Data lost on one drive

Aseem Gupta 0 Reputation points
2026-09-04T09:37:55.8266667+00:00

Hi,

All my data on One Drive has been lost.

Now i am being asked for a renewal of the services but I only wish to continue if there is support for files retrieval.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-04T09:38:13.7533333+00:00

    For a personal OneDrive account, file retrieval is limited to the built-in recovery options.

    1. Sign in to the OneDrive website and search first. Use Search everything and try filenames, descriptions, tags, dates, and places.
    2. Check the Recycle bin on the left side of the OneDrive website. If the files are there, select them and choose Restore.
    3. If Personal Vault was used, unlock it and in the recycle bin select Show Personal Vault items. Files in Personal Vault do not appear in normal search results.
    4. Confirm the correct Microsoft account is being used. Files may be in another personal or work/school OneDrive.
    5. If a Microsoft 365 subscription is active, use Restore your OneDrive to roll the entire OneDrive back to a previous point in time within the last 30 days. Note: files or folders created after the restore point are moved to the OneDrive Recycle Bin.
    6. Check local storage on the device with File Explorer or Finder, and also check the computer Recycle Bin or Trash.

    Important limits from Microsoft support content:

    • Personal accounts inactive for two years may have been deleted.
    • Support agents are not allowed to access files and cannot provide more help than the published guidance for finding lost or missing files.

    If the files are not found by search, Recycle Bin, Personal Vault, account check, local device search, or OneDrive restore, there is no supported file-retrieval path described beyond those options. In that case, renewing only for recovery would not provide an additional recovery service.

    For technical support on a personal account, Contact Microsoft Support is available. Mobile users can also open the OneDrive app and gently shake the device to contact support.

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

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  2. DYARI BARHAM 37,656 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-04T10:21:08.69+00:00

    I'm Dyari.

    Thanks for reaching out.

    Renewing your subscription does not guarantee file recovery. To help identify what happened, could you please confirm when did you last see your files? Is this a personal or work/school OneDrive account? Is your Microsoft 365 subscription active or expired? If expired, when did it expire?

    Did you receive any emails warning that your storage was full or that your files would be deleted?

    Have you tried the recovery options suggested by Q&A Assist?

    Please keep me posted.

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