How to restore DELETED files from Recycle Bin on Onedrive PERSONAL account

Bd Lm 0 Reputation points
2026-10-11T03:55:18.5066667+00:00

Deleted video files which I thought were only on onedrive. They went to onedrive recycle bin. Emptied my recycle bin on onedrive to find out that some video files I needed were ALSO DELETED on my computer.

But I have already emptied my recycle bin. How can I rescue my files from my computer?

My onedrive is a personal account. How do I rescue the video files? Are they still on my computer?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows
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  1. EmilyS726 272.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-11T04:29:55.1133333+00:00

    Unfortunately deletion sync across devices that have OneDrive app installed.

    If it is already deleted from Recycle Bin as well, it is a permanent deletion from OneDrive.

    But since the file was also on the computer prior to this, there is a chance you might be recover it via a third-party data recovery service, which is usually not free, but it is not a guarantee.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-11T03:55:33.5466667+00:00

    For a OneDrive personal account, files can normally be restored only while they are still in the OneDrive Recycle bin. Personal-account items in that recycle bin are kept for 30 days, but once they are permanently deleted from the OneDrive recycle bin, they can’t be restored from OneDrive.

    What can still be checked:

    1. Check the Windows Recycle Bin
      • Open Recycle Bin on the PC.
      • If the videos are there, right-click them and select Restore.
      • They return to their original folder.
    2. Check whether the files were cloud-only files
      • If the files were deleted from the cloud, including files marked as online-only, they do not appear in the computer’s Recycle Bin.
      • In that case, recovery would only have been possible from the OneDrive web Recycle bin before it was emptied.
    3. Check OneDrive.com for the correct account and search
      • Sign in to the OneDrive website.
      • Use Search everything to look for the videos by filename, description, date, or place.
      • Also check whether they were in Personal Vault, because Personal Vault files do not appear in search results unless the vault is unlocked. In the recycle bin, use Show Personal Vault items if available.
    4. Check another Microsoft account
      • If multiple Microsoft accounts are used, the files may have been saved to a different OneDrive.

    Important points for this scenario:

    • Deleting an online-only file from the device deletes it from OneDrive on all devices and online.
    • For personal OneDrive accounts, there is no second-stage recycle bin mentioned in the provided guidance.
    • Microsoft support agents cannot access files beyond the available self-service guidance for personal accounts.

    If the files are not in the Windows Recycle Bin, not in OneDrive search, and the OneDrive Recycle bin was already emptied, then OneDrive does not provide a built-in way to recover them.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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