Forum Discussion

HansVHG's avatar
HansVHG
Copper Contributor
Mar 10, 2026

Files are gone, folderstructure is there

Dear community, I have a one drive account with a extensive folder structure. Today I noticed that the folderstructure is intact (on my laptop and online) but the files are mostly gone for 90%, here...
files
office 365
onedrive
NikolinoDE's avatar
NikolinoDE
Platinum Contributor
Mar 20, 2026

Recovery Methods you can try Now

If you don't have an offline backup, try these methods in order. They are designed to recover data even if the standard 30-day recycle bin window has passed.

 1. Check the Second-Stage Recycle Bin

When you delete files from the OneDrive recycle bin, they are not immediately gone forever. They move to a second-stage "cache" where Microsoft retains them for a short period. To access this:

  1. Go to the OneDrive website (onedrive.live.com).
  2. Click on Recycle bin in the left navigation pane.
  3. Scroll to the very bottom of the list of deleted items. Look for a link that says "Items in the second-stage recycle bin may be automatically deleted after [a number] days" and click it.
  4. If your files are there, select them and click Restore.

 2. Use the "Restore your OneDrive" Feature

You mentioned trying this, but it's worth revisiting with a specific date in mind. This feature is designed to undo mass file operations like the one you experienced.

  1. On the OneDrive website, click the Settings (gear) icon in the top-right corner.
  2. Select Options, then choose Restore your OneDrive from the menu.
  3. A calendar will appear. Select a date from before January 6, 2026, as this is a date mentioned in other reports of this issue. The system will show you what your OneDrive looked like on that day.
  4. Select the files or folders you want to recover and click Restore.

 

 3. Check Your Personal Vault

If any of your missing files were stored in your Personal Vault, they might not appear in a standard recycle bin search.

  • You must explicitly open and unlock your Personal Vault on the OneDrive website. Once unlocked, check its recycle bin, as files deleted from the Vault are stored there.

 

 4. Scan Your Local Hard Drive with Recovery Software

Because your computer kept local copies of your OneDrive files, traces of them may still exist on your hard drive even after they were deleted. Third-party data recovery tools like Ease US Data Recovery Wizard or Mini Tool Power Data Recovery can scan your local disk to find and recover these files.

  • How it works: These tools scan the local drive where your OneDrive folder was located (e.g., your C: drive) to find data that was marked as deleted but hasn't been overwritten. Many offer free trials to see what files they can find before you pay for the full recovery.