OneDrive deleted local files and started syncing old files !

Anonymous
2020-04-03T18:14:49+00:00

Hi,

OneDrive has suddenly deleted files in local folders that was not synced with OneDrive.

I installed OneDrive a while ago on my work computer and copied a lot of different files including Visual Studio projects to the OneDriver folder.

Later found out that OneDrive was causing problems for the Visual Studio projects and even though I had marked all folders to also be kept locally it wasn't working correctly.

So I moved all of the Visual Studio projects and several other folders back to the original location to make sure I had them locally.

Time goes by, and today when I turn on my computer I notice a lot of old files have been synced to my Desktop which is synced using OneDrive.

Then I also realize that the files that I moved out of the OneDrive synced folders have suddenly appeared again and old versions from back when I initially copied the folders are being synced again.

When I look at the local folder that is NOT synced with OneDrive, many of the files are gone - just like that - GONE.

There is no way to get the files back and all my recent work is lost.

I have looked in the online Recycle Bin and the Second stage recycle bin and none of the files are there (since they were never in OneDrive but only locally).

It seems like OneDrive has reverted the old actions of when I moved the files to the local folder and now old versions from back then are being synced.

This is completely unacceptable.

I have lost all my recent work.

How do I get my local files that has now been deleted by OneDrive but which was not synced with OneDrive back?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-08-29T17:19:59+00:00

    This is ridiculous. Who told you that I need all my computer in OneDrive?????

    OneDrive now is syncronizing all the folders, desktop included, and I can't stop it because Onedrive says that desktop is an important folder. Of course it is!!!!  But it's important for me, not for onedrive. I have to decide what folder to keep online and what folder to keep in the local hard disk of my personal computer.

    Now I stopped doing anything since I don't want to make any mistake and risk to cancel permanently my files.

    What shall I do?

    Thanks.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-08-30T01:35:34+00:00

    This is ridiculous. Who told you that I need all my computer in OneDrive?????

    OneDrive now is syncronizing all the folders, desktop included, and I can't stop it because Onedrive says that desktop is an important folder. Of course it is!!!!  But it's important for me, not for onedrive. I have to decide what folder to keep online and what folder to keep in the local hard disk of my personal computer.

    Now I stopped doing anything since I don't want to make any mistake and risk to cancel permanently my files.

    What shall I do?

    Thanks.

    Run, Forest, run...lol. Seriously though. I spoke to OneDrive via email. Spoke to Microsoft tech support. They are ignorant and clueless, in that order. Here is the only two solutions I could come up with: 1- turn off internet access; shut down OneDrive on local PC; back up local OneDrive folder; unininstall OneDrive; rinse and repeat on all devices but the one you want to sync to OneDrive cloud. 2 - hook up external drive; manually back up local OneDrive folder from a single PC as/when needed. This is the option I am using as I am looking for an alternative.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-08-31T00:17:47+00:00

    My One Drive account just asked me to back up my locally saved files last night. I did, then it told me there wasn't enough space. So I deleted the One Drive versions of some of the files and when I opened my tablet this morning all my locally saved files are gone. My desktop does not even have the folder links or app icons it had saved to it prior. Tons of photo and video content is now swimming around in my One Drive recycle bin but I cannot recover it all because the size of what was saved to my tablet goes beyond the limits of my One Drive account. How do I even go about fixing this? How can Microsoft let this happen? I feel like my home was broken into and now I have to take inventory, figure out what I can salvage, and reorganize it all. Awful. Truly Awful.

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-09-02T00:55:19+00:00

    Pay for one drive if you aren't yet or start your free trial. They will not help you unless you get the 1tb of service. Then just RESTORE ONEDRIVE to 30 days or whenever your files were available to you.

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-09-02T00:55:59+00:00

    Pay for one drive if you aren't yet or start your free trial. They will not help you unless you get the 1tb of service. Then just RESTORE ONEDRIVE to 30 days or whenever your files were available to you.

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