Solving the dilemma of the missing email or folder

These tips might help you find a missing email or folder. Photo / Thinkstock

Have you ever had an entire email folder disappear? Or that email you know you had saved?

One of two things may have happened.

You may have accidentally deleted it. Deleted items accumulate until you personally empty the contents of your deleted items folder. So check there first for items that have vanished.

Or you may have accidentally dragged it with your mouse and dropped it somewhere without noticing. If it just happened, hit the undo icon (backwards arrow).

No joy?

Five more ways of finding it.

1. Sort. Right clicking on the right of the very top line of your inbox will give you 12 alternatives (To, From, Size, Date ....) to sort by. Alternatively select the View menu. Change views. You would be familiar by now with sorting.

2. Find and Advanced Find. Find searches based on one specific criteria. Advanced enables you to add more criteria to filter by such as date received and size.

3. Click the round Microsoft start button on the bottom left of your screen will initiate a swift system wide search. This works like a Find/Advanced find through your documents and emails.

4. Activities Tab on (Outlook) Contact (up through 2007) People Pane in your Inbox 2010-13)

Looking for a specific email sent from an individual you have in your contacts? Pop open their contact and click on the activities tab (or the people pane). Instantly it will start populating with all the Outlook activity you've had with that person. Emails, meetings, Tasks.

5. Search Folders (Outlook)
The Search Folder is a permanent virtual folder. It shows you copies of emails that meet the criteria you set, gathering them from all over Outlook - no matter what folder you have placed them in originally. Virtual means your emails are not physically moved into these search folders.

Written by Debbie Mayo-Smith, One of New Zealand's most in-demand speakers, trainers and bestselling authors. Debbie works with companies that want more effective staff. For more tips and business ideas sign up for her free monthly newsletter.