How access my old documents from OneDrive

Sign in to the OneDrive website with the Microsoft account originally used to save the documents, then search there before checking your computer.

1. Find the documents online

1. Go to OneDrive and sign in.
2. Select My files.
3. Use Search everything at the top. Search by:
   • The document’s full or partial name
   • A word that may appear in its title
   • A date, month, or year
4. Check Documents, Desktop, and any folders you created.

The OneDrive website is the best starting point because it shows the files stored in the cloud, regardless of whether they are currently synchronized to your device.^1^

2. Check other locations and accounts

If the document does not appear in search:

• Personal Vault: Open Personal Vault and look inside it. Files stored there do not appear in normal search results.
• Shared: Check whether the document was shared with you rather than owned by you.
• Another account: Select your profile picture, sign out, and try any other Microsoft account you used previously. Personal and work/school OneDrive accounts have separate storage.
• Computer: Search using Windows File Explorer or macOS Finder. On Windows, also check:
  • OneDrive\Documents
  • OneDrive\Desktop
  • Your local Documents and Desktop folders

Microsoft specifically recommends checking another Microsoft account when files cannot be found, because they may have been saved to a different OneDrive.^1^

3. Restore a deleted document

On the OneDrive website:

1. Select Recycle bin in the left navigation.
2. Select the missing Word document.
3. Select Restore.

For personal accounts, deleted items can generally be restored for 30 days. Work or school accounts generally retain them for 93 days unless the administrator changed the retention setting. A file permanently deleted from the OneDrive Recycle Bin cannot be restored through OneDrive.^2^

If the document was in Personal Vault, select Show Personal Vault items while viewing the Recycle Bin.

4. Open an older version of an existing document

If the document exists but you need its older contents:

1. On the OneDrive website, right-click the document.
2. Select Version history.
3. Find the required date and time.
4. Select the three dots (…) beside that version.
5. Choose Restore.

Only one file can be restored at a time. The version you restore becomes the current version, while the previously current version remains in the history.^3^

You can also open the document in desktop Word and select File > Info > Version History, then preview and restore the required version.

If nothing is found

For a work or school account, contact the organization’s IT administrator and provide the filename, approximate last-access date, and device used. If the file is absent from search and the Recycle Bin, the administrator may be able to investigate further.^1^

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 a previous version of a file stored in OneDrive | Microsoft Support