Deleted Items folder disappeared on Outlook 2003
We have an SBS 2003 Premium Edition running with Exchange 2003. A week ago, one of users' "Deleted Items" folder which looks like a Recycle Bin icon has been disappeared. I tried to solve the issue in every single possibility that I can think of on the client's Outlook 2003. However, the folder didn't be recovered. I shared the users' mailbox in my Outlook setting, and I tried to find the Deleted Items folder on the Folder Size property menu. The folder doesn't exist on Exchange server side either. The last thing that I want to do is removing the users' mailbox from Exchange 2003 and re-create the mailbox to recover the Deleted Items folder back. Is there any ways that I can try before delete the mailbox? Any helps will be grateful and appreciated.
November 3rd, 2010 11:22am

Hi, Are you able to see "Deleted Items" folder in OWA page ?. If you accidentally deleted items like Emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, etc from your mailbox using Outlook, you can recover them as they are first transferred to the Deleted Items folder of that mailbox. But even if you delete them from the Deleted Items folder you can still recover them. This feature is enabled by default in Outlook 2007 but if you are using 2003 then you'll have to modify your system registry. Enabling recovery of deleted items in Outlook 2003: 1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe). 2. Locate and click the following key in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\Client\Options 3. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value: Value name: DumpsterAlwaysOn Data type: DWORD Value data: 1 4. Close the Registry Editor. Now when you start Microsoft Outlook 2003 you'll be able to see a new option- Recover Deleted Items in the tools menu. http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5054599.html Please update the status.Anil
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November 4th, 2010 3:15am

Hello Anil, Thank you for your posting. I cannot see "Deleted Items" folder in OWA page either. I connected the user's computer by remote session, and changed the registry to recover "Deleted Items" folder on the user's Outlook. Unfortunately, there were no folders except a couple of messages that have been deleted a few days back. The user is working at home with two different computers. One is the company laptop which is a part of company domain, and it has Outlook 2003 with "Exchange over Internet" feature. The other is the personal desktop that is installed with Outlook 2007 that is also connected with "Exchange over Internet" (FYI, our company is using Exchange server 2003). The user said that the folder had been disappeared, first, a couple of days ago on the desktop. After that, the company laptop's "Deleted Items" folder was disappeared. I also asked the user if the "Recovered Deleted Items..." is available on the Outlook 2007, and see if the folder exists. Both computers have the exact same results that have no "Deleted Items" folder. Normally, the folder (Deleted Items) cannot be deleted, and I couldn't delete the trash can icon on the Outlook either. In other words, it's impossible to delete the folder, and I noticed that the delete function has been disabled with grayed out. I don't know how come this happen, and can't figure it out. For a temporary purpose, the user has made a folder which is called "Temporary Deleted Items" under the inbox folder on the Outlook, so the user can drop the messages manually. Is there a way to recover or create the folder manually back on the Exchange or should I delete the user's mailbox and re-create the mailbox on Exchange server? If then, how can I create the folder on Exchange 2003? Thank you for your help. Best regards, - Joon
November 4th, 2010 2:50pm

Hi Joon, In outlook when you see "Recover deleted items" what folder you have selected in outlook, Please select profile name and then see deleted option. If any folder/item accidently deleted from outlook it must be in deleted item or in dumpster based on your retention policy. I have tested it for folder item in outlook and able to restore from dupster. What is retention policy you have mentioned in your server ?. Creating new profile is last option which we can do in last. Please update.Anil
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November 4th, 2010 11:30pm

Hi Anil, I chose the top hierarchy of the user's profile, and I couldn't find the "Deleted Items" which is dumpster icon itself. When I tried to create the same name folder as "Deleted Items", Outlook complains that the same name of the folder already exist. However, as I mentioned my early post, "Folder size" from the property of the user's profile shows up the size of every folder structure except the Deleted Items folder. That means Exchange server doesn't have the folder either, because Outlook synchronize with Exchange server. I still don't figure it out how come this happen. By the way, we don't have any retention policy on Exchange server. It's painful and mysterious mess... Thank you for your help. - Joon
November 5th, 2010 12:31am

Hi Joon, Have you try to start Outlook with the resetfolders switch on the customer’s computer? If not, please run it following the steps below: Start-> Run -> Outlook.exe/resetfolders. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions. Best regards, Serena
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November 5th, 2010 2:43am

Hi Serena, Yes, I did. But it didn't work. I tried a couple of other switches, but it didn't work either. (Start -> Run -> outlook.exe /resetfoldernames) Thank you, Joon
November 5th, 2010 9:12am

Please move mailbox of problem user into other database store and then create new outlook profile and then check, It may help you.Anil
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November 5th, 2010 11:26pm

Hi Anil, I'm going to remove the user's mailbox on Exchange server, and recreate a new one. Hopefully, this works for recovering the trash bin. Thank you for your suggestions. Joon
November 12th, 2010 10:30am

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