how does one stop OneDrive from deleteing files...

OneDrive does not automatically delete files on its own; it syncs changes between the local OneDrive folder and the cloud. Files are deleted when they are:

• Deleted or moved out of the OneDrive folder on a device that is syncing, or
• Deleted from OneDrive on the web or via a mobile app.

To stop further deletions and protect remaining photos, use these steps:

1. Pause or quit OneDrive sync immediately
   This prevents any further local deletions from syncing to the cloud.
   • Right‑click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar.
   • Select Pause syncing and, if needed, select Quit OneDrive.
2. Unlink the PC from OneDrive (stop sync from this device)
   This stops the device from sending any more delete operations to OneDrive.
   • Select the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar or menu bar, select the gear icon, then Settings or Preferences.
   • Go to the Account tab.
   • Select Unlink this PC.
3. Check and restore deleted photos from OneDrive online
   If OneDrive has already synced deletions, the safest recovery path is from the OneDrive recycle bin.
   • Sign in to OneDrive on the web and open your Recycle bin.
   • Select the photos or folders that were deleted and select Restore.
4. Avoid deleting/moving files inside the OneDrive folder if they must stay in the cloud
   Because OneDrive mirrors changes, deleting or moving a file out of the OneDrive folder on a synced device will delete it from OneDrive (and send it to the OneDrive recycle bin). To prevent this:
   • Do not use the OneDrive‑synced folder as a temporary location for files that will later be “cleaned up” locally.
   • If a file was added to OneDrive by mistake, the safest pattern is:
     1. Pause OneDrive.
     2. Delete or move the file out of OneDrive folders.
     3. Resume OneDrive.
        This ensures the intended change is controlled and understood.
5. If you only want some folders to sync to this PC
   To reduce the chance of accidental deletions from this device, limit which folders are synced locally instead of syncing everything, and manage the rest only from the web or another trusted device. See how to choose which OneDrive folders to sync to the computer.
6. If files were deleted directly on the PC’s OneDrive folder
   Those deletions typically bypass the Windows Recycle Bin when entire synced folders are removed, and are instead reflected in OneDrive’s own recycle bin. If the photos are not present in the OneDrive recycle bin and not present in the PC’s Recycle Bin/Trash, there is no native Microsoft method to recover them; third‑party recovery tools would be the only remaining option.

Going forward, the key to stopping OneDrive from “deleting” photos is to:

• Prevent unintended deletes/moves in any synced OneDrive folder on all devices.
• Unlink or pause sync on devices where accidental deletions are happening.
• Use the OneDrive recycle bin promptly to restore any mistakenly deleted photos.

References:

• How to cancel or stop sync in OneDrive
• Delete files or folders in OneDrive
• Permanently delete your entire OneDrive
• OneDrive retention and deletion
• Unable to restore deleted files from C:OneDrive - Microsoft Q&A