OneDrive automatically deleting files from OneDrive folder

>Interesting that this thread started a year and a half ago and there doesn't appear to be a clear solution. I'm running in to the same problem and actually have spent some time trying to isolate the problem since it's not happening in every single situation.

Ohh OneDrive really hasn't improved much in that time :-( All my clients have a shared IT account on there and I occasionally I logon many months, sometimes years. I did that just last night to a laptop that I probably last logged onto about a year ago.

OneDrive merrily starting restoring long deleted files and folders. I know it does this now so before logging onto *any* old computer, I run a PowerShell script that backs up my OneDrive to a network folder. I then let OneDrive cock everything up. Watching as long deleted files are restored back. Often a bit of a trip down memory lane. When it's finished, I run a reverse PowerShell script to restore the backup to what it should be.

I stand by my observation that OneDrive's core algorithms over "latest version"/whatever are fundamentally flawed. Never had this problem with Google Drive or Dropbox.

I have two BIG gripes with M365 - one is OneDrive and the other is the total lack of recognition that there are 3rd party editing apps out there that users may want to open documents direct from SharePoint.

Hi, I have now had my problem resolved (fingers crossed). The answer, hopefully, was exactly what was posted by someone earlier in this thread. I downloaded the comments and sent them to my computer technician and he agreed and resolved the problem. It was all to do with me having my laptop mirrored on to a new computer rather than through data transfer and OneDrive couldn't recognise them as separate devices so went in to melt down and deleted all the entries that I had saved, going either to the OneDrive recycle bin or my device recycle bin! It was to do with having the same serial number on the two machines, just as the earlier post had stated. Hope this helps, I feel your pain, it's been a nightmare to sort out and I've had to restore everything from the bins. I'm hoping I haven't lost anything through the OneDrive bin as things only stay there for 30 days I think.

Interesting that this thread started a year and a half ago and there doesn't appear to be a clear solution. I'm running in to the same problem and actually have spent some time trying to isolate the problem since it's not happening in every single situation.

Using file explorer I drag a file from my local PC to OneDrive ... the file shows up online via the browser ... and then ... wait for it ... *poof* it disappears ... and in my local PC's recycle bin.

My files disappear only under specific circumstances (i think). I use OneDrive to sync to a personal OneDrive AND Sharepoint sites. I use file explorer on my desktop to drag files TO my personal onedrive folder or a sharepoint synced folder.  It's kind of bizarre but the only time a file disappears is when I drag the file to a "particular" sharepoint folder. I use the word particular because I'm also syncing a couple of sharepoint folders that were created through Microsoft Teams. My understanding is that these are still fundamentally Sharepoint sites and are equal to Sharepoint sites we create outside of Teams. With that said, if I drag a file to my company Sharepoint documents folder ... it disappears. If I drag that same file to a Teams/Sharepoint documents folder ... it survives.

Here's another very odd observation. The files that disappear appear to all be graphic files (PNG, JPG, AI, etc.). If I drag an Excel spreadsheet to the company Sharepoint documents folder ... it survives ... whereas a PNG file will disappear after a few seconds.

I just completed some additional testing and it appears as though this problem does not exist on a second PC. The second PC works fine when dragging files to the company Sharepoint documents folder. Both computers are Windows 10. Looks like I'll be reinstalling OneDrive on this desktop.

Recap:

   C:\Downloads -> Company Site\Documents (Excel File) - Success

   C:\Downloads -> Company Site\Documents (Image File) - Fail

   C:\Downloads -> Team Site\Documents (Any File) - Success

   C:\Downloads -> Personal OneDrive (Any File) - Success

yeah :/ and I'm getting same problem here too. This problem persists even after new windows installation.

I'm surprised there isn’t a long line of lawsuits concerning Microsoft's very evident negligence. I'm sure the first one will start a huge avalanche or at least a class action.