OneDrive Sync - User (re-)added existing folders without contents - files missing

Good day @David Jakob

Welcome to Q&A forum!

Based on your description, When the user deleted OneDrive, any local sync settings and cached files were removed. After reinstalling, OneDrive started fresh and synced empty folders from the local computer to SharePoint. Since those folders didn’t contain the original files, SharePoint treated them as new and overwrote the existing folders, causing the files to disappear without triggering deletion history or recycle bin entries.

Here are some troubleshooting options for you, please take a look to see if it helps your situation:

Option 1: Restore the SharePoint Document Library to a Previous Time

1. Go to the affected SharePoint site.
2. Click on "Settings (gear icon)" -> "Site contents".
3. Open the affected "Document Library".
4. Click on "Settings (gear icon)" -> "Restore this library".
5. Choose a date and time just before the user reinstalled OneDrive.
6. Review the changes that will be made and confirm the restore.

This will restore the entire library to its previous state, including folder structure and files.

*Requirement: You must be a Site Owner or have Full Control permissions on the SharePoint site.

*Important Note: This will overwrite any changes made after that time, so make sure no critical updates were made by other users since then.

Option 2: Check the User’s Local OneDrive Folder (if available)

If the user’s machine still has a local copy of the OneDrive folder:

2.1. Check the OneDrive in Recycle Bin on their PC.

• On the user’s PC, open the Recycle Bin (you can search for it in the Start menu).
• Look for any files or folders that were deleted from the OneDrive folder.
• If you find them:
  • Right-click the file or folder.
    • Select Restore to return it to its original location.

This works if the files were deleted locally and haven’t been permanently removed yet.

2.2. Check File History (if enabled)

File History is a Windows feature that automatically backs up files in certain folders, including OneDrive if configured.

1. Go to the folder where the missing files were located (e.g., C:\Users\[Username]\OneDrive - [Company Name]\Documents).
2. Right-click inside the folder and select "Properties".
3. Go to the "Previous Versions" tab.
4. If available, select a version from before the files went missing.
5. Click "Open" to view it or "restore" to recover it.
6. 

This only works if File History or System Protection was turned on before the incident.

Because this issue is related to your organization data and there might be some important files, I strongly suggest that you **contact Microsoft Support by submiting a Service Request for better assistance. Technical engineer will check your issue in the back end and perform remote session to help you with this issue.

For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. 

Note: If you’re an end-user, please coordinate with your Office 365 Global Administrator to handle these steps.

Hope you can restore your missing files. Please feel free to reach out to me again if you still have any questions.

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