how to get this request to Microsoft help via chat: Request backend purge of orphaned OneDrive/M365 file objects

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how to get this request to Microsoft help via chat: Request backend purge of orphaned OneDrive/M365 file objects

Pete Rand 20

I have a diagnosis but need to get microsoft help according to copilot: I have several orphaned files in my Microsoft 365 account that cannot be opened, deleted, or managed in any way. They appear in Word Online, OneDrive, and the My Content page, but they show no owner, no details pane, and no delete option. When I try to open them, I receive the message: “The item might not exist or is no longer available.”

Examples of affected files include:

These files are not ghost entries — they appear in My Content but cannot be interacted with at all. This matches the known issue of orphaned file objects in the Microsoft 365 cloud index.

Please run a backend purge of these orphaned file objects for my account so they can be removed from my OneDrive/M365 environment.

Thank you.

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Answer 1

Hello, Pete Rand.

Quote: "how to get this request to Microsoft help via chat..."

Log in to your MS account on the page https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/home/contact?SourceApp=smc2&ContactUsExperienceEntryPointAssetId=www.microsoft.com

In the search bar, type (without quotes) "agent support" and press Enter or click on Get Help. Ignore the search results, and click on the "Contact Support" button at the bottom. On the next page, select "Microsoft 365 and Office" and "Technical Support" from the drop-down lists, and then click on "Confirm". Next, select the chat "Chat with a support agent in your web browser" and on the next page, enter (if requested) your (the one that works) email address and click on "Confirm". A chat window opens in a new tab. Wait for the operator to respond.

Note. The chat is available during business hours and on business days according to US time