What are these files OneDrive is asking me to delete?

Hi, welcome to the Microsoft community.

I searched for those file extensions. They may be temporary files (perhaps thumbnails) that are automatically discarded when you close certain apps and programs on your computer. However, you should do your own research to learn more about these file types and determine whether they are necessary.

That notification asks if you want to "Delete all items" by moving them to the online recycle bin at onedrive.com or "**Keep"**them in OneDrive. If you choose to delete them, you can restore them from the online recycle bin. You will have several to go through to determine which ones, if any, should be restored.

I hope you have a subscription to a OneDrive plan to ensure adequate space in the recycle bin.

Craig

No offense, Craig, but the message Rose submitted the picture of doesn't say "by moving them to the online recycle bin at onedrive.com or "**Keep"**them in OneDrive."

Where are you getting THAT information?

Does it pop up AFTER you work up the nerve to click on DELETE all items?

If they ARE going to be moved to a recycle bin where I can THEN look at them.......that would be good to know, BEFORE I have to make what appears to be a GOODBYE FOREVER to my family photos from my once in a lifetime reunion I just attended last weekend.

Might I ask that you escalate the suggestion to say IN THE DELETE box that if you DO click on Delete, you will THEN.....STILL have an opportunity to see them?

I'm facing the same challenge exactly, as a new OneDrive user, today. Never seen this box before, but here it is, asking if I want to delete two files that it identifies as .jpg's.......so, pictures......AND 758 MORE ITEMS.....?!?!

Don't you think a reasonable person would likely assume that the REMAINING 758 files are ALSO pictures? As opposed to garbage that some game generated when I closed it and is now superfluous? How would we know? MS programmers have apparently not bounced THIS scenario off any newbies.

Thanks for your response, Craig. However, your comment: *"I believe the image shows a notification that pops up on the desktop regarding files in the "My files" tab on onedrive.com. The recycle bin at onedrive.com asks if you want to "Restore" or "Delete" the items, not "Keep items" or "Delete all items" as shown in the image."...*does not pass the "comparison test"

I'm wondering if you volunteers see the same things that we "readers/submitters" see because it's quite clear from the query which was submitted by RoseHol06 (above) that you either can't see the image included with her post......or you only have access to some Microsoft-supplied template.

I say this because the notification box she submitted as part of her enquiry looks EXACTLY like the one I received....and there are things you describe which do NOT match up with either HER image OR MINE.

• It appeared on the MAIN or HOME page of OneDrive (not on a Recycle Bin page)
• The words Recycle Bin do not appear in this box...nor is any suggestion that I could "Go to the recycle bin" to examine the files in question
• There is no option or wording or command button giving the ability to RESTORE these files. There are two choices. KEEP 760 ITEMS ...... DELETE ALL ITEMS
• There is no info in this box hinting at where these files came from......when.....or why
• It was only after visiting this "answers" page that I worked up the courage to click on DELETE that I came to realize this action would simply MOVE the files in question to the Recycle Bin.

I was totally perplexed by the fact that these files would ever be subjected to a KEEP or DELETE option. I would NEVER delete them since after snooping around in my PC (i.e. local storage hardware) it appeared the files being referred to incorporated my entire file of of hundreds and hundred of photos from my 2023 vacation in Portugal. I came to this conclusion by viewing the contents of my Portugal 2023 folder, stored within my Pictures (system) folder on my laptop.......and to my horror, finding it EMPTY!

I've worked for hours attempting to "restore" these photos from the Recycle Bin of OneDrive to the Portugal 2023 folder that was created in my OneDrive.

But I have to say, I'm having a very difficult time.
There are still 45 jpg's (Portugal shots) in my OneDrive recycle bin that I CANNOT "Restore". I select them repeatedly and click on the Restore button at the top of the page.....the screen flashes.....I go to My Files, open Pictures....find my Portugal 2023 folder...open it, and the pictures are not there.

And, after doing this, I swear that OneDrive DOES restore THOSE 45 pics but sends a DIFFERENT 45 to the recycle bin....almost as though there's a limit on the number of files that can exist in any one folder.

Other disappointments......

• You cannot SEARCH for any item by using CTRL/F or the "Search everything" box on either the My Files area OR the Recycle bin. So it makes it VERY difficult (especially with pic files that typically have 14 character long, numeric file names) to look and see if the selected files have been Restored, or not.
• Also, while attempting to Restore these 45 files...numerous times....a popup at the bottom of the Recycle Bin page first says "Updating 45 Items".......then changes to "Restored 45 Items". Which is it? Updated or restored. And why, after doing one or both of these things, do those same 45 files STILL appear in the BIN? Shouldn't they have gone to my Portugal 2023 folder under My Files/Pictures? Is there some sort of limit on the number of pics allowed in a folder? Or some sort of naming convention I'm not aware of? Like, no two-word names for folders? Or some limit on the number of TIMES you can attempt to restore the same files?

So many questions......but no "intuitive" answers. Almost makes me long for my Mac days.

Thanks so much!

You're welcome! Glad to help.