missing files windows 11

Question

I am missing files in Windows 11. I search the PC and logged into one drive and search there. I turned on show all files in settings and yet I cannot find my files including photos and garden details that I created.

Answer 1

Hi karen grabski,

I understand how concerning it can be when important files such as photos and personal documents suddenly seem to be missing.

To help narrow this down, could you also let me know:

• When did you first notice the files were missing?
• Were the files originally saved in “Documents”, “Pictures”, “Desktop”, or another folder?
• Did this start after a Windows update, PC reset, or OneDrive setup/change?
• Are you signed into OneDrive with a personal Microsoft account?

If the files were previously synced with OneDrive, please try these quick checks:

1. Sign in to OneDrive on the web and use the search box to search for part of the file name, file type, or keywords contained in the files. Microsoft recommends searching from the OneDrive website because it searches across your cloud storage.
2. Check the OneDrive “Recycle bin” and restore any files you find there. Deleted OneDrive files can often be recovered from the Recycle Bin.
3. If you use OneDrive Personal Vault, please check there as well, since files stored in Personal Vault do not appear in normal search results.

In File Explorer, search for a known file name or search for a file type such as *.jpg or *.png if photos are missing.

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