How to Recover Deleted OneDrive Files?

Isn’t it more annoying that even on a cloud platform like OneDrive, which stores your normally deleted files, you can’t seem to find the particular file you’re looking for? This may be because it was deleted accidentally. If that seems to be the case, a good question to ask yourself would be how to recover deleted OneDrive files. To answer that question, that’s what we will be focusing on in this blog to solve those worries.

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How to Recover Deleted OneDrive Files

Scared your files stored on OneDrive are missing on the same cloud you trusted? Relax a bit. In a moment, you’ll be familiar with the methods of how to retrieve OneDrive files.

Method 1: Through OneDrive Recycle Bin to Retrieve Deleted Files

In cases where you are completely inexperienced with the whole OneDrive setup, but you need to restore file from OneDrive, using the OneDrive Recycle Bin might just be the best method because it is user-friendly and doesn’t require any technical knowledge. Plus, you get your files back in little to no time.

But where is OneDrive recycle bin to begin with?

Sign into your OneDrive account.
Go to the “Recycle bin” on the left sidebar.

Find the file you need, select it, and click “Restore” to return it to its original location.

Through OneDrive Recycle Bin to Retrieve Deleted Files

Now, after all the steps are followed accordingly, another helpful tip for personal account users to consider is: If you have multiple files to recover, you can use the “Restore all items” button to recover all deleted files at once—a convenience not available with work or school accounts.

❗Note:

But always keep in mind that files in the recycle bin of a personal Microsoft account are purged after 30 days.
While those in work or school accounts are deleted after 93 days, unless altered by an administrator. This information is crucial to manage expectations about when to perform a “OneDrive restore deleted files” action.

Method 2: Through the OneDrive Second-stage recycle bin to Restore Deleted Files

Now, if your deleted files are not found in the Recycle Bin after following the method above, then this is for you. The second-stage bin gives you another chance to recover those deleted files. This feature is particularly useful in ensuring files aren’t lost too quickly before you have a chance to realize a mistake was made.

👉Here are the steps to OneDrive recover deleted files:

Sign into OneDrive where your files are stored.
Open the Recycle Bin from the navigation pane to access recently deleted files.

Scroll to the bottom of the Recycle Bin page and click on “Second-stage Recycle Bin” to view files beyond the initial recovery phase.

In the Second-stage Recycle Bin, select files you wish to restore; these are retrievable within a set period (up to 93 days for business accounts).

Click “Restore” to return the selected files to their original location or a new one you specify.

After restoration, check that the files are correctly placed and ready for use.

Method 3: Restore OneDrive to a Previous Time to Recover Deleted Files

Considering trying a different method that doesn’t involve using the recycle bin to restore files from OneDrive, one can try using the “Restore OneDrive to a previous time” feature to solve the issue. This feature is a powerful tool for Microsoft 365 subscribers that allows you to reverse changes and recover deleted files on OneDrive:

Visit OneDrive: Sign in at the OneDrive website using your Microsoft account associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription.
Locate Restore Options: Click on ‘Settings’ at the top, select ‘Options’, then choose ‘Restore your OneDrive’ from the left-side menu.

Select a Restore Point: Use the dropdown to pick a restoration date, like ‘Yesterday’ or a ‘Custom date and time’. The system may suggest a date if it detects issues like ransomware activity.

Restore OneDrive to a Previous Time to Recover Deleted Files

Examine Activities: Check an activity chart and feed to review file actions on the selected date, noting any deletions or modifications.

Initiate the Restore: After reviewing, click ‘Restore’ to revert your OneDrive to the chosen date’s status.

💡Tip: However, for this particular method to come through, you must have subscribed to a Microsoft 365 plan. If you haven’t, then you might need to seek alternative file recovery methods below.

Method 4: Recover Files from OneDrive Via Professional File Recovery Tool

And if all seems not to bring your deleted files back on OneDrive, using a professional Windows file recovery tool like ONERECOVERY is a very reliable method one can alternatively use. This is because these tools often come with advanced scanning algorithms that can dive deeper into your OneDrive to locate recoverable data that less sophisticated file recovery method might miss.

