One drive files missing

Question

One drive files missing

tony hessling 5

Hello, I was using the free one drive account and I had a few files on my one drive. At the beginning of 2025 I had to create a Microsoft 365 account since I left my work and still needed all the Microsoft apps. I used the same email address for my new 365 account that I was using for my free onedrive account. Not sure if this is why the few files I had are now missing. Is there any way to recover those files that are missing?

3 answers

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Answer 1

If you created a new Microsoft 365 account using the same email address as your previous free OneDrive account, it is possible that the files from your free account are no longer accessible in the new account. However, there are a few steps you can take to try to recover your missing files:

Check the Recycle Bin: If the files were deleted, they might still be in the OneDrive Recycle Bin. You can restore deleted files from there if they haven’t been permanently removed.
Files Restore Feature: If you had files in your OneDrive before the transition, you can use the Files Restore feature to recover your OneDrive to a previous point in time. This feature allows you to restore files to any point over the past 30 days.
Contact Support: If you are unable to find your files using the above methods, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance. They may be able to help you recover your files or provide additional options based on your account status.

Make sure to act quickly, as there are time limits on how long deleted files are retained in OneDrive.

References:

tony hessling 5 Reputation points

2025-11-10T14:43:09.0566667+00:00

How do I contact support? The recycle bin is empty

Answer 2

Jeronimo Fuerte 25,885 Independent Advisor

Hi! Do you mean you acquired an Office subscription? Did you create a corporate email afterward, or was it a personal subscription? Are you using the same email and password to sign in to OneDrive.com?

tony hessling 5 Reputation points

2025-11-10T15:29:08.7233333+00:00

I purchased a personal subscription after I left my work. I am using the same username as the free account as I am using for the subscription I purchased. I don't remember if I am using the same password.
Jeronimo Fuerte 25,885 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-11-10T16:55:42.5166667+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Do you use this account regularly, or was there a period of inactivity? If there was, how long? When you got the subscription, did you create the account again, or did you just sign in to the existing account and purchase the subscription?
tony hessling 5 Reputation points

2025-11-10T18:59:50.58+00:00

I might not have access the file is a year or more. I did not go into it regularly. I did purchase the 365 subscription under a different email.
Jeronimo Fuerte 25,885 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-11-10T23:33:03.5366667+00:00

A Microsoft 365/OneDrive subscription adds storage only to the Microsoft account that purchased it unless it’s a Family plan. If you haven’t signed in to your Outlook.com mailbox for about a year, at all, the account itself may be deleted, so it’s possible you’re now signed into a different Outlook account
tony hessling 5 Reputation points

2025-11-11T02:43:58.58+00:00

ok, thanks. Any idea on how to contact Microsoft directly?
Jeronimo Fuerte 25,885 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-11-11T14:42:50.64+00:00

Here are the contact options:
https://support.microsoft.com/contactus/

Answer 3

Stefan Blom 323.2K MVP Volunteer Moderator

If you ordered a personal Microsoft subscription using the same personal account that you were using for free earlier, there is no reason why you would lose any data.

Any files that are in your work account must be downloaded from that account. Check with your former employer if you need access.

tony hessling 5 Reputation points

2025-11-10T15:30:08.03+00:00

They were not on my work account, they were the free one drive account that I was using.
Stefan Blom 323.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-10T15:34:44.7266667+00:00

They were not on my work account, they were the free one drive account that I was using.

Thanks for the follow-up. Your files should be in the location in which you originally stored them. Try signing in to OneDrive on the web, via https://onedrive.live.com and see if you can locate the files.

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One drive files missing

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