How to restore corrupted files automatically?

Question

Hi,

Some Files have been corrupted during an OneDrive-Sync - they are shown as having 0 Bytes, and the header can't be read. Because of this these files do not have a preview (some files as examples):

And online they are shown as having no filesize (second column, some files as examples):

However, I can restore a previous version in OneDrive - manually. I did not this version myself. It happened during sync. (some file as example):

Then the file has size and works again - online and offline (some file as example):

The image-files aren't only in one folder - but I've noticed this issue in several folders. It's only image-files and only the ones I sync with OneDrive.

My questions are:

How can I automate the process of restoring a former version automatically if the size of an image file on my desktop is 0 bytes?

As syncing to OneDrive itself caused the problem: Does Microsoft offer a solution itself?

Bye

Michael

Answer 1

Hi,

You can try to create a PowerShell script to check the file size and restore a previous version if the file size is 0 bytes. Here's a basic example:

$filePath = "C:\Users\YourUsername\OneDrive\YourImageFile.jpg"
$fileSize = (Get-Item $filePath).length

if ($fileSize -eq 0) {
    # Restore previous version using OneDrive's version history
    # This part will require OneDrive API or a third-party tool to automate
    Write-Output "File size is 0 bytes. Restoring previous version..."
    # Add your code to restore the previous version here
} else {
    Write-Output "File size is not 0 bytes. No action needed."
}

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Answer 2

Hi,

If you're a Microsoft 365 subscriber, you can try to restore your entire OneDrive to a specific date. Sign in to the OneDrive website, select Settings > Options > Restore your OneDrive, and then select a date to restore.

Please NOTE that you can try this method if you don't have any new files, and if you have updated files, it is recommended to back up these files before trying this method:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/restore-a-previous-version-of-a-file-stored-in-onedrive-159cad6d-d76e-4981-88ef-de6e96c93893

Hope this suggestion will help you.

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