Find lost or missing files in OneDrive (2023)

How to find files

You'll find help below in these sections:

• Search for your files on OneDrive.com

• Look in the Recycle bin

• Check for files in your Personal Vault

• Search for your files on another Microsoft account

• If you still can't find your files

• Folder was removed from your OneDrive

• Next steps

Search for your files on OneDrive.com

If you need to search all files and folders, but youhave Files On Demand enabled or you'reonly syncing certain folders, you can do your search online.

1. Sign in to theOneDrivewebsite athttps://www.onedrive.com.

2. Use Search everythingto look for your files. You can either search for a file by name or you can scroll through the list of files that display.

   

   Note:Files in your Personal Vault don't appear in search results. Your Personal Vault is a location in the cloud that's protected by identity verification, and it's available only for home and personal plans. If you have it, you'll see it in the OneDrive My files folder.

Look in the Recycle bin

1. On the left side of the page, selectRecycle bin.

   

   (Video) OneDrive - How to Find LOST or MISSING Files!

2. If you find the item you're looking for, select it and choose Restore at the top of the page. If you can't find the item in a long list, you canchoose toRestore all itemsat the top of the page.

   Note:Files deleted from your Personal Vault only show up in your recycling bin if your Personal Vault is unlocked before you check the recycle bin. You can unlock the Personal Vault and see those items ifyou selectShow Personal Vault itemsin the recycle bin. If you don't see this option,your Personal Vault may already be unlocked.

   

3. Microsoft 365 subscribers can restore their entire OneDrive to a previous time. You can useFiles Restore to undo all the actions that occurred on both files and folders within the last 30 days. Learnmore about Restoring your OneDrive.

If you delete something from the recycle bin, your admin may be able to restore it. See Manage the Recycle Bin of a SharePoint site.

Check for files in your Personal Vault

Files from your Personal Vault don't show up in your search results so you may want to confirm that your missing files are not in your Personal Vault.

To unlock the Personal Vault and see the items there, selectShow Personal Vault itemsin the recycle bin. If you don't see the command, your Personal Vault is already unlocked.

Search for your files on another Microsoft account

If you can't find files you deleted, check whether you're logged in to the correct Microsoft account—your files might be safely on another OneDrive.

If you are a OneDrive for work or schooluser, you might have accidentally saved your files to your business account instead of your personal account. To check for the files in OneDrive for work or school, review the OneDrive for work or school tabnear the top of this article.

Did you use someone else's computer or account when saving the file? If so, sign out of your OneDrive and sign in again using the other account.

If you still can't find your files

Your file might not havesynced yet. Files saved with Office 2016 upload to OneDrive first, and then they sync with your local PC. If you’re having trouble syncing Office files, the Office Upload cache system may be interfering with OneDrive sync. Your file might not have synced yet. To learn how to fix sync issues, see Fix OneDrive sync problems.

If you have an iOS devicethat has photos optimized for iCloud, the photos aren'tstored on the device and can't be uploaded to OneDrive.To disable iCloud optimization on your iOS device,tap Settings > iCloud > Photos and clearOptimizeStorage.

Note:If the OneDrive account has been inactive for two years, the files may have been deleted.

Folderwas removed from your OneDrive

If you get an email or notification saying "[Folder name]was removed from your OneDrive" it means that a shared folder was deleted.

Next steps

If files aren't found in a search or in the OneDrive Recycle bin, they usually can't be retrieved. To have someone from support investigate, please provide the following information:

• The names of the files or folders you're trying to find. If the files are photos/videos, tell us the date you took them.

• Approximately when you last accessed the files, and on which device (e.g., PC, Android, iPhone).

• Consent that we can search your file history for you.

• If you’ve followed the steps in this article and still need help, email the OneDrive support team.

Need more help?

How to find files

You'll find help below in these sections:

• Search for your files on OneDrive online

• Look in the Recycle bin

• Find your SharePoint files in OneDrive

• Search for your files on another Microsoft account

• If you still can't find your files

• Folder was removed from your OneDrive

• Next steps

Search for your files on OneDriveonline

If you need to search all files and folders, but you haveFiles On Demand enabled, or you're only syncing certain folders, you can do your search online.

1. Sign in to OneDrive with your work or school account.

2. Use Search OneDriveto look for your files.

   

Look in the Recycle bin

1. On the left side of the page, selectRecycle bin.

   

   (Video) Now You Can Recover Lost Files With OneDrive's File History

2. If you find the item you're looking for, select it and choose Restore at the top of the page. If you can't find the item in a long list, you may choose toRestore all itemsat the top of the page.

3. OneDrive for work or school users can restore their entire OneDrive to a previous time. Go to your OneDrive onlineSettings to undo all the actions that occurred on both files and folders within the last 30 days.

   

Learnmore about Restoring your OneDrive.

Find your SharePoint files in OneDrive

To learn more, see Find your SharePoint and Teams files in OneDrive for work and school.

Search for your files on another Microsoft account

If you can't find files you deleted, check whether you'relogged in to the correct Microsoft account—your files might be safely on another OneDrive, such as your personal OneDrive account. To check, sign out of your OneDrive and sign in again using the other account.

If you still can't find your files

Your file might not havesynced yet. Files saved with Office 2016 upload to OneDrive first, and then they sync with your local PC. If you’re having trouble syncing Office files, the Office Upload cache system may be interfering with OneDrive sync. Try turning off the related setting in OneDrive settings.

If you have an iOS devicethat has photos optimized for iCloud, the photos aren't stored on the device and can't be uploaded to OneDrive.To disable iCloud optimization on your iOS device,tap Settings > iCloud > Photos and clearOptimizeStorage.

Folderwas removed from your OneDrive

If you get an email or notification saying "[Folder name]was removed from your OneDrive" it means that a shared folder was deleted.

Next steps

If files aren't found in asearch or in the OneDrive Recycle bin, they usually can't be retrieved. To have your IT administrator or someone from support investigate, please provide the following information.

• The names of the files or folders you're trying to find. If the files are photos/videos, the date you took them.

• Approximately when you last accessed the files, and on which device (e.g., PC, Android, iPhone).

• Consent that we can search your file history for you.