Fix Outlook Archive PST File Not Empty, But Old Emails Don’t Show Up

Summary: The “Outlook archive PST file isn’t empty, but old emails don’t show up” problem occurs when a sizable PST file, meant for archived emails, appears empty in Outlook. This isn’t a direct error message, but a frustrating symptom. Causes include PST file corruption, incorrect Outlook view or filter settings, and problematic search indexing. Other factors can be IMAP view quirks, oversized PSTs, or syncing issues. Troubleshooting involves checking view settings, running ScanPST.exe for repairs, or rebuilding the Outlook index. For severe cases of file corruption that prevent old emails from displaying, specialized tools like Aryson Outlook PST Recovery Software can be used. Download Now   Purchase Now

What is “Outlook archive PST old emails not displaying” problem?

The “Outlook archive PST old emails not displaying” problem is a common issue where a user’s Outlook Personal Storage Table (PST) file, used for storing archived emails, appears to be a significant size on disk (meaning it contains data), but when opened in Outlook, the older emails expected to be within it are not visible.

Key Symptoms: Empty folders in Outlook, missing date ranges, search failures, and a large PST file size with no visible content.

Main Causes: PST file corruption, incorrect Outlook view settings (filters), indexing issues, or sometimes IMAP view quirks.

The situation becomes even worse when the mailbox crosses its maximum size limit. Because whenever this happens, the PST file is likely to corrupt sooner or later. Which is why you need to repair oversized PST file to retrieve data. Therefore, to overcome the problem, Outlook provides a built-in Archive feature to keep your mailbox from filling up.

How? You can move the old mailbox data to an Outlook archive PST file. It’s a separate Outlook data file that can easily be opened in the Outlook client at any time. Hence, this is how you can manage the Outlook mailbox size without deleting any data.

An Unknown Error: Outlook archive PST old emails not displaying

Sometimes you may face a situation where you can’t see the old email messages in the archive file. Although the Outlook archive PST file ain’t empty, emails are missing. This is quite an uncommon issue often faced by Outlook users.

The primary reason behind this problem might be the “Outlook settings”. So, before you can try anything else here, you should better check the default Outlook settings. But if it’s not about the Outlook settings, then the issue may be something else.

Why are old emails missing from Outlook PST archive?

Here are the possible causes of the error:’

• Outlook uses the modified date, not the received date. So, maybe you are looking for emails in the wrong archive date range.
• Or, custom views or filters might be hiding archived emails. You need to reset the view to default.
• The archive PST file may be damaged or corrupt, thus preventing emails from showing up even though they exist.
• If there is a sudden interruption during Archiving, it can lead to a partial archive. Hence, you cannot find emails.
• Also, wrong AutoArchive configuration may be the reason. Inbox, Drafts, and similar folders need a manual archiving setup in many Outlook versions.
• If opened from an external drive or network, the PST file may not be loaded completely to display all content.
• Moreover, a corrupted or outdated index can prevent emails from appearing in search results.

How to Fix Outlook Archive PST Not Showing Emails?

Try the following troubleshooting measures to get the issue fixed:

• Review archive settings: Ensure the archive uses the modified date and not the received date. Also, check that it includes the correct date range.
• Verify the correct archive file: Cross-check if you’re opening the right archive PST file to look for emails. Additionally, make sure it’s properly attached in Outlook.
• Manually browse folders and subfolders: You can also expand each folder and subfolder in the archive PST file to locate hidden emails.
• Import PST in Outlook again: In Outlook, open File > Open & Export > Import/Export, follow the prompts to re-import the PST correctly.

If these do not work to fix Outlook archive PST file not showing emails, try the methods discussed further.

Rebuild Outlook Search Index

This procedure will help to fix search-related issues that may hide archived emails in Outlook. Perform the steps given:

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Click Indexing Options.
3. In the new window, click the Advanced button.
4. Under the Index Settings tab > click Rebuild.
5. Click OK to confirm.

Hence, this will make Outlook rebuild the search index in the background.

Try to Reset View Settings

You can also restore default folder view settings to fix Outlook archive emails not showing up and display all emails.

1. Open MS Outlook > go to the folder where your emails are missing.
2. Click on the View tab and then click Reset View.
3. Now, confirm the reset if prompted.

Check for Advanced Filters

Some filters in Outlook may hide older emails. So you need to review those filters and change them:

1. Click on the View tab in Outlook.
2. Select View Settings.
3. Next, click on the Filter button.
4. In the Filter window, click Clear All.
5. Click OK to apply the changes.

Reconfigure AutoArchive

Outlook archive emails not showing up can also be fixed by reconfiguring AutoArchive. Ensure AutoArchive is active and correctly set up. Here is how to do it:

1. Firstly, open MS Outlook.
2. Go to File and then choose Options.
3. Next, choose the Advanced tab.
4. Scroll down to tap on AutoArchive Settings.
5. Check Run AutoArchive after a while.
6. Choose the correct folders and settings.
7. At last, click OK to save.

Solved “Outlook Archive PST File Not Showing Emails” Issue by Fixing Corrupt PST File

Another common reason is Corrupt PST File. This is a primary suspect. The file’s internal structure might be damaged, making it unreadable by Outlook even if the raw data is still there. If this is the case, you can Download Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) to fix PST corruption. Go through the procedure:

1. Begin by closing Microsoft Outlook completely.
2. Find the folder where ScanPST.exe is located:
   Common path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\
   (Replace ‘XX’ with your Outlook version.)
3. Now, double-click on ScanPST.exe and launch it.
4. Browse and select the corrupt PST file to repair.
5. Click on Start to begin the scanning process.
6. If any error is found, click on Repair to fix it.
7. Once it’s done, restart Outlook and check your emails.

However, this utility is only for minor to moderate corruption. It may fail to Recover Deleted Emails from PST. So, what’s the choice? Purchase a premium recovery tool for all these restrictions.

Also Read: Learn How to Find the Location of ScanPST.exe in Outlook?.

Pro Software to Fix “Outlook PST archive old emails not showing” Issue

If the corruption is severe, the Scanpst utility may not work for you. Deal with a corrupt PST causing the Outlook archive PST file not showing emails using Aryson Outlook Repair Tool. It’s an advanced way to deal with a corrupt PST file and restore the maximum mailbox content into a new PST file. Download its demo version for free evaluation.

Steps to Restore old emails from non-empty PST archive:

1. Download the PST Recovery Tool and run it.
2. Browse and add a corrupt PST file to repair.
3. Choose an appropriate recovery mode and other options.
4. Once scanning is done, preview the recovered data.
5. Choose folders to save and save emails to PST.

Conclusion

If you encounter the issue Outlook archive PST file not showing emails, find a way out as soon as possible. It may be due to incorrect view settings, search indexing, or PST file corruption. So, begin by finding the real cause of the issue and resolving it accordingly. However, if the problem continues, try to repair PST file corruption. You have two options: ScanPST.exe and professional software. But, it’s better to go for the second choice for safe restoration.

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