One Drive files are damaged or deleted, and I have restored them, but the restored files cannot be recovered. What should I do?

Cooper Sarah 0 Reputation points
2026-08-16T11:38:04.7266667+00:00

Hello.

While using OneDrive, I was prompted to unconsciously select 'OK' when a specific guide window was displayed, and then the files were deleted.

I tried to recover it from the Recycle Bin and OneDrive web version of my personal computer, but now the file folder (file name) has been recovered, but the actual content files inside the folder are not recovered normally.

In this case, please let us know if there are any additional recovery methods you can try or what you can do to fix the problem.

I would appreciate it if you could check it out.

I appreciate it.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For education | Windows
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  1. BabybooHN 3,040 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-16T11:51:59.7533333+00:00

    Dear @Cooper Sarah

    I understand how concerning it is to see empty folder structures after a bulk deletion or prompt, especially when important schoolwork is involved.

    For OneDrive for Education (Work or School accounts), this issue often occurs when placeholder metadata restores faster than the actual file contents, or when child files remain stuck in the backend site collection recycle bin.

    Here are the most reliable, step-by-step solutions you can execute immediately:

    Step 1: Check the Second-Stage (Site Collection) Recycle Bin

    Educational accounts feature a two-tier retention system. Even if folders are restored from your main recycle bin, individual files may still be queued in the second stage.

    • Sign in to Onedrive with your school email address.
    • Go to Recycle bin on the left menu.
    • Scroll down to the very bottom of the page and click the link labeled Second-stage recycle bin. 
    • Select any missing files located there and click Restore. 

    Step 2: Perform a Point-in-Time Rollback (Restore Your OneDrive)

    As an education account holder, you have access to a full point-in-time recovery tool to undo accidental changes made within the last 30 days: 

    • On the OneDrive web app, click the Settings (gear) icon in the top-right corner.
    • Select Restore your OneDrive. 
    • Select a preset time (or Custom date and time) immediately prior to when you clicked the 'OK' prompt. 

    Examine the activity chart/feed to verify when the bulk deletion occurred, then click Restore to roll back your entire cloud storage to that state. 

    Step 3: Check Version History for Affected Files

    If files appear inside the folders but are corrupted or unusable, restore an uncorrupted snapshot:

    Right-click the damaged file on the OneDrive web interface. 

    Select Version history. 

    Hover over a version recorded before the issue occurred, click the three dots, and select Restore. 

    Step 4: Contact Your School's IT / M365 Administrator

    If the steps above do not bring back your content, school accounts carry extended administrative safety nets:

    • 93-Day Retention: Educational items remain recoverable in backend site collection bins for up to 93 days. 
    • 14-Day SharePoint Backup: Microsoft maintains strict 14-day server-level backups for enterprise and education tenants.

    Reach out to your institution's IT Helpdesk or M365 Admin so they can escalate a service request directly to Microsoft Support for a backend site collection restore. 

    For detailed walkthroughs, please refer to the official documentation:

    Restore your OneDrive (Work or School) 

    Restore deleted items from the site collection recycle bin 

    Please give these steps a try, and let me know if you need additional support.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

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

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-16T11:38:20.12+00:00

    If the folder name was restored but the files inside it are still missing or unusable, use this recovery path:

    1. Verify the files are not still in OneDrive Recycle Bin.
      • Go to the OneDrive website.
      • Select Recycle bin in the left pane.
      • If the missing files appear there, select them and choose Restore.
    2. Search OneDrive directly for the missing files.
      • On the OneDrive website, use Search everything at the top.
      • Search by more than the exact filename if needed, such as file type, date, or keywords.
    3. Restore an earlier version of affected files if the files exist but are damaged.
      • In the Microsoft 365 portal, browse to the library that contains the affected file.
      • Select the ellipses (...) next to the file, then select Version History.
      • Choose an earlier version and select Restore.
      • This is the best option when a file exists but its contents are corrupted or overwritten.
    4. Check for a local synced copy on the computer.
      • If the OneDrive sync client was being used, check whether a working copy still exists on the local device.
      • Also check the computer’s Recycle Bin on Windows or Trash on Mac.
      • On Windows, restoring from Recycle Bin returns the file to its original folder.
    5. If many files were deleted, overwritten, or corrupted, use Restore your OneDrive.
      • This feature lets Microsoft 365 subscribers roll back the entire OneDrive to a previous time within the last 30 days.
      • Important: files or folders created after the restore point are moved to the OneDrive Recycle Bin.
      • If a file was permanently deleted from the OneDrive Recycle Bin, it cannot be recovered.
    6. If the files still will not restore correctly, contact support and provide:
      • the full URL of the affected library or site
      • names of several affected files, including extensions
      • the date and time when the files were last in a healthy state

    For work or school OneDrive, SharePoint Online retains backups for 14 additional days beyond actual deletion. If the content cannot be restored through Recycle Bin or Files Restore, an administrator can contact Microsoft Support to request a restore within that 14-day window. That restore applies only to site collections, not individual files or folders.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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