OneDrive automatically deleting files from OneDrive folder

Anonymous
2018-05-22T21:43:34+00:00

The OneDrive forum appears to have been locked, so I am trying this one.

I moved some large files (photos) to my OneDrive folder to share between PCs and left them synchronising.  When I came back to check on their progress, the files had disappeared from the PCs.  Looking at the OneDrive window it shows them being added to Onedrive then mysteriously being removed a few minutes later.  What on earth is going on?    I tried Ctrl & Z to see if it could undo the removal.  The files looked as if they were being restored - but just disappeared again.  It's a good job I noticed, otherwise I could have lost these files forever.  I can't afford to have my important files just disappearing like that.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-07-24T08:37:53+00:00

    Over two years later since this thread was created and OneDrive still has the fundamental flaw around it's version control and deleting files. I still regularly do this:

    1. Snapshot a virtual machine (or take an image of a PC)
    2. Work on VM (or PC) for several weeks/sometimes months
    3. Restore VM back (or restore image) to several weeks/months ago

    Bang - restored version assumes it's master and randomly deletes new/newer files and/or overwrites newer versions with old. Had an example just last week. The folder that I install software from is in my OneDrive. Commissioning a new laptop and Adobe Acrobat failed to install - half of it's files missing.

    This happens so often (i.e. nearly every time) that I'm totally paranoid about restoring VMs or images. I make sure I have backup of my OneDrive, turn the internet off, restore and then unsync OneDrive before reconnecting the internet.

    In many cases, I also have Google Drive and Dropbox synchronising on the same computers. Never a problem with versioning...

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-07-23T15:23:56+00:00

    My new storage location is apparently now the OneDrive Recycle bin. 40,000 files are send there per day. To think I just moved from GoogleDrive to OneDrive for my business. Next option is DropBox.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-05-05T15:54:19+00:00

    I've been a mac user for years and years,  and one drive is doing this exact same thing on my mac air.   Done it twice, once on the 27th and again yesterday.  Didn't delete all the files just 600 of them at random and put them in the recycle bin.  Notified me via email that it was done.  Happened at midnight,  go figure.

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-03-30T20:19:42+00:00

    OH, and the bloody clutter folder has reappeared in Outlook & then got to my Mac's Mail app & reinserted itself there & refuses to be deleted....

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-03-30T20:16:49+00:00

    Buy a Mac, I did & I haven't looked back.

    I still have to use My Surface Pro for work & frankly I just wonder what **** is going to happen as soon as I turn it on, it updates I loose the printer again, OneDrive deletes 90K files......yada

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