OneDrive replaces newer versions of files with old versions

Hi Thomas S,

I am an independent advisor, trying to help other users in the Community with my experience in Microsoft products. Please note that I am a user like you and don't work directly for Microsoft.

First of all, check if you don't have any syncing errors.

OneDrive does keep a version history of your files, allowing you to restore previous versions. Here’s what you can do:

Right-click on the file in question within OneDrive. Choose “Version history.” See if the latest version is available. If it is, you can restore it to replace the older version. Found it here: https://answers.microsoft.com/thread/0f256992-637b-4ded-b2f7-521d6ec72796

Use Files Restore (for Microsoft 365 subscribers): Go to the OneDrive website and sign in with your account. Click on Settings > Options. Select Restore your OneDrive from the left navigation. Choose a date from the dropdown list (e.g., “Yesterday” or a custom date). Review the recent activities you want to undo using the activity chart and feed. When ready, select Restore to undo all selected activities and restore your OneDrive to the state before the first activity. Found it here: https://support.microsoft.com/office/fa231298-759d-41cf-bcd0-25ac53eb8a15

If you find that folders and files are missing, consider the following steps: Check the Recycle Bin: Log in to your OneDrive account. Select the Recycle Bin option from the left pane. Click the checkbox next to each file you want to recover and then click Restore. Found it here: https://support.microsoft.com/office/949ada80-0026-4db3-a953-c99083e6a84f

Use Files Restore (as mentioned earlier) to undo actions that occurred within the last 30 days.

Check OneDrive Online: Log in to OneDrive online. Verify if your files are available there Found it here: https://answers.microsoft.com/thread/afe113b0-6c3b-4b27-a1b0-7c1074e4170c

I would appreciate your feedback.

Kindly note that this is a user-to-user forum, we are users helping other users, we aren't Microsoft employees and neither are we Microsoft agents.

Best regards, Amadeusz

I often do work on files (Word and Excel) while not connected for the internet, sometimes for a couple weeks while traveling. Then when I do have internet, OneDrive keeps replacing the updated files with older versions it has stored. I lose weeks worth of work. It is so frustrating. How do I recover the lost work? Why does OneDrive replace newer, updated versions with the old ones?

I would rename the file using a different name than the old one that you are not using when disconnected from the internet. No name conflicts that way. Or make sure you save the file in a different location.

Second, when I disconnect OneDrive, although I have it set to keep all files on my laptop, I no longer have the folders or files on the laptop. I go to Windows Explorer and Documents and Pictures folders are gone. Also, I go to This PC>Window>Users and there are no folders, no files.

You can turn off OneDrive Files On-Demand at the cloud icon on the taskbar > OneDrive Settings > Sync and Backup tab > Advanced Settings > Download all files. That will not affect the OneDrive syncing.

I do not feel like the original questions were answered correctly. The issue that I am having is exactly the same: OneDrive keeps updating files that are newer with older files, losing all updated document changes and causing incredible amounts of work. We do not want a work around for this problem, we want to know why One Drive is not working properly. It is as though One Drive prioritizes certain computers rather than the age of the files. This is a rudimentary function of a cloud storage solution, which OneDrive is failing at miserably!

Me too. I lost months of updates.

If you can't sync for some time, I suggest you click on "Save As" and rename the file to something other than the old version or save a copy of the file using the same name outside of OneDrive. Then, when you get the internet again, delete the old version, which will go to the recycle bin, and then move the latest version into OneDrive. Or just let the latest version with a different name that you kept in OneDrive sync up to OneDrive.

You shouldn't be syncing up to old versions of files anyway.