6 Ways to Find Missing Outlook Notes

Quick Tips

• Look in the Deleted Items folder for accidentally deleted notes.
• Use the SCANPST.EXE tool to repair a corrupted Outlook data file.
• Ensure Outlook is up-to-date to fix any bugs causing the issue.

Fix 1. Reset Your Outlook View Settings

Step 1: Press the Windows key, type Outlook, and click Open.

Step 2: Click on the Notes icon on the left of the panel.

Note: If you can’t find the Notes icon, click on the More Apps icon in the menu bar on the left and choose Notes from the modal.

You will see all your synced notes.

Step 4: Select the View tab at the top and choose the downward arrow next to Current view to reveal the options.

Step 5: From the drop-down menu, click on View Settings.

Step 6: In the Advanced View Settings: Icon, click Filter.

Step 7: In the Filter window, ensure that there are no selected criteria that may exclude your notes, then press OK.

Step 8: Now, choose Sort. 

Step 9: In the Sort Windows, ensure the sort order is to Icon or Modified, then press OK.

Step 10: In the Advanced View Settings: Icon, click Group By (if it isn’t greyed out) and ensure the group by option is set to None > press OK. 

Step 11: If the changes still don’t restore your notes, press Reset Current View to restore the Outlook default. 

Your Outlook view settings will be reset to the default configuration, ensuring your notes are visible in the notes section.

Also Read: How to fix Outlook error 500 ‘Something went wrong’

Fix 2. Check the Deleted Items Folder

This fix is only applicable if you have mistakenly deleted your notes. However, depending on the timeline or settings, you may be unable to recover it. However, you can try your luck.

Step 1: Press the Windows key, type Outlook, and click Open. 

Step 2: Select the Deleted Items folder from the left panel.

Step 3: Go through the list of deleted items and right-click on any item you want to recover. This will restore your deleted notes or items to their original location.  

Fix 3. Open Outlook in Safe Mode

But what is Safe Mode? Well, it lets you launch Outlook with minimal add-ins and customizations, making it easier to identify and resolve any issues. Follow the below-mentioned instructions.

Step 1: Press the Windows key, type Run, and click Open.

Step 2: Type the below command in the text box and click OK.

outlook.exe /safe

Step 3: A window will ask you to choose a profile. Select the default profile and click OK.

This will launch Outlook in Safe Mode, which you can see in the title bar (it will say Safe Mode). 

Check if you can see your notes in the concerned folder. If you can, one of your add-ins or extensions may be causing the problem. To remove it, exit Outlook in Safe mode and disable the add-in by going to File > Options > Add-ins > Disable it.

Also Read: How to fix Microsoft Outlook out of memory or system resources error on Windows

Fix 4. Repair Your Outlook Data File

Outlook messages and configurations are generally stored in a profile file in .PST or .OST format. If your Outlook data file is corrupted, it will not only impact the messages but also Outlook notes.

Step 1: Open File Explorer and navigate to the following folder.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

Step 2: Double-click on the SCANPST.EXE file to open it.

Step 3: Click on Start to initiate the scan.

Step 4: If the tool finds any issues, click on Repair.

When the repair is done, restart Outlook and check for the missing Outlook notes. You should see your Outlook notes.

Fix 5. Restore Your Outlook Notes From a Backup

Step 1: Open File Explorer and navigate to the following folder. 

Note: Replace <user> with the correct folder name for your user account. 

C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

Step 2: Right-click on the Outlook data file, select Rename from the context menu, and give it a name (e.g., outlook-original.OST).

Step 3: Copy the backed version of the Outlook data file to the same location and rename it to your original filename (e.g.: Outlook.OST).

Close File Explorer and launch Outlook on your desktop. You will see your Outlook notes back.

Also Read: Best ways to fix Outlook receiving late emails on Windows 11

Fix 6. Check for Outlook Updates

If you haven’t deleted the notes and cannot recover them using the above method, Outlook is probably causing the problem.

Step 1: Launch Outlook and navigate to the File menu in the toolbar. 

Step 2: Go to Office Account > click the Update Options box.

Step 3: From the drop-down, choose Update Now.

If there are any updates, Outlook will download and install them. Once the update is complete, restart Outlook, and you will see the missing Outlook notes back.

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