Is it possible to restore a deleted distribution list?

[magius]

When I went to delete (remove) one contact name, I accidentally hit the X
button at the top and it deleted the whole list!!!! Where is the idiot box
that pops up and asks you, are you sure you want to delete that? Now the
whole list is gone. It just happened. Where is it and can I restore it?

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

Check your deleted items folder - if it is not there, then check your backup and restore from there. Otherwise, you are out of luck. Since you probably created the DL from existing contacts, you can most likely recreate it without a problem.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.

After furious head scratching, magius asked:

[magius]

No, it is not in the deletem items folder - I looked there. It just
disappeared. What I want to know is why is the program not set up to ask you
if you want to delete the whole folder?! Then, after it is gone, it is
really gone. There is no un-delete, un-do or restore. I have looked. Of
course I can type the names all in there again, but I think it is terrible
programming! Thanks for trying to help. I figured it was a lost cause but
thought I'd ask.

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

DL's have the same failsafe as any other Outlook Item you delete. It goes to
the Deleted Items Folder until you delete it from there.
What happens to most people is that they delete the DL without realizing it.
The toolbar's Delete button in a DL actually deletes the entire list when
users think they are only deleting a member.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"magius" <mag...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A8872EFF-0119-4EF5...@microsoft.com...

[magius]

No, it is not in the deleted items file (and I've done this twice now) and I
have looked extensively. There are several delete items file - some have
deleted emails, others appointments but nowhere does the distribution list
appear. Not only did it disappear but like I said the thing that makes me
the angriest is that, there is no safeguard to keep you from accidentally
deleting your whole list! Yes, I realize now that remove (for one name) and
delete (for the whole list) are two different things but there are so many
pop up windows that ask you, "are you sure, you want to delete this?" except
for here, where it would be desperately needed. Thanks for trying to help.

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

I understand and I agree. However, when you delete a DL that resides in a
PST file, it does indeed go to the default Deleted Items Folder. I have seen
no instances where it does not.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"magius" <mag...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:B64C9DC1-EA80-49C4...@microsoft.com...

[magius]

In the folders list, there are three different deleted items folders. The
distribution list is NOT in any of them. (Like I said, there are deleted
appointments and emails, but that is about it!) So, unless there is some
"hidden" deleted items folder, it does NOT go there.

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

You'll need to provide more information about your installation to
troubleshoot this: Outlook version, information store, how the DL was
deleted, etc. No Outlook profile contains three different Deleted Items
Folder by default, so you have something unusual about your setup that will
explain this.
When I delete a DL, it goes to the Deleted Items Folder and stays there
every time.
Do you make backups of your data?

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"magius" <mag...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:F03E936B-E576-4A83...@microsoft.com...

[magius]

If you can help that would be amazing but no pressure :) I have Outlook
2003. How it got deleted is as follows. I was in a distribution list,
wanting to remove some bad email addresses. Instead of clicking "Remove", I
accidentally hit the X (delete) at the top of the screen. Just then, the
whole distribution list deleted. No warning. All I could do is sit there and
stare at it. In outlook, on the folders list, there are several folders and
subfolders. The four folders are; Personal Folders (which has many sub
folders, including a deleted items folder), Archive Folders (which has sub
folders, including a deleted items foler), Business Contacts (again with subs
and a deleted items folder) and MSN (with the same). Does that give enough
info to help you assess the problem?

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

In which Contacts Folder did this DL reside? Am I to assume you are running
Business Contact Manager and are using a hotmail account in this same
profile?

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"magius" <mag...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:0B36CE6C-F42B-459B...@microsoft.com...

[magius]

It is Personal Folders, subfolder, Contacts. This is my husband's computer. I
know he uses msn for his email. Does hotmail work through msn?

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

The fact that a hotmail account is the transport in this profile changes
everything. Something as fragile as a DL will not behave as designed in that
scenario. DL's were designed only for Exchange or SMTP/POP transports.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"magius" <mag...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:2256F1C6-7AF8-498A...@microsoft.com...

[magius]

I have no idea what you just said, but I assume it means something like "I am
just plum out of luck!" Thanks for trying. I kind of assumed gone was gone.

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

One thing I would suggest to prevent problems in the future is that if your
husband wants to use Outlook for HTTP mail, create a separate Outlook
profile for that account alone.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"magius" <mag...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:869B6BF8-0709-4D67...@microsoft.com...

