Lost OneDrive data

Question

Hello, I am a member of a parents' council. I moved all documents from a former member of the parents' council on OneDrive to my OneDrive because this member has left. Then I received a message from Microsoft stating that my account had been locked due to suspicious activity. With some effort, I was able to unlock the account, but now all data from the last 10 years is gone. I can still find the folder using the search function, but I get an error message. Can someone please help me, otherwise the parent council's data from the last 10 years will be lost. Thanks in advance, Rupert

P.S. Here is the message displayed when I want to access the folder:
Access Denied:
{"error":{"innerError":{},"loggableMessage":{"_value":"Access denied","_type":"unsafe","__isPrivacyDataWrapper":true},"name":"GraphError","correlationId":"b7703a97-3155-44b0-97e9-d2de0eebcc45","isExpected":false,"code":"accessDenied","extraData":{"apiEventName":"VroomDataRequest.item"},"response":{"error":{"code":"accessDenied","message":"Access denied","innerError":{"date":"2026-01-07T12:50:10","request-id":"b7703a97-3155-44b0-97e9-d2de0eebcc45","client-request-id":"b7703a97-3155-44b0-97e9-d2de0eebcc45"}}},"status":403,"serverStack":"","request":{},"error":{}}}

Answer 1

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your question. I understand that you moved important documents to your OneDrive, unlocked your account after suspicious activity, and now cannot access the folder containing 10 years of data.

I know how critical these files are for the parents’ council and how stressful it can be to lose access to such important information.

This issue often occurs when files are deleted or permissions are changed during account recovery or security actions. If you can still see the folder but receive an “Access Denied” error, it may mean the ownership or permissions were altered. To resolve this, sign in to OneDrive online and check the Recycle Bin for deleted files. If the files are not there, verify the folder permissions in OneDrive Settings or SharePoint, depending on where the files were stored. If the data is still inaccessible, you can request a file restore using the OneDrive Restore feature (available for Microsoft 365 accounts) or contact Microsoft Support for advanced recovery options.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Best Regards,

Noel

Answer 2

It seems that you are encountering an "Access Denied" error when trying to access the folder that contains important documents for the parents' council. This error can occur for a few reasons, especially after moving files between accounts or if there have been changes in permissions.

Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

1. Check Permissions: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to access the folder. If the folder was shared with you, the sharing permissions may need to be reconfigured.
2. Reshare the Folder: If you have access to the original account or can contact the former member, try resharing the folder to ensure that permissions are correctly replicated.
3. Wait and Retry: Sometimes, permissions may take time to propagate. Wait for about 30 minutes and try accessing the folder again.
4. Check if the OneDrive Site is Locked: It's possible that your OneDrive site is in a locked state. As an admin, you can unlock the site using PowerShell or through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
5. Provision the OneDrive Site: If your OneDrive site is not provisioned, you may need to provision it using the Request-SPOPersonalSite cmdlet.
6. Contact Support: If none of the above steps work, consider reaching out to Microsoft 365 technical support for further assistance.

Make sure to back up any important data as soon as you regain access to avoid potential data loss in the future.