Recover Missing Outlook 2011 Data Like Emails and Contacts – Trouble Resolved

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In this article we discuss how to recover the missing Outlook 2011 for Mac data like Emails and Contacts manually.
Microsoft Outlook 2011 was developed by Microsoft to provide users of the Macintosh operating system to access Outlook on the Mac. This version of MS Outlook is only supported on the Mac platform, not on any other platform. It performs same functions as of Outlook for the Window platform with some additional features.
 
Problem
Accidentally users are unable to find their email messages and contacts in Mac Outlook 2011. Due to some problems, the email messages disappear automatically, so there is a need for recovering such mails or contacts.

Solution
Users can recover their data with use of a Time Machine for restoring a backup of their Outlook 2011 Identities folders. However, if there is no backup created then also user can recover missing Outlook 2011 data like emails and contacts by applying following methods:

Method 1
  1. Close Microsoft Outlook (if open)
  2. If you are using the Mac keyboard press Option while clicking Outlook in the Dock. If you are using a Windows keyboard then press Alt along with clicking Microsoft Outlook in the Dock.
  3. After performing Step 2 operation a Microsoft Database Utility window will appear:

    ee1.jpg
  4. Press "Alt" along with clicking Microsoft Outlook in the Dock.
  5. If there is more than one identity then choose the one that is not highlighted.
  6. Click on Gear icon from the lower left corner and choose Set as Default.

    ee2.jpg
  7. Now close the window and start Outlook to check whether your missing data is recovered or not.
  8. Repeat the above steps until you do not find your data files by trying all your identities
 
Method 2
If by using Method 1 your data is not recovered then the data may be moved by mistake to somewhere else. Therefore, we now have to search for Outlook database files by performing following steps
  1. Go to File >> Find

    ee3.jpg
  2. Click on the Second button at the top menu of the search windows. 
  3.  After that next to Kind change Any to Other

    ee4.png
  4. On the new text box appearing, write Microsoft Outlook Database
  5. Now on the search window appearing there are some database file in search results
    ee5.pngNote: Ignore the data files that contain Microsoft User Data as part of their path location
  6. Now for the files displaying look in the Last Opened column and choose the file that was last opened around the time the Outlook data disappeared
  7. Write down the desired folder name that contains the file and its location
  8. Now click Go >> Computer, find the folder and drag it on the computer screen
  9. You will now have to replace the current database file with the one you have found by dragging the folder you copied in step (8) on User/Home/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2011 Identities or Go >> Documents >> Microsoft User Data >> Office 2011 Identitiesee6.png
  10. If you are using MAC keyboard the press Option along with clicking Outlook in the Dock. Else if you are using Window keyboard then press Alt along with clicking Microsoft Outlook in the Dock.
  11. Click on + for creating new identity list which should have the same name as of the folder you earlier dragged

    ee7.jpg
 
  • Click on Gear button from the lower left corner and Choose Set as Default.
  •  Now close the window and start Outlook
If you have recovered, your missing Outlook data like emails and contacts. Otherwise repeat the steps with other database files until you recover the missing Outlook data.
 
Conclusion
If you data are not deleted, and the data is missing i.e. moved somewhere, you can manually recover missing Outlook 2011 data. If the data is permanently deleted then you cannot recover that data using this procedure.
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