OneDrive replaces newer versions of files with old versions

MICROSOFT WILL NOT FIX THIS ISSUE.. After a year of waiting for the solutions and having to double save files locally and upload to OneDrive, it is clear MS does not care about us and our issues, or the countless hours we have worked on files to watch them be overwritten by older files, causing you to waste time and effort. Then all you get from MS is "go hunt for the version you lost". Sync software is worthless if it cannot recognize a newer file over an older one. I don't care how long it has been since you used your laptop; the software compares the two files, and the newer one should ALWAYS win and overwrite the older one. I am told this is rudimentary to all sync software. A point that MS has obviously failed miserably at.

You must fix it yourself by:

1. Download all your files from your OneDrive web folder
2. Delete all folders in the OneDrive web folder
3. Delete the OneDrive App from your computer

a) First stop OneDrive, then quit OneDrive

b) Click on Windows, type Programs, and open Add or Remove Programs

c) Find OneDrive in the list and uninstall it

1)You may need to do this 2-3 times, as MS does not want this to happen, after you uninstall it, it magically just reappears in the list!

d) Find a safe, reputable, backup, and sync software to install on your system. I highly recommend Good Sync

e) For less than what you would pay monthly for upgraded MS OneDrive storage, you get robust sync software and cloud storage for your files that is effortless, and it WILL NOT SAVE OLDER VERSIONS OF FILES OVER NEWER ONES!!!

4. Then say out loud, "OneDrive, you are FIRED!!!"
5. Enjoy peace of mind again.

You can use the "Free up space" feature to ensure that only the latest version exists in the cloud since it is the only version. That's just a workaround, though, and not what you really want.

It seems that all these suggested work arounds from the volunteer moderators is more trouble than just turning off the auto-versioning feature of OneDrive and manually doing versioning when we save the file after making changes. E.g. Filename_v1.docx, Filename_v2.docx, Filename_v3.docx.

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.

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