Outlook is not showing historical messages

If Outlook is not showing historical messages, it may be due to synchronization issues. Here are some steps you can take to resolve this problem:

1. Clear Offline Items: Right-click the folder (like Inbox) where the messages are missing, select Properties, go to the General tab, and click on Clear Offline Items. Then, press Shift+F9 to force a resynchronization of that folder.
2. Check Cached Mode: If you are using Outlook in cached mode, sometimes messages do not appear as expected. You can switch to online mode to see if the messages appear there.
3. Rebuild the .ost File: If the above methods do not work, consider deleting the .ost file and letting Outlook download the information again from the Exchange Server. Before doing this, ensure you export any local data to a .pst file if it is not available on the server.
4. Use the OST Integrity Check Tool: For older versions of Outlook (2003 and 2007), you can use the OST Integrity Check Tool (Scanost.exe) to check for inconsistencies in your .ost file. For Outlook 2010 and later, you can resync specific folders as mentioned above.

These steps should help in resolving the synchronization issues and allow you to view your historical messages in Outlook.

Hi @Niklas Nordqvist 

Thank you for contacting the Microsoft Q&A forum. 
Regarding the behavior in classic Outlook where historical messages are not visible, may I clarify a few details? 

1. What is your account type: IMAP, POP, or Microsoft Exchange? 
2. What is the setting for “Download email for the past” (or similar) in your account settings? 
   If it is not set to All, please change it to All, then restart the Outlook app to check if older emails appear. 
3. On Outlook on the web, are the older emails visible there? 

In the meantime, you can try some general troubleshooting steps: 

• Remove and re-add the account 
• Create a new Outlook profile

If the issue still persists, could you please share a screenshot of your current situation via private message? 

Please check your inbox for an email with the subject “New private message on Microsoft Q&A question” to review my response. 

Please know that while our initial response might not resolve the issue right away, your input is incredibly valuable. With a bit more detail, we’ll work together to find the best solution for you.   

I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

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