Outlook 2024 - emails disappear from server after deleting emails in Outlook

Question

Hi Microsoft community members,

I have been using Outlook 2024 version 16.94.1 (not legacy version) for a month and started to notice copies of emails disappeared in the server after deleting emails in the Outlook inbox. I'm using POP account.

Example of problem: after receiving emails in the Outlook inbox and deleting emails right after, my colleagues could not receive any more emails that I just received and deleted. I have checked "Leave a copy of each message on server" under the account but emails still disappeared from server after I deleted in the Outlook. If I don't delete emails and keep them in the Outlook inbox, the server will hold copies of emails and my colleagues would be able to receive emails.

Does anyone occur this issue before? How do I copies of emails in the server while deleting emails in the Outlook inbox?

Answer

Hi @Andy Hsieh

Welcome to our forum!

What is your account? Outlook.com or something else?

Here are a few steps you may want to take:

Check your server settings: Go to File>Account Settings>Account Setting>select the POP3 email account>Change>More Settings>Advanced>Under Delivery, check box of the Leave a copy of messages on the server, Make sure that your mail server supports and is properly configured to keep copies. More information: Read POP3 email messages on multiple computers - Microsoft Support
Sync issues: Sometimes there may be a sync delay, wait a few moments before checking messages on other devices
Check Deleted Items Folder: It is suggested your colleague finds the deleted messages in Deleted Items folder, and he/she could try recovering the deleted items by going to right-click>Move>Inbox.
Search Emails: Your colleague can also try searching for deleted messages by searching for keywords to see if they are in some other folder.

How do I copies of emails in the server while deleting emails in the Outlook inbox?

This can be achieved by ticking the option to "Keep a copy of the message on the server" in the POP account settings, so that even if the message is deleted on one device, the copy will still be retained on the server. However, if the settings are not set properly, synchronization may be problematic.

If possible, consider switching your email account from POP to IMAP. IMAP is designed to keep emails synchronized across multiple devices, which might be more suitable for your needs.

Hope it helps!

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	Synchronization	Storage	Access
POP (Post Office Protocol)	One-Way: POP downloads emails from the server to your device and typically deletes them from the server after download. This means emails are stored locally on your device and are not synchronized across multiple devices.	Local: Once emails are downloaded, they are stored on the device, and any changes (like deletions) are not reflected on the server.	Limited: If you delete an email on one device, it won't be available on other devices because it has been removed from the server
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)	Two-Way: IMAP keeps emails on the server and synchronizes them across all your devices. Any changes made (like reading, deleting, or moving emails) are reflected on all devices.	Server: Emails remain on the server until you delete them, allowing access from multiple devices.	Consistent: You can access the same emails and folders from any device, and changes are synchronized in real-time

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Outlook 2024 - emails disappear from server after deleting emails in Outlook

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