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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?
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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.
Article C2778 - September 4, 2006 « »
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
November 1, 2010 8:08 AM
My sent items is there but allthe items have disappeared and when I send e mail now nothing goes in there?
November 14, 2011 6:18 PM
i send a file too big with outlook express and i can't send anything esle , how can i stop(erase) the sending item?
November 15, 2011 8:30 AM
@Tatiana
Here's an article written for Outlook, but should also work with Outlook Express or other email programs.
How can I stop a message in my outlook outbox that wont send
January 18, 2012 2:53 PM
After you see the Sent Items folder, in Outlook Express, how do you find a particular email that I sent on October 10, 2003, for example. I know I sent it--I want to see it again. Thank you. J.
18-Jan-2012
January 18, 2012 3:29 PM
@JoAnn
You could search for it. Or sort the items by date to find it. However 2003 is a long time ago. Very likely Outlook Express archived those long ago to save you on space.