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ron_barcia's avatar
ron_barcia
Copper Contributor
Apr 05, 2024

Urgently Requesting Help Fearing I Lost Data

I am panicking after accidentally downloading a new OneDrive installer on my 2019 Macbook Pro, while attempting to download Microsoft Word from the Microsoft 365 suite. I assumed I'd have an option to uncheck the OneDrive download, but I was wrong. Here's where I'm at now:
 
I have a OneDrive folder on my desktop which is what I believe to be my original folder. I have all of my work files neatly organized there. After I accidentally downloaded the new OneDrive installer file, I opened up the OneDrive icon (on the top right by the date/time/power data on the top of my macbook desktop) as I always do, and it was in the middle of syncing "all of my files" from my online drive attached to my work email. Once it was finished, I noticed many of the files were older. I clicked "view online" and saw that none of my new files that I have on my desktop folder were there, none from within the last 6 months.
 
Now, the same desktop OneDrive folder that i have open with all of my files, including the recent ones, says at the top "application OneDrive cannot be found". This is clearly because the original file was overwritten when I downloaded the second. So, how am I able to still open all of my files that are in this desktop OneDrive folder if it's saying "no application found", plus my online view of my drive doesn't have these files? Where could these be stored, so that I can download them?
 
Furthermore, the first thing i thought to do was to back up my entire desktop OneDrive folder to my external, but it says I cannot because the files need to be downloaded first... You see why i'm so lost... Can anyone please help me? at this point my main focus is getting the files in this desktop folder safely on my external. I can't do that at the moment cause some say i need to download them first. I CAN currently open them including my most recent files. If this folder cannot download the files, and this folder is no longer able to find the onedrive application, will these files all be lost as soon as I restart Onedrive? Obviously i'm aware I can sync this desktop folder to the new OneDrive file, but if that then syncs to the online files I'm seeing, the new files within the last 6 months wouldn't be there I'm assuming. 
 
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
 
P.S. of course I tried to contact customer support but failed to reach anyone. Any tips on speaking to a human that can help me are appreciated too 🙂
 
thanks so much,
Standalone

1 Reply

  • Mike Williams's avatar
    Mike Williams
    Steel Contributor
    Apr 05, 2024

    ron_barcia I don't know how you tried to contact OneDrive support so can't comment other than to say that they are generally quite responsive.

     

    If you log in via a web browser you can download files separate to the synchronisation mechanism and put them wherever you want .Check the online recycle bin and file version history of files you think may differ from latest.

     

    Also, it shouldn't be necessary after 40+ years of desktop computers to say keep backups!