👉Here are the steps to “OneDrive recover deleted file”:

Download and Install Recovery Software: Choose a trusted data recovery software like ONERECOVERY. These programs can recover various file types from storage devices including OneDrive.
Run the Software: Launch the program and select the OneDrive folder on your computer for scanning.

onedrive select location using onerecovery

Scan for Deleted Files: Conduct a scan, opting for a “deep scan” for comprehensive results.

Preview and Select Files: After scanning, preview and choose the files you need to recover.

Recover and Save Files: Restore the files to a new location to avoid data overwrite.

Verify the Files: Check that the recovered files are intact and usable.

Method 5: Restore File from OneDrive Via OneDrive File History

Do you know that there is actually a feature that can make you tap into the version history feature of OneDrive and even restore file from OneDrive? This feature is known as OneDrive file history; it keeps track of all the versions of your files, allowing you to restore a previous version of Excel files, if they are accidentally deleted.

👉Here is how to recover deleted OneDrive files via OneDrive file history:

Sign In: Log into your OneDrive account via the website or app.
Navigate to the File: Use the search function to find the file you need to recover.
Access Version History: Right-click on the file, select ‘Version history’ to view all available versions.

Preview and Restore: Review previous versions and their modification dates. Select and click ‘Restore’ to revert to a chosen version.

Restore File from OneDrive Via OneDrive File History

Final Check: The restored file will replace the current one, but you can revert back using the version history.

Method 6: From Local Folder to Retrieve OneDrive Deleted Files

A method that cannot be overlooked, it involves using a local folder for OneDrive to restore deleted files. This is just a practical option if you use the OneDrive desktop app, which synchronizes and backs up files stored on your computer in real-time.

👉Here are the steps:

First, identify where your OneDrive folder is on your computer.

You can find this by right-clicking the OneDrive icon in the system tray (near the clock on Windows), selecting ‘Settings’, and then looking under the ‘Account’ tab for the location of your OneDrive folder.
Open the OneDrive folder in File Explorer (on Windows) or Finder (on Mac).

If you know the name of the file you’re looking for, use the search bar at the top right to help find your files.

Conclusion

Learn how to recover deleted OneDrive files using methods like the OneDrive Recycle Bin, second-stage recycle bin, file history, and professional recovery tools. Follow these steps to restore files without losing important opportunities, as well as to manage your data recovery process.

FAQs on OneDrive Recover Deleted Files

Questions can only be answered if they are asked. That’s why, for any aspects missed in our blog, here are some relatable questions on OneDrive restore deleted files that have answers to them.

Can I Recover a Folder Shared with Me?

Finding it hard to locate those folders that were shared with you, or maybe they were deleted? Then the way forward is to recover the folder.

Follow the steps below to recover them using OneDrive restore deleted files:

Navigate to the file’s location, right-click on it, and select ‘Restore previous versions’.

Select a version from before the deletion and click ‘Open’ to view all prior versions

Next, locate the file that was deleted, right-click on it, and choose ‘Copy’. Finally, paste this file into a desired location on your computer.

How to Recover OneDrive Files from Deleted User after 30 Days?

If your issue involves recovering files from a deleted user’s OneDrive after 30 days, you can follow these steps if you are a global or SharePoint admin. This process involves using PowerShell to restore the user’s OneDrive:

Download and install the latest SharePoint Online Management Shell.
Connect as a global or SharePoint admin.
To restore a deleted OneDrive, use Get-SPODeletedSite to check availability, then Restore-SPODeletedSite to recover it.

using PowerShell to restore the user's OneDrive

Assign a site collection administrator with Set-SPOUser.

How Can I Recover Permanently Deleted from OneDrive Recycle Bin File?

Does your problem with OneDrive go deeper than discussed before? Issues like how to recover permanently deleted files from OneDrive Recycle Bin can be daunting. Then, if you’re a Microsoft 365 subscriber, this comes easier than ever before because you can restore your OneDrive to a date before your files were deleted: