Top 6 Ways to Fix Microsoft Outlook Not Saving Drafts on Windows

Microsoft Outlook saves unsent or partially composed emails in the Drafts folder. This allows you to revisit them later without rewriting them. However, there are occasions when Outlook fails to save drafts on Windows.

Don’t worry, there is no need to save your drafts elsewhere manually. Below, we share troubleshooting tips to help Outlook save your drafts as before.

1. Configure Outlook to Autosave Email to Drafts

Start by ensuring Outlook saves unsent emails to the Drafts folder automatically. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Outlook and click File.

Step 2: Choose Options from the left sidebar.

Step 3: In the Outlook Options window, go to the Mail tab. Check the box that says ‘Automatically save unsent items after this many minutes’ and enter your preferred duration in the adjacent text box.

Step 4: Select the Drafts folder from the drop-down menu and click OK.

Try creating another draft and see if Outlook saves it.

2. Use Outlook Search to Locate the Draft

Outlook may fail to sort your drafts correctly, making it difficult to locate them. This can give the impression that Outlook doesn’t have drafts on your computer. You can try using Outlook’s search bar to locate your draft and see if it works. Step 1: Open the Outlook app and go to the Drafts folder from the sidebar.

Type in the subject of the draft email in the search box and hit Enter.

3. Disable Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook

Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook allows you to keep a local copy of your mailbox. However, it can lead to issues, such as the inability to save drafts. To check if this is the cause, temporarily disable the mode by following these steps:

1. Open the Outlook app and click on the File menu at the top-left corner.

Step 2: Go to the Info tab, click on Account Settings, and select Account Settings.

Step 3: Select your email account and click Change.

Step 4: Clear the ‘Use Cached Exchange Mode to download email to an Outlook data file’ checkbox and click Next to save changes.

Restart the Outlook app to check for the issue.

4. Check if the Draft Is Available on Outlook’s Web App

Issues with the Outlook app on your PC can prevent it from showing saved drafts. In this case, check Outlook for the web to view your drafts.

Follow these steps to access your drafts:

Step 1: Open the Microsoft Outlook website in your web browser and sign in to your account.

Step 2: Go to the Drafts folder and check for your email. Use the search bar to find a specific draft faster.

If your drafts appear in Outlook’s web app, a faulty add-in or some other issue may be causing Outlook app to misbehave on your PC.

5. Open Outlook in Safe Mode

Opening Outlook app in safe mode allows you to run the app without any add-ins. This helps determine if Outlook is unable to save drafts due to a third-party add-in.

To start Outlook in safe mode, press and hold the CTRL key and double-click the Outlook shortcut. Click Yes when the confirmation prompt appears.

If Outlook saves and displays your drafts in safe mode, you can disable add-ins one by one to find the specific add-in causing the issue. Here’s how.

Step 1: In Outlook, click on the File menu.

Step 2: Navigate to Options using the left sidebar.

Step 3: In the Outlook Options window, go to the Add-ins tab. Select COM Add-ins from the drop-down menu next to Manage and click Go.

Step 4: Uncheck all boxes to disable add-ins and click OK.

After completing the steps above, restart Outlook in normal mode and enable your add-ins one at a time until the issue occurs again. Find the troublesome add-in and consider removing it.

If Outlook is unable to save drafts after applying the above fixes, you can use Microsoft’s Office repair tool to fix the issue. This tool can automatically identify and fix common problems with all your Office apps, including Outlook. Here’s how to run it:

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and choose Installed apps from the list.

Step 2: Scroll down to find Microsoft Office on the list. Click the menu icon next to it and choose Modify.

Step 3: Select the Quick Repair option and click Repair.

If the issue remains, repeat the steps and perform an Online Repair to attempt a more thorough operation. Your Outlook drafts should not disappear.

Save Your Thoughts

It can be inconvenient when Outlook stops saving your drafts and forces you to rewrite your messages. Before you switch to another email app, apply these tips to fix the underlying issue.