deleted an excel spreadsheet

Question

deleted an excel spreadsheet by mistake. It is not appearing in the restore deleted files

Answer 1

Hello. Can you clarify where the Excel spreadsheet was deleted from, was it on your local computer, OneDrive, or SharePoint? Also, did the file have AutoSave enabled before it was deleted?

Answer 2

Try each location where the Excel file might have been stored, and restore it from the appropriate recycle bin or recovery feature:

1. If the file was on the local PC (e.g., Documents, Desktop)
   • Open Recycle Bin on Windows.
   • Search or scroll to find the Excel file.
   • Right‑click the file > Restore.
   • It will be returned to its original folder.
2. If the file was in OneDrive
   • Go to the OneDrive website and sign in.
   • In the left navigation, select Recycle bin.
   • Select the Excel file and choose Restore. It will be restored to its original OneDrive location.
   • Note: For personal accounts, items stay in the OneDrive recycle bin for 30 days; for work or school accounts, typically 93 days unless changed by an admin.
3. If the file was in Teams or SharePoint
   • Open the corresponding SharePoint site (or the Files tab in Teams, then Open in SharePoint).
   • Go to the site Recycle bin.
   • Locate the Excel file and select Restore. It will be restored to its original library/folder.
4. If the file was never saved or Excel closed unexpectedly
   • Open Excel.
   • Go to File > Info.
   • Use Manage Workbook / Recover Unsaved Workbooks to look for unsaved versions.

If the file does not appear in any relevant recycle bin and there is no unsaved/recovered copy in Excel, there is no native Microsoft method in this context to restore it.

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References:

• Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive
• Restore items in the recycle bin that were deleted from SharePoint or Teams
• retrieving an accidental Excel file deleted - Microsoft Q&A
• Unable to restore deleted files from C:OneDrive - Microsoft Q&A