Stumped on Outlook sent folder suddenly being empty
Art DeKneef
I know it’s possibly an Exchange question but thought I would start here first since it’s the weekend.
Client has Microsoft 365 Business Premium using the Outlook desktop app version 2308.16731.20230. He called today stating that all his emails in the Sent Items folder had disappeared. They were there early in the day.
I remoted in to have a look. The folder was still listed so I figured he didn’t accidently move the folder.
Checked deleted Items and not there either. Looked in Recover Deleted Items and not there either.
Checked all other folders and not there either.
Login via the web and same result. Nothing different between the two programs.
Based on search results ran Scanpst.exe against the file. Found errors and fixed them but still an empty Sent Items folder.
Logged into the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and checked under Exchange and didn’t see anything on how I could see what might have happened to the files.
Created his account on another computer and so far the same result.
So does anyone have any ideas of what might have happened to these disappeared Sent Items files?
Art DeKneef
Avanti Computers
Mesa, AZ
Nathan Woodcock
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ntsysadmin" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ntsysadmin+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/BYAPR04MB496819E4E69516B12ACEB659F4C7A%40BYAPR04MB4968.namprd04.prod.outlook.com.
Art DeKneef
It’s Exchange connected in that the account is a Microsoft 365 Business Premium account going to the Microsoft servers. Looked at all the other files he has and no luck finding the missing Sent Items files.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/CADnfctyoSyGo-x5XZbTV6cTQyVTV9FrDrFOiBSqn3%2BBfu9FOvQ%40mail.gmail.com.
Michael B. Smith
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2023 8:23:49 PM
To: ntsys...@googlegroups.com <ntsys...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: RE: [ntsysadmin] Stumped on Outlook sent folder suddenly being empty
Art DeKneef
No. We decided in the beginning not to turn on auditing. Now we are rethinking that.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/BLAPR05MB733205EAE9BF29FB3471A9D2FFC6A%40BLAPR05MB7332.namprd05.prod.outlook.com.
Michael B. Smith
I’d strongly suggest it.
Are any litigation hold or retention policies in place?
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/DM6PR04MB4969E69091FE0E27EE1B610EF4C6A%40DM6PR04MB4969.namprd04.prod.outlook.com.
Art DeKneef
None. Pretty much a default install for a small business. I also got an email from him that his drafts folder is empty. But that was empty yesterday when I created his account on a different computer. So that appears to have been emptied before Saturday also.
And I did check for suspicious sign-ins and stuff like that. All sign-ins are from the expected locations and devices.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/3e794b01397144d78c57a608d1905ae2%40smithcons.com.
Michael B. Smith
Well, all you’ve got left is a compliance search – which could tell you if the user moved the data elsewhere.
Or maybe third party backup?
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/DM6PR04MB4969D12C51F4FF36B52A6C91F4C6A%40DM6PR04MB4969.namprd04.prod.outlook.com.
Art DeKneef
I’m doing an audit search in Microsoft Purview now.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/810a2cbbafd7419f9bbaf3cb4e8688ba%40smithcons.com.
Sharon Tirosh
I have seen at least 2 instances of unexplained and un recoverable data loss in O365 Exchange. MS denies the possibility but I’d bet it is DB corruption in Exchange that simply removes the affected records.
You have to have backup that is not native to MS.
.02
Sharon
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/810a2cbbafd7419f9bbaf3cb4e8688ba%40smithcons.com.
Hammer, Erich F
I used to use a unified mailbox on my iPhone. I learned the hard way how easy it is to accidentally delete a lot of messages across multiple accounts from that interface and have them disappear into the ether. I no longer use iOS Mail or any kind of unified mailbox, period.
Erich
On Monday, October 2, 2023 at 09:58, 'sharon tirosh' via ntsysadmin eloquently inscribed:
> I have seen at least 2 instances of unexplained and un recoverable data loss
> in O365 Exchange. MS denies the possibility but I’d bet it is DB corruption in
> Exchange that simply removes the affected records.
>
> You have to have backup that is not native to MS.
