Files missing from 365

Question

So my laptop died and I ended up getting a desktop. I logged into the same account and when to work on a Word Doc. When I logged in, the docs I am looking for which I was just writing in less than a week ago are missing. I got my old HD out of my laptop and plugged it in. I found some files from my OD there and the dates are the dates the files were made I'm sure as it was a little while ago.

At this point I don't know what to do. The files were there with no problem when I logged in on my laptop and now they are gone. Not even my phone can see them. When I try to open or upload what I have on my old HD, I get the error "the cloud file provider is not running".

Sadly a rep on their live chat just told me to use third party software to get it to work and recover my files.

Any ideas on what to do?
Thank you for your time

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

To help narrow down the issue:

1. When you sign in to your OneDrive online https://onedrive.live.com do you see the missing files there, or are they missing there as well?
2. Was your laptop using OneDrive sync, or were the files only stored locally on the laptop?
3. On the old hard drive, are the files showing with a cloud icon, or do you see the actual .docx files?

The error "The cloud file provider is not running" usually means those files were OneDrive placeholders and the OneDrive sync client is not available to download the actual file contents. If the files were never fully downloaded to the laptop before it failed, the placeholders alone may not contain the document data.

Also, please check whether you're signed into the correct Microsoft account. It's not uncommon to have multiple accounts, and missing files can sometimes be due to signing into a different account than the one that was syncing OneDrive.

Let me know the answers to the questions above, and if possible, the exact folder path where you found the files on the old hard drive. That will help determine whether the files are recoverable locally or if we need to focus on OneDrive recovery options.

Answer 2

Follow these steps in order, starting with the least risky options:

1. Check OneDrive online

• Sign in to the OneDrive website with the same Microsoft account used on the laptop.
• Search for the missing Word documents by name or by extension (for example, search for *.docx).
• Check the OneDrive Recycle Bin in case the files were deleted; if found, restore them.

2. Check if OneDrive moved the Documents folder

• On the desktop, open File Explorer and look under OneDrive > Documents.
• Also check the local Documents folder under This PC > Documents.
• Files may have been redirected so they now appear only under OneDrive’s Documents path.

3. Search the old laptop drive for Word/backup files Connect the old laptop hard drive and:

• In Windows, select Start and search by file name; if unknown, search by type:
  • For Word documents: search for *.doc and *.docx.
• Check for AutoRecover and backup files if the documents were never fully saved:
  • Browse to:
    • C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word
    • C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles (replace <UserName> with the old Windows username).
  • Search the old drive for *.asd (AutoRecover files) and *.wbk (Word backup files).
  • If found, open Word, go to File > Open > Browse, set file type to All Files, and open the found file, then save it as .docx.

4. Use Word’s built-in recovery options On the desktop:

• Open Word and go to File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents.
• Review any listed files and save the ones that match the missing work.
• If Word crashes or closes unexpectedly, restart Word and check the Document Recovery pane for [Recovered] or [Original] versions and save them.

5. Check Windows Recycle Bin On both the desktop and the old drive:

• Open the Recycle Bin on the Desktop.
• Sort by Date Deleted and look for .doc, .docx, and related files.
• If found, restore them.

6. Address the “cloud file provider is not running” error This error usually means the OneDrive sync engine is not running or the file is a cloud-only placeholder:

• Make sure OneDrive is running and signed in on the desktop.
• In File Explorer, right-click the affected files and choose “Always keep on this device” so they fully download.
• After they are fully available locally, try opening them again in Word.

7. If still missing If none of the above locates the files and they are not in OneDrive, its Recycle Bin, Word’s AutoRecover/UnsavedFiles locations, or the Windows Recycle Bin, the documents may not be recoverable with built-in tools. In that case, avoid writing new data to the old drive (to prevent overwriting) before deciding whether to use a recovery tool or professional data recovery service.

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References:

• Recover your Microsoft 365 files
• How to recover unsaved Word documents
• Find lost files after upgrading Windows
• How to recover missing, deleted or corrupted items in SharePoint and OneDrive for work or school
• onedrive sync? - Microsoft Q&A