[Brian Tillman]

magius <mag...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> In the folders list, there are three different deleted items folders.
> The distribution list is NOT in any of them. (Like I said, there are
> deleted appointments and emails, but that is about it!) So, unless
> there is some "hidden" deleted items folder, it does NOT go there.

Did you close Outlook before you looked? If you did, then naturally it will
have been removed from the Deleted Items folder, but when you delete a DL
(or any other Outlook item), it goes to the Deleted Items folder of the data
store containing the Contacts folder that contained the DL. If you open
that Deleted Items folder before closing Outlook, then the deleted DL will
be there. I've tested it. I suspect that if you were to create a new DL
and duplicate what you did and then, without closing Outlook, look in the
Deleted Items folder in the same folder set as the Contacts folder that held
the DL, you will see the deleted DL there.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

[jimcruse]

Many people responded to this question saying the deleted DL would be in the Deleted Items folder.
Does this hold true for Outlook 2007?
I just deleted a DL thinking that I was deleting one entry and I have the Deleted Items folder open and I don't see the DL.

[Brian Tillman]

Jim Cruse <Jim Cruse> wrote:

> Many people responded to this question saying the deleted DL would be
> in the Deleted Items folder.
> Does this hold true for Outlook 2007?

Sure does.

> I just deleted a DL thinking that I was deleting one entry and I
> have the Deleted Items folder open and I don't see the DL.

Was your Deleted Items folder empty or did it have other items. Perhaps the
DL is old enough that you didn't scroll back far enough to see it. What
view are you using on the Deleted Items folder?
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

[ckahil]

The deleted Items folder is empty, and it's not showing up in a restore or
backup folder anywhere... Where's the folder!!!

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

How are we supposed to know? :)

if you deleted it and emptied the deleted items folder, its gone. If you
don't have a backup, its gone for good. if you can't find it in the backups,
make sure you are looking at all the folders (Ctrl+6) and use search - if
you still can't find it, you'll need to make a new one. We don't know what
you did to delete it permanently.

BTW - when looking in the deleted items folder, if there are things in
there, the list is probably sorted by received (created) date - so contacts
are usually at the bottom. I usually sort by the icon or use search to find
non-mail items.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
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"ckahil" <cka...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A92FB833-0F55-4C77...@microsoft.com...

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

And I just empty the trash daily.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.

How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

After furious head scratching, Diane Poremsky [MVP] asked:

| How are we supposed to know? :)
|
| if you deleted it and emptied the deleted items folder, its gone. If
| you don't have a backup, its gone for good. if you can't find it in
| the backups, make sure you are looking at all the folders (Ctrl+6)
| and use search - if you still can't find it, you'll need to make a
| new one. We don't know what you did to delete it permanently.
|
| BTW - when looking in the deleted items folder, if there are things in
| there, the list is probably sorted by received (created) date - so
| contacts are usually at the bottom. I usually sort by the icon or use
| search to find non-mail items.
|
|

[jillb]

I deleted a distribution list in Outlook today and was able to recover it in the Deleted Items folder, but I had to sort the items by "Type" to find it. Go to the Deleted Items, View, Arrange By and check Type. You should be able to find the deleted DL's and drag and drop them back into your contacts.

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

It is always easy to find a DL in the Deleted Items Folder and drag it back
to another folder. Apparently you are not using the Deleted Items Folder as
intended.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Jill B" wrote in message news:20081029...@denali.org...

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <rus...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:uj5X7ZgO...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> It is always easy to find a DL in the Deleted Items Folder and drag it
> back to another folder. Apparently you are not using the Deleted Items
> Folder as intended.

I think the OP thought she was supplying an answer to someone else, not
presenting a problem.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

In a brand new thread with no reference to another? That's not how I would
read it. Why would it ever be necessary to use a sorted view of the Deleted
Items folder just to find a DL?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" <tillm...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:O9KqFppO...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <rus...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:%23pSdL7s...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> In a brand new thread with no reference to another? That's not how I would
> read it. Why would it ever be necessary to use a sorted view of the
> Deleted Items folder just to find a DL?

My take in it is that since the Deleted Items folder is sorted by time, a DL
that was deleted may appear way back in the list and may not be immediately
evident by scrolling through a Deleted Items folder containing many items.
Sorting it by, say, icon may make it easier to find.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

So would using the Deleted Items Folder as intended instead of as an archive
for storage :)

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" <tillm...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:%23cj$$L1OJH...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...