How to Fix Sent Items Not Showing in Outlook

  • April 3, 2023
  • Written by:
  • James
  • Reading Time: 10 minutes

Outlook is one of the most popular email clients in use today. While it’s generally reliable, issues can occur with sent items, which can be frustrating and impact your productivity. In this guide, we’ll explore common problems with sent items in Outlook, provide troubleshooting tips for error messages, and share advanced solutions to fix sent items not showing in Outlook.

Introduction to Outlook Sent Items Errors

When you send an email in Outlook, a copy of the email is saved in the Sent Items folder. This makes it easy to keep track of emails you’ve sent and refer back to them if needed. However, issues can occur with sent items in Outlook, including sent items not showing up in the Sent Items folder, duplicates of sent items, and error messages when trying to send an email.

Also Read: How to Open Outlook In Safe Mode

Common Problems with Sent Items in Outlook

Here are some common problems you may encounter with sent items in Outlook:

  1. Sent items not showing up in the Sent Items folder
  2. Duplicate copies of sent items in the Sent Items folder
  3. Error messages when sending an email
  4. Sent items appearing in the Outbox folder instead of the Sent Items folder

Troubleshooting Outlook Error Messages

If you encounter an error message when trying to send an email in Outlook, here are some troubleshooting tips:

  1. Check your internet connection – ensure that you have a stable internet connection and that there are no issues with your network or internet service provider.
  2. Check your email server settings – ensure that your email server settings are correct, and your email account is set up correctly in Outlook.
  3. Check your email size limit – some email services have size limits for attachments and emails. Ensure that you are not exceeding these limits.
  4. Disable antivirus software – sometimes, antivirus software can interfere with Outlook’s ability to send emails. Try disabling your antivirus software temporarily to see if this resolves the issue.
  5. Delete large emails from your Outbox – if you have large emails stuck in your Outbox, try deleting them to see if this resolves the issue.

Common Solutions to Fix Sent Items Not Showing in Outlook

If you’re experiencing issues with sent items not showing up in Outlook, try these solutions:

  1. Check your folder view settings – ensure that sent items are not being filtered out or hidden in the folder view settings. Go to the View tab in Outlook and click on Change View to adjust your settings.
  2. Change the default delivery location – Outlook stores your sent items in the default delivery location. Ensure that it’s set to the correct folder. Go to the File tab in Outlook, click on Options, and select the Mail tab to change your default delivery location.
  3. Repair Outlook data files – Outlook stores your mailbox data in a file called a PST file. Over time, PST files can become corrupted or damaged, which can cause issues with your mailbox data. Go to the File tab in Outlook, click on Account Settings, select the Data Files tab, and choose the PST file you want to repair. Click on the Settings button and select the Repair option.
  4. Create a new Outlook profile – if none of the above solutions work, it’s possible that your Outlook profile may be corrupted. Creating a new profile can often fix issues with Outlook. Go to the Control Panel and click on Mail. Then, click on Show Profiles and select Add. Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new profile.

Advanced Steps to Resolve Outlook Sent Items Errors

If you’ve tried the common solutions and are still experiencing issues with sent items in Outlook, here are some advanced steps you can take:

  1. Check for third-party add-ins – third-party add-ins can sometimes cause issues with Outlook’s functionality. Try disabling any third-party add-ins you have installed to see if this resolves the issue.
  2. Clear the Outlook cache – Outlook stores a cache of email data to speed up performance. However, this cache can sometimes become corrupted, which can cause issues with sent items. Go to the File tab in Outlook, click on Options, select the Advanced tab, and click on the Outlook Data File Settings button. Then, select the mailbox you want to clear the cache for and click on the Clear Offline Items button.
  3. Use the Inbox Repair tool – Outlook includes a built-in tool called the Inbox Repair tool that can repair common issues with mailbox data. Go to the File tab in Outlook, select the Info tab, and click on the Account Settings button. Then, select the Data Files tab, choose the PST file you want to repair, and click on the Open File Location button. This will open the location of the PST file in Windows Explorer. Close Outlook and run the Inbox Repair tool by double-clicking on the scanpst.exe file.
  4. Reinstall Outlook – if none of the above solutions work, you may need to reinstall Outlook. Uninstall Outlook from your computer and then reinstall it using your original installation media or by downloading it from the Microsoft website.

Also Read: Outlook Send Receive Error

Conclusion

Issues with sent items in Outlook can be frustrating and impact your productivity. However, by following the troubleshooting tips and solutions outlined in this guide, you should be able to resolve most common issues with sent items in Outlook. If you’re still experiencing issues, it may be worth contacting 3citcians support for further assistance.

Written By

  • James
  • My name is David Wayne, and I work as a technical support specialist for the online industry. In the last 7 years, I have fixed a variety of email issues, such as Outlook server errors, Outlook send receive errors, Outlook working offline problems and etc. So if you are facing these types of problems, please do not hesitate to contact us without any hesitation.

    Pin It on Pinterest