 10:24 PMCan you please help me with that??
Its an "Outlook problem" guys! My sent messages stopped saving on Friday april 16th as well.
Posted by: Dan at April 20, 2009 5:56 AMIm not sure why but believe me, all these fix suggestions are NOT going to work.
I am using microsoft outlook 2003 & these steps are for a later version.
I dont have a view layout menu can you please help
Posted by: Naomi at April 21, 2009 11:11 PMI also dont have a copy of my mail since April 22, 09 in the out look already set up like above.
Posted by: Irwin at April 23, 2009 9:55 PMI have had the same exact problem it happened to my work computer and after failed attempts to get the i.t guy to call me back i decided to fix it myself. the solution is to clear your filter thats what i did go to the view tab then go down and hit toolbar a list will pop out and press customise and then clear all on your filter. obviously after this over 100 other emails popped out but i just deleted them all but it helped solve the problem.
Posted by: Sarah at May 20, 2009 10:42 PMhope it works.
Thanks Leo,
Posted by: Russell at May 23, 2009 6:07 AMAfter a frustrating search on the internet about how my emailbox including sent items could suddenly disappear your answer was a revelation. Well done, and explained so well to those of us who are not computer nerds.
How can I find the sent Items in Outlook Express? I am using Windows XP home.
Posted by: Jim at May 23, 2009 4:29 PMThere is a good emails earch script posted at http://www.biterscripting.com/SS_FindEmailStrs.html . Here is the command line to use it (per them - I am copying part of that web page). I use it to find lost email addresses, list emails from a friend, etc. Download the tool from http://www.biterscripting.com/install.html .
script "SS_FindEmailStrs.txt" storagedir("C:/Email") files("*.eml") search_strings("joe+genovicci;ana+wilkes") sep(";") lines(100)
Soj
Posted by: Sojwita at May 26, 2009 12:32 PMTHANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A BIG HELP!! This was driving me insane.
Posted by: Tom at June 13, 2009 7:31 PM