All files on laptop missing from last two weeks after a OneDrive sync - not in recyling bin

Question

All files on laptop missing from last two weeks after a OneDrive sync - not in recyling bin

G-S-UU 0

I recently restarted my mac laptop and was prompted to sign-in to OneDrive via my university account. Today, on opening, OneDrive noted syncing activity. After, when searching for teaching files produced this week, new folders, sub-folders, word, excel, Acad files, pdfs, etc are all gone and files have been downloaded that have 10-11 Sept dates only. I've looked on the online system, searched via Preview, Finder, and looked in recycling bins to no avail. This is all the work for my current module gone. Is there a system or other means to find these files; they were all on the laptop as of 24Sept2026.

0 comments

1 answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Hin Vo 1,190 Independent Advisor

Hi @G-S-UU

To ensure I fully understand your situation and provide the most effective assistance, I’ll need a few additional details, such as:
Could you please confirm whether the missing files were stored inside your OneDrive folder or only locally on your Mac before the sync occurred?
Also, do you see the same files when accessing OneDrive on the web?

In the meantime, you could follow the troubleshooting steps in this article: Find lost or missing files in OneDrive, to see whether you're able to locate the missing files.

Any update would be appreciated.

G-S-UU 0 Reputation points

2026-09-25T14:27:47.4466667+00:00

Thanks. It was saved to my laptop, which has folders locally that also sync to OneDrive. Hoping it was just a glitch in our system and will see if a weekend helps, having notfied out IT team. What is strange are the items created on the laptop disappearing en mass in a morning.
Hin Vo 1,190 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-25T16:39:36.6366667+00:00

Hi @G-S-UU

Hopefully, your IT team will be able to help investigate further. In the meantime, please let me know if the troubleshooting steps in the article help locate any of the missing files.

I appreciate the update and hope the files can be recovered.
G-S-UU 0 Reputation points

2026-09-25T20:53:55.2233333+00:00

Hi @Hin Vo

It seems, on investigation, that there are now two OneDrive paths on the laptop - OneDrive and a OneDrive2, which leads me to believe there was a glitch in my last connection, and when I said yes to connect with OD it setup a new mapped drive that IT are looking into for next week. Some files did start to reappear.
Hin Vo 1,190 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-28T07:08:38.7566667+00:00

Hi @G-S-UU

Thank you for the update. It's good to know that some of the files have started to reappear.

The presence of a OneDrive2 location on your laptop may help explain the behavior you observed after signing back into OneDrive. For now, I'd recommend continuing to work with your IT team as they investigate the issue and assist with recovering any remaining files.

Please feel free to share any updates from your IT team, and let me know if there's anything further I can help with.
Hin Vo 1,190 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-29T10:09:58.7333333+00:00

Hi @G-S-UU

If you need any further assistance regarding this matter, please feel free to reach out at any time.

Warm thanks.