Missing Onedrive files

Search from the OneDrive website first—not only the synced folder on the computer—then check the online Recycle Bin and any other Microsoft account you use.

1. Search the cloud copy

1. Sign in at OneDrive.
2. Verify that the account shown in the upper-right corner is the account that originally held the files.
3. Use Search everything and try:
   • The complete filename and part of the filename.
   • File type, such as docx, xlsx, or pdf.
   • Descriptions, dates, tags, or locations.
4. Browse the original folder and also check My files, Shared, and Personal Vault. Personal Vault files do not appear in ordinary search results.
5. If you have both personal and work/school OneDrive accounts, repeat the search in each account. Microsoft recommends searching on the website because that is where synced devices store their cloud files.^1^

2. Restore files from the online Recycle Bin

On the OneDrive website:

1. Select Recycle bin in the left navigation.
2. Select the missing files or folders.
3. Select Restore.

For Personal Vault files, select Show Personal Vault items first. Deleted files remain recoverable for up to 30 days for personal accounts and 93 days for work or school accounts, unless the organization changed its retention setting. Permanently deleted Recycle Bin items cannot be recovered through OneDrive.^2^

Not accessing a file for several months does not by itself identify when it disappeared. Its deletion date—not its last-accessed date—determines whether it may still be in the Recycle Bin.

3. Check the computer and other devices

If the files are absent online:

• Search with File Explorer on Windows or Finder on macOS.
• Check the computer’s Recycle Bin or Trash. On Windows, right-click a found item and select Restore.
• Search the local OneDrive folder and ordinary Documents and Desktop folders.
• Check other computers, phones, external drives, and backups used when the files were last known to exist.

A downloaded synced file deleted from a computer may appear in both the device’s Recycle Bin and OneDrive’s online Recycle Bin; an online-only file normally appears only in the online Recycle Bin.^2^

4. Restore the entire OneDrive only if the disappearance was recent

If you have Microsoft 365 and believe the files disappeared within the last 30 days:

1. Open OneDrive on the web.
2. For a personal account, select Settings → Options → Restore your OneDrive.
3. For a work or school account, select Settings → Restore OneDrive.
4. Choose a date before the files disappeared.
5. Review the activity feed carefully, then select Restore.

This rolls back all selected file and folder activity, not just the missing files. Items created after the chosen restore point are moved to the Recycle Bin. The feature cannot recover a file permanently removed from the Recycle Bin.^3^

Because the files were last accessed several months ago, do not use this option unless the activity history shows that their actual deletion or movement occurred within the last 30 days.

If nothing is found

• Work or school account: contact the organization’s IT administrator promptly. Provide the exact filenames or folder names, approximate last-known date, and device used. An administrator may be able to inspect additional organizational recovery or retention locations.^1^
• Personal account: after checking every account, online search, both Recycle Bins, Personal Vault, devices, and backups, files permanently deleted outside the available retention period cannot be recovered through OneDrive.^2^

Avoid moving, deleting, or resyncing large folder trees until the search is complete.

References

1. [Personal](https://support.microsoft.com/onedrive/find-lost-or-missing-files-in-onedrive)
2. Restore files deleted from your OneDrive | Microsoft Support
3. Restore your OneDrive | Microsoft Support