Table of Contents
Checking through the Mail Server
The first step to fix incorrect email count in Outlook is to thoroughly check all the mails on your server. This includes the emails you have already read and those that you might have missed.
Go to the Outlook Inbox
Launch your Outlook application and head straight to your Inbox. This is usually the first point of contact with your emails.
Select “Search Current Mailbox”
At the top of your mailbox, there’s a feature called "Search Current Mailbox." Click on this to continue the process.
Choose “All Outlook Items”
A dropdown button will appear after clicking on the "Search Current Mailbox.” From this button, select the "All Outlook Items" option. This command prompts Outlook to display every unread message in your email.
Set the Filter to “Unread Emails”
Now, set your filter to "Unread Emails." This operation ensures that only unread messages are displayed, which could help in identifying the problem with the email flag.
Load All Mails from the Server if the Option is Available
In some older versions of Outlook, you'll see a message prompting you to "Find more on the server." If you notice this, click on it to load all the emails from your server. This could take a few seconds or minutes depending on the number of emails to be loaded.
Set the Unread Email Flag Back to Zero
After loading all the emails from your server and examining them, the next step is to reset the unread emails flag back to zero. Doing this means you’re acknowledging that you have read all your emails, and it should fix the issue with the wrong number of email flags in Outlook.
Marking All the Emails as Read in the Individual Folders
Another method of resolving the issue of incorrect email flags in Outlook is by marking all emails as read in each individual folder. This strategy ensures that unread emails do not improperly affect your mail count.
Expand Email Folders in the Outlook Inbox
Navigate to your Outlook Inbox and locate the “▶” icon beside the Inbox button. Click on this icon to reveal all the email folders you have. It might be a single folder or multiple, depending on how you've arranged your mails.
Right-Click the Inbox Folder and Select “Mark All as Read”
Once the folders are visible, right-click the first “Inbox” folder and select the “Mark all as read“ option from the dropdown menu. This action flags all the emails in that particular folder as read, indicating you’ve seen all of them.
Repeat These Steps for All Folders
You need to repeat the same steps for every other folder on your Outlook. That is, right-click each folder and select "Mark all as read". With this, you have successfully marked every email as read, and this should solve the anomaly with the unread emails flag.
Running a Command to Reset Views in Outlook
Finally, if the above steps don't resolve the incorrect email count, you can fix it by clearing Outlook's views using a specific command directly from the Windows menu.
Open Run Command Box from the Windows Menu
Start the process by right-clicking the Windows button and selecting the "Run" option in the context menu. This action brings up the Run dialog box where you can execute or run commands.
Paste Specific Command in Run Dialog Box
In the Run dialog box, paste the designed command (ensure it's the correct command for clearing Outlook views). Note that the specific command was not provided in the reference material, but it can usually be found with an online search. After pasting the command, click "OK" to run it.
Clear the Counter for Unread Mails and Other Components in Outlook Inbox
On completing the above steps successfully, this process should clear the counter for unread emails and other components in your Outlook inbox. This action means that any customizations you made in your Outlook views will be reset. It should, however, resolve the issue of the wrong number of email flags.
Deleting the Corrupted .ost File
Yet another useful approach to address the wrong number of email flags in Outlook is to delete the corrupted .ost file. This strategy is helpful because .ost files can sometimes trigger sync issues with your mailbox.
Open the Outlook and Select “File” Menu
Start by launching the Outlook application on your device. After it opens, head straight to the "File" menu located at the top left corner of the application.
Access the “Account Settings” Option
In the File menu, find and click on the "Account Settings" option. In the dropdown, select "Account Settings" again to access the settings for your Outlook account.
Switch to the “Data Files” Tab
Once you're in the Account Settings window, switch to the "Data Files" tab. Here, you'll find data files associated with your Outlook account.
Select the Data File and Tap “Remove” to Delete the Email Data File
Each data file is named according to the associated email ID. Identify the problematic .ost file, select it, and then tap the "Remove" button. This action deletes the selected .ost file from your Outlook account.
Backup the Email Data Files (Optional)
Note that deleting the .ost file will clear the offline cache, and Outlook will rebuild it automatically. This will not affect your emails unless you have drafts left. Therefore, if you want, you can make a backup of the email data files before deleting them.
Relaunch Outlook and Input Login Information
After deleting the .ost file, Outlook will typically close and need to be relaunched. You'll be prompted to input your email password during the login process, which may take a few minutes.
Reset the Unread Email Counter
After successfully logging into your Outlook account, you’ll notice that the unread email counter has been reset. With this, the wrong number of email flags issue should be resolved.
