Outlook Sync Issues

Question

Outlook Sync Issues

Kim Lloyd 0

Folders in outlook just disappeared on my laptop. They show up on my phone, just not the laptop. I need them back.

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2 answers

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Answer 1

Winnie-B 7,600 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Kim Lloyd

I understand how concerning it is when folders suddenly disappear.

Have you already tried the Q&A Assist suggestions? In addition, I’d like to narrow this down a bit:

Are you using a Microsoft account (Outlook.com/Hotmail) or a different type (e.g., Gmail/IMAP) in Outlook?
Did this start after any recent change (e.g., Outlook update, profile change, or sync issue)?
In Outlook on the laptop, do you see any of the missing folders at all under another parent folder (even partially)?

In the meantime, you can try these workarounds in the New Outlook app:

1, Check “View” settings

Go to “View” tab > "Folder Pane" > make sure "Normal" is selected

User's image

2, Start Outlook in Safe Mode (to rule out add-ins)

Press “Windows + R” > type: outlook.exe /safe
Check if the folders appear there

3, Check if the profile is the issue

Go to “Control Panel” > “Mail” > “Show Profiles” > create a new profile and add your account again
Open Outlook using the new profile and check the folders Please feel free to let me know how it goes. Thank you for your time and understanding.

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Kim Lloyd 0 Reputation points

2026-05-05T20:08:13.5233333+00:00

I am using gmail and I know of no recent change which may have caused this issue, although there used to e a button on the right allowing me to choose between classic outlook and new outlook. That button is no longer present.

None of the missing folders are in another folder.

I ran exe.outlook /resetfolders & then ran exe.outlook /resetfoldernames. Nothing was corrected.

I ran exe.oulook/ safe. The missing folders do not show up.

I created a new profile and enabled IMAP/POP. Had to change my gmail password. Now outlook will not synch with gmail, saying my credentials are incorrect (and I'm certain they are not.), even though I also updated my password within outlook and through the control panel mail feature.

I used outlook at work for the past 25 years or more, without major issues. I'm now retired and prefer using outlook, where my calendar, contacts and email are all in one app. But Outlook has been enough of an issue trying to get set up correctly, I'm ready to give up and move to something else (Google?). Even when outlook was "working", emails moved around on their own from folders back to the inbox - requiring almost daily maintenance to move them back.

It has become too complicated.
Winnie-B 7,600 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-06T04:01:07.38+00:00
Good day Kim Lloyd

Thank you for the detailed update.

With Gmail IMAP, folders in Outlook are actually labels mapped from Gmail. If labels are not set to show in IMAP, they will:

Still appear on phone (Gmail app shows all labels)

But not appear in Outlook

Since you're using Gmail with IMAP, Outlook relies on Gmail “labels” to display folders. In some cases, labels may be set not to sync via IMAP, which can cause them to appear on mobile but not in Outlook.

Could you check this in Gmail (web):

Go to “Settings” > “See all settings” > “Labels”

Look for the missing folders and confirm whether “Show in IMAP” is enabled

Also, please verify subscription in Outlook

In your PC Outlook: right-click your Gmail account

Click “IMAP Folders…”

Click “Query”

Check if the missing folders appear

If yes > select them > click “Subscribe”

Regarding the sign-in error (new profile), this part is separate from the folder issue. For Gmail accounts in Outlook, password-only sign-in often fails now due to Google security.

Try re-adding Gmail using App Password:

Go to your Google Account > Security

Enable 2-Step Verification (if not already)

Create an “App Password” for Mail

Use that password in Outlook instead of your normal Gmail password

Official guidance: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833

Disclaimer: _Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. Microsoft has no control over the content, support, or functionality provided by these third‑party services and cannot guarantee their accuracy or availability. About emails moving back to Inbox:

Gmail “Inbox” is a label

If a message is labeled incorrectly or Gmail filters apply, it can reappear in Inbox even after moving

Answer 2

Because the folders still appear on the phone, they are most likely still in the mailbox but hidden or misconfigured in Outlook on the laptop.

Try these steps on the laptop in classic Outlook for Windows:

Check if the folders are collapsed or under another folder
- In the Folder Pane, expand all top-level folders (Inbox, Sent Items, Archive, etc.).
- Check under Sent Items and other default folders; users sometimes find “missing” folders nested there after a swipe or drag action.
Check for hidden default folders If a default folder (Inbox, Sent Items, etc.) seems missing or renamed, it may be hidden or misnamed:
- Follow the guidance in Issues with default folders in Outlook:
  - Close Outlook.
  - Run: Outlook.exe /resetfolders
  - Then run: Outlook.exe /resetfoldernames
- Restart Outlook and see if the folder structure normalizes.
If a default folder is still missing
- Use the steps in Default folder is missing in Outlook and Outlook on the web to check the folder’s PR_ATTR_HIDDEN property with MFCMAPI and set it from True back to False, then restart Outlook so the folder becomes visible again.
If folders were system “Files” folders
- If the missing folders were named Files, Files1, etc., they may have been system folders that Exchange Online has now hidden. In that case, messages must be moved out of those hidden folders using MFCMAPI as described in Exchange Online hides previously displayed Files and folders.

If none of the above restores the folders, use Outlook on the web or the mobile app to confirm exactly where the folders live (under which parent folder and what names), then compare that structure in classic Outlook and apply the reset/hidden-folder steps to the specific missing folder.

References:

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