Forum Discussion
Restoring whole One Drive
Hello,
I was clearing one of my devices before giving it away.
It seems to have deleted a lot of files and folders on One Drive - which I thought was separate from an individual device.
How do I get these files and folders back - not sure if they are all in the recycle bin.
Thanks in advance
Martin
1 Reply
Check the OneDrive Recycle Bin
- Go to OneDrive Online
- In the left sidebar, click Recycle Bin.
- Look for your deleted files/folders there.
- If you find them, select the items you want and click Restore.
- Note: The recycle bin keeps items for 30 days (sometimes longer for Office 365 business accounts).
Check the Second Stage Recycle Bin (for work/school accounts)
- If you don’t see your files in the normal Recycle Bin, scroll to the bottom and look for "Second stage recycle bin" (sometimes called "Site Collection Recycle Bin").
- Files there can usually be restored by an administrator if it’s a work/school account.
Use OneDrive Restore (Office 365/OneDrive for Business only)
If you have Microsoft 365 (work, school, or premium personal), you can roll back your entire OneDrive to a previous state (up to the last 30 days):
- Go to OneDrive online
Check Your Device’s Local Recycle Bin
If you deleted files locally while OneDrive was syncing:
- Check your Windows Recycle Bin or Mac Trash.
- Sometimes they remain there and can be restored back into OneDrive.
Next Steps for You:
- Log into OneDrive Online
- First check the Recycle Bin, then try Restore your OneDrive if you have Microsoft 365.
Do you know if your OneDrive is a personal account or part of Office 365 for work/school? That will change whether option 3 (full restore) is available to you.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
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