Forum Discussion
Onedrive not showing files!
Hi! I'm having big problem with OneDrive. Today my C drive was low on space and i read that you could change the location of OneDrive. I did change the location from C drive to I drive and decided to move OneDrive back to C drive location again to start reformat my pc. But my files are missing after synced with the OneDrive and my total usage was 34GB now it shows 43GB and at the OneDrive settings under account it shows only 430KB used on this pc. I'm having headache and I hope my documents didn't get lost. I did chat with one Microsoft agent and did reset OneDrive and said could thing but after I restarted my PC nothing happened. Pictures are missing and had a folder in the picture folder having documents plus other pictures in the screen folders are all missing. Thanks for the help.
1 Reply
what you're describing sounds much more like a OneDrive synchronization and location issue than actual data loss. Your files are very likely still safe in the cloud, but we need to verify that before doing anything else.
Please do NOT do any of the following right now:
- Do not unlink or reset OneDrive again
- Do not delete or move any OneDrive folders
- Do not empty the Recycle Bin
- Do not format or reinstall Windows yet
These steps could make things harder to recover.
Here is what I need you to check first:
1. Check OneDrive online
Go to onedrive.live.comin your browser and sign in. Look specifically for:
- Your Pictures folder
- Your Documents folder
- The folder containing your documents
- Your screenshots
- Any other missing files
This is the most important step. It tells us whether your files are still safe in the cloud.
2. Check your old I: drive location
Open File Explorer and look for the old OneDrive folder on your I: drive. Do not move or delete anything. Right-click the folder, select Properties, and note the size.
3. Check for any old OneDrive folders on C:
Look in C:\Users\YourUsername\ for any OneDrive folders that might contain your missing files.
4. Check your current OneDrive settings
Right-click the OneDrive icon in your system tray, go to Settings → Account, and note:
- The current OneDrive folder path
- Which account is signed in
Why this matters:
The "430 KB on this PC" figure does not mean your cloud storage only has 430 KB. It likely means very little is currently downloaded locally, possibly because of Files On-Demand. And the change from 34 GB to 43 GB could reflect pending sync activity, recycled items, or files added during the move. These are clues, not proof of data loss.What to do next:
Once you've checked these four things, please share what you found:- Are your files visible on the OneDrive website?
- Does the old I: drive folder still exist, and what is its size?
- What is your current OneDrive folder path?
With that information, we can determine exactly where your files are and choose the safest next step.
The key principle here is: Locate → Verify → Preserve → Repair.
Don't worry yet. There's a very good chance your files are still there, and we'll find them together.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
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