Files completely missing from both sides of a shared folder

Question

Ever since I set up a shared folder in Onedrive, files are missing: 100s of files! I looked into other Q&As and this does not seem to be a unique problem. I looked in recycle bin, they were not there.

Answer 1

Hi, Jean - Work

This usually happens because a shared folder is still tied to the original owner’s OneDrive, not a separate copy on each person’s account. If the owner deleted the original files, access changed, or OneDrive had a sync problem, the files can disappear for everyone at once.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

First, open OneDrive on the web and search there, not just in File Explorer or the app. Try file names, dates, and keywords, and make sure you are signed into the correct Microsoft account.

Next, check the OneDrive Recycle Bin on the web. If this is a personal account, also check Personal Vault, and if you have Microsoft 365, try Restore your OneDrive to roll back the last 30 days.

If someone else owns the shared folder, ask them to check their Recycle Bin and restore from their side. If nothing appears there, Microsoft Support is the last step.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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