>
> .02
>
> Sharon
>
> From: ntsys...@googlegroups.com <ntsys...@googlegroups.com> On
> Behalf Of Michael B. Smith Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 3:01 PM To:
> ntsys...@googlegroups.com Subject: RE: [ntsysadmin] Stumped on Outlook
> sent folder suddenly being empty
>
> Well, all you’ve got left is a compliance search – which could tell you if the
> user moved the data elsewhere.
>
> Or maybe third party backup?
>
> <ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com> > On
> Behalf Of Art DeKneef Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 2:50 PM To:
> ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com>
> Subject: RE: [ntsysadmin] Stumped on Outlook sent folder suddenly being
> empty
>
> None. Pretty much a default install for a small business. I also got an email
> from him that his drafts folder is empty. But that was empty yesterday when
> I created his account on a different computer. So that appears to have been
> emptied before Saturday also.
>
> And I did check for suspicious sign-ins and stuff like that. All sign-ins are from
> the expected locations and devices.
>
> Art DeKneef
>
> Avanti Computers
>
> Mesa, AZ
>
> 480-529-4430
>
> <ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com> > On
> Behalf Of Michael B. Smith Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 11:42 AM To:
> ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com>
> Subject: RE: [ntsysadmin] Stumped on Outlook sent folder suddenly being
> empty
>
> I’d strongly suggest it.
>
> Are any litigation hold or retention policies in place?
>
> <ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com> > On
> Behalf Of Art DeKneef Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 1:22 PM To:
> ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com>
> Subject: RE: [ntsysadmin] Stumped on Outlook sent folder suddenly being
> empty
>
> No. We decided in the beginning not to turn on auditing. Now we are
> rethinking that.
>
> Art DeKneef
>
> Avanti Computers
>
> Mesa, AZ
>
> 480-529-4430
>
> <ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com> > On
> Behalf Of Michael B. Smith Sent: Sunday, October 1, 2023 4:31 AM To:
> ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [ntsysadmin] Stumped on Outlook sent folder suddenly being
> empty
>
> Is mailbox auditing enabled?
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com>
> <ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com> > on
> behalf of Art DeKneef <art.d...@avanticomputersaz.com
> <mailto:art.d...@avanticomputersaz.com> > Sent: Saturday, September
> 30, 2023 8:23:49 PM To: ntsys...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com> <ntsys...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com> > Subject: RE: [ntsysadmin] Stumped
> on Outlook sent folder suddenly being empty
>
> It’s Exchange connected in that the account is a Microsoft 365 Business
> Premium account going to the Microsoft servers. Looked at all the other files
> he has and no luck finding the missing Sent Items files.
>
> Art DeKneef
>
> Avanti Computers
>
> Mesa, AZ
>
> 480-529-4430
>
> <ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com> > On
> Behalf Of Nathan Woodcock Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2023 3:31 AM To:
> ntsys...@googlegroups.com <mailto:ntsys...@googlegroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [ntsysadmin] Stumped on Outlook sent folder suddenly being
> empty
>
> Is the account exchange connected? You said pst, would be ost if so. If it's pst
> he may have inadvertently opened a new pst? Have you looked in his
> outlook folders for other data files?
>
> On Sat, 30 Sept 2023, 11:53 Art DeKneef,
> <art.d...@avanticomputersaz.com
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/BYAPR04MB496819E4E6951
> 6B12ACEB659F4C7A%40BYAPR04MB4968.namprd04.prod.outlook.com
> 16B12ACEB659F4C7A%40BYAPR04MB4968.namprd04.prod.outlook.com?utm
> _medium=email&utm_source=footer> .
>
Art DeKneef
Sent: Monday, October 2, 2023 9:41:16 AM
To: ntsys...@googlegroups.com <ntsys...@googlegroups.com>
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ntsysadmin/DM8PR04MB7893066B4B86FA3A8A76A102CCC5A%40DM8PR04MB7893.namprd04.prod.outlook.com.
Art DeKneef
Thanks all for the help and insight.
Second user problem was a different problem that related to Internet connectivity that resolved itself.
For the missing sent and draft items I was able to open an earlier file on a different computer he had used and recover most of the missing items. In the end he lost only about 3 weeks of sent items.
Now to discuss backing up their Microsoft 365 email.