Software & Apps > MS Office > Outlook > How to Access Archived Emails in Outlook Learn where to find archived emails By Tricia Goss Tricia Goss Writer Pima College Tricia Goss has been a writer and editor for 10+ years. She’s written tips and tutorials for Microsoft Office applications and other sites. lifewire’s editorial guidelines Updated on August 4, 2025 In This Article View All In This Article How to Find the Archive Folder Missing Archive Folder? Update Outlook How to Access the Outlook Online Archive Folder How to Find Items in an Outlook Data File (.pst) Frequently Asked Questions Close The Download Open Outlook and check your folder list for the Archive to find old emails.If the Archive folder is missing, updating Outlook can help it appear. This article explains how to access archived emails in Outlook using the method that matches how you originally stored them. These instructions apply to Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013, and Outlook 2010. How to Find the Archive Folder If you have a Microsoft 365, Exchange, Exchange Online, or Outlook.com account, your Archive folder already exists, even if you haven’t used it before. The folder is located in your Outlook folder list. Open Outlook. Select the View tab. Choose Folder Pane in the Layout section, then select Normal from the drop-down menu. The Archive folder should now appear in the folders list. Open the folder to locate the archived message you need. Missing Archive Folder? Update Outlook If you’re using Outlook 365, Outlook 2019, or Outlook 2016 and do not see the Archive folder, update Outlook. Select the File tab in Outlook. Choose Office Account in the left pane. Select Update Options > Update Now. Microsoft will check for and install any available updates. Once the updates are complete, the Archive folder should appear in the Outlook folders list. How to Access the Outlook Online Archive Folder If you have an Outlook Online email account, the Archive folder is available online. Go to Outlook and log in to your Outlook email account. Select the arrow next to Folders to expand the Outlook folders list if folders are not visible. Select Archive in the left pane under Folders. Your archived emails will appear. How to Find Items in an Outlook Data File (.pst) Your archived items might be stored in an Outlook data file, also known as a Personal Folders File (.pst), if you use a POP or IMAP account, or if you use AutoArchive with your Exchange server email account. When you open the Personal Folders file in Outlook, you can search for specific words or phrases. Open Outlook and select the File tab. Choose Open and Export in the left pane. Select Open Outlook Data File. The Open Outlook Data File dialog box will appear. Choose the Outlook data file you want to open and click OK. By default, Outlook data files are stored at drive:\Users\username\Documents\Outlook Files\archive.pst in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. The drive letter and username will vary depending on your system. Click the arrow next to the Outlook data file in the navigation pane to expand the top level and view the subfolders. Select a subfolder to display its contents. Leverage Outlook’s search tools to find a specific email, contact, or topic in the archive folder. FAQ How do I archive emails in Outlook? To archive emails in Outlook manually, go to File > Info > Tools > Clean Up Old Items. Select Archive this folder and all subfolders, then navigate to the folder with the contents you want to archive. Configure your archive dates and select OK. How do I find the email archive in Gmail? To find and retrieve archived emails in Gmail, select All Mail, then select any archived emails you want to return to the Inbox. From the toolbar, select Move to Inbox. How do I recall an email in Outlook? To recall an email in Outlook, open the Sent folder, double-click the message to recall. Next, go to the Message tab > select the Actions drop-down arrow > Recall This Message. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit