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Many Files Missing After Cut and Paste! (OneDrive related, I assume)

Anonymous
2024-03-29T20:51:02+00:00

This mess started when I noticed a folder on my desktop missing. This folder contained many levels of subfolders - All of which contain photos. I then found it buried a few levels down within a folder on the desktop. Thinking it's a simple matter of cutting and pasting the folder back to the desktop, that's what I did. But for some reason it took several hours to relocate the15 GB worth of content back into original desktop location.

Then I noticed many of the subfolders (plus other levels) are empty. Photos are missing yet the folders themselves are there. I've tried viewing hidden files but no luck. Desktop was "backed up" in onedrive or so I thought. The files are nowhere to be found: Not in OneDrive, not in my PC recycling bin, not the OneDrive recycle bin, not the vault. I've tried restoring OneDrive entirely prior to the date the folder was moved out of the main desktop view. But after onedrive restore completed, photos still haven't reappeared and that was days ago.

Phone support called from an International phone number and I pay by the minute for long distant calls. So the only option was to live chat (crazy) which took 2 hours only to be told that system restore (windows 11) wont work because there were no restore dates available (also crazy). I was told this would need to be escalated to "level 2 data loss team" and that was 5 days ago. havent heard from anyone since, after many email follow ups to the open ticket (radio silence). VERY disappointed in Microsoft ... especially as a PAID customer of many of their services.

Any ideas on what else I can try, since tech support doesnt seem to be interested in helping?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-03-29T21:32:25+00:00

    Hi, I am a Microsoft user just like yourself and I will try my best to help you as much as I can today. I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t been able to get the right help.

    Try these:

    Method 1: Check OneDrive Online Even if the files are not in the OneDrive recycle bin, they may still be available online:

    Go to OneDrive on the web. Navigate to the folder where the missing files were located. Check the folder's version history to see if you can restore previous versions of the folder.

    Method 2: Use File Recovery Software As previously mentioned, you can use third-party file recovery software to scan your local drive and recover deleted files: Download and install a file recovery software such as Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, or Stellar Data Recovery. Run the software and scan your local drive (C:). Select the deleted files/folders and recover them to a safe location.

    Method 3: Check System Restore Points If you have System Restore enabled on your computer, you may be able to restore your system to a previous state where the files were still present:

    Search for "Create a restore point" in the Windows search bar and open it. Click on System Restore and follow the on-screen instructions to restore your system to a previous state.

    Method 4: Use Previous Versions Feature Windows has a feature called Previous Versions that allows you to restore previous versions of files and folders:

    Right-click on the folder where the missing files were located. Select "Restore previous versions". Select a previous version of the folder and click "Restore".

    See if that helps! Please let us know if you have any questions. Microsoft Support is available for further assistance if the issue continues.

    Best regards Deeksha

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