My files from my Onedrive and computer were erased/deleted after an update. How can I restore them?

If your files have been deleted from OneDrive and your computer, and you cannot find them in the Recycle Bin, you may still have a few options to try and restore them:

1. Check OneDrive Recycle Bin: Ensure you check the OneDrive Recycle Bin specifically. Deleted files in OneDrive are kept for a designated time before being permanently deleted. You can access it by going to the OneDrive website, clicking on the Recycle Bin on the left sidebar, and checking for your files there.
2. Files Restore Feature: If you are using OneDrive, you can use the Files Restore feature, which allows you to restore your OneDrive to any point within the last 30 days. This feature provides a histogram of file activity to help you choose the right recovery time. For more information, see the Restore your OneDrive.
3. Check Second-stage Recycle Bin: If you don't find your files in the OneDrive Recycle Bin, they may have moved to the Second-stage Recycle Bin. You can access it by scrolling to the bottom of the Recycle Bin page and selecting the link for the Second-stage Recycle Bin.
4. Contact Support: If the above methods do not work, you may need to contact Microsoft Support for further assistance. They may be able to help you recover files that were permanently deleted within a certain timeframe.
5. Windows File Recovery Tool: If the files were stored locally on your computer and not found in the Recycle Bin, you can try using the Windows File Recovery tool to recover permanently deleted files. This tool is available for Windows 10, version 2004 or later.

Make sure to act quickly, as the chances of recovery decrease over time, especially if files have been permanently deleted from the Recycle Bin.

References:

• How to recover unsaved Word documents
• Restore your OneDrive
• Error: 404 File/Page not found in OneDrive or SharePoint

Hi Amanda Lee,

Thanks for sharing your question on Microsoft Q&A.

I am sorry for the restoration situation. I understand that you would like to restore your files in OneDrive, which vanished after updating. In this case, you can consider checking these options to try recovering your files:

Try Restore your OneDrive (broad recovery, last 30 days)

1. If a recent update or sync action removed or overwrote many files, restoring your whole OneDrive to an earlier point is usually the fastest fix.
2. Go to OneDrive on the web and sign in with the affected account.
3. Select Settings → Options → Restore your OneDrive.
4. Pick Yesterday or a Custom date and time near when the issue started, review the activity chart/feed, and select Restore.

Notes: • This feature is available to Microsoft 365 subscribers for both personal and work/school accounts. • Files created after the restore point are moved to your OneDrive Recycle Bin—restore anything you still need from there after the main restore completes. • The option may be in slightly different places depending on account type, but the process is the same.

Restore a previous version of specific files

1. If a file exists but is empty, corrupted, or wrong, restore an earlier version:
2. In OneDrive on the web (or File Explorer if you use the sync app), right‑click the file and choose Version history.
3. Select the earlier version and choose Restore.

In case you have look up on the Recycle Bin of Windows, we can pass that option and choose the option Recycle Bin of OneDrive as I have mentioned above.

If nothing is found after these steps, personal OneDrive user, options are limited beyond the Recycle Bin, Version History, and Files Restore. Keep searching with varied terms and confirm you’re in the correct account.

Here are some references to guide you, please check if you have time:

Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive

Restore a previous version of a file stored in OneDrive

Find lost or missing files in OneDrive

Alternatively, if you are unable to restore the files on your end, you can let me know in the comment below so we can discuss your case once again. Or, if you only want to meet the live agent, please let me know so I can guide you precisely.

Hope you can solve the problem on your end smoothly.

Thanks, and sincerely,

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