All files in OneDrive have disappeared, even though I never deleted them

Ross Abigail 0 Reputation points
2026-08-13T16:05:29.3866667+00:00

All of the files stored in my OneDrive account have suddenly disappeared, including more than 1 TB of data. I do not know when the files went missing, and I am certain that I did not delete them myself.

This appears to have happened without any warning, and I can no longer find my files in OneDrive. Given the large amount of data involved, I am concerned that this may be the result of a system issue or synchronization problem rather than an intentional deletion.

Could you please explain what might have caused all of my files to disappear and whether it is possible to restore them? I would appreciate any assistance in recovering the missing data.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Other
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  1. Kai-L 18,970 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-13T16:36:47.2266667+00:00

    Dear Ross,

    I'm sorry to hear this has happened. Losing over a terabyte of data without warning is genuinely alarming, and I understand the concern. I genuinely wish I could inspect your account directly to determine what occurred. Unfortunately, as a forum moderator, my role here is limited to providing general guidance and steps you can apply from your side. Before assuming the files were deleted, it is worth establishing whether this is a display or sync issue, an account issue, or an actual data loss event. These require quite different approaches. To help me understand what has happened, could you please clarify a few points?

    1. Are the files missing from OneDrive on the web, File Explorer on your PC, or both?
    2. Is this OneDrive Personal or OneDrive for work or school managed by an organization?
    3. Are you certain you are signed in to the account where the data was stored? Many people have both personal and work accounts.
    4. Are the folders completely gone, or do you see empty folders?
    5. Is all data missing, or only certain folders?
    6. Does your account still show the storage as being used, even though the files are not visible?
    7. Approximately when did you last confirm the files were present?
    8. Have there been any recent changes to your subscription, account, or sync settings?

    Once I have a clearer picture, I will do my best to help from there. Looking forward to your reply.

    Note: Please follow the steps in the forum documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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