I need to restore my OneDrive personal documents and images from a specific time

Question

Hi Miss, Mrs, Mr,

while connecting a new device to OneDrive this morning, I have made a mistake. I have selected by mistake "synchronize my Documents and Images". These are personal, and I didn't want them to be on a business cloud storage.
Then, I've disconnected my OneDrive and deleted the files in the "OneDrive" folder. Turns out I apparently deleted all my files locally.
I was able to retrieve the 30 Go folder in my PC in the Recycle Bin, but after restoration, It seems I have lost around 5 Go of files.

Thus my only way to retrieve my files seem to be this: if someone can tell me how I can restore my OneDrive folder from a very specific time, where all my files were synchronized.

If a Microsoft support person could help me, that would be perfect.

PS: I know about the "Restore your OneDrive" setting available in the OneDrive web page settings. I have tried it and it didn't work, because the list of changes was so long that I couldn't go to the back of the list, to find the files I wanted to restore.

Regards,
Valentin

Answer 1

Hello @Valentin Lefebvre,  

Thank you for posting your valuable question on Microsoft Q&A forum.  

I understand how frustrating this issue can be. To restore your OneDrive files from a specific time, you can try these options: 

1. Use “Restore your OneDrive” (Microsoft 365 Required) 

This feature lets you roll back your entire OneDrive to a previous state within the last 30 days. It’s ideal for undoing mass deletions or sync errors. 

• Go to OneDrive online and sign in. 
• Click the Settings gear > Options > Restore your OneDrive. 
• Choose a custom date and time using the activity chart and feed. 
• Select the earliest activity you want to undo - all later activities will be included. 
• Click Restore to revert your OneDrive to that state.  

If the activity feed is too long to scroll through, try using the slider below the chart to jump to the desired date quickly. 

2. Restore Individual File Versions 

If you only need specific files, you can use Version History: 

• Right-click the file in OneDrive (web or File Explorer). 
• Select Version History. 
• Choose the version you want and click Restore. 

Note: Personal accounts retain up to 25 versions per file. Work/school accounts may vary depending on admin settings. 

3. Check Local Recycle Bin 

You mentioned recovering 30 GB from your PC’s Recycle Bin. If some files are still missing: 

• Double-check your Windows Recycle Bin. 
• Look in OneDrive’s online Recycle Bin for any remaining items. 

For more information, please refer to these documents: 

• Restore your OneDrive - Microsoft Support 
• Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive - Microsoft Support 
• Restore a previous version of a file stored in OneDrive - Microsoft Support 
• Find lost or missing files in OneDrive - Microsoft Support 

 

If the restore options didn’t work or files were permanently deleted, can you provide some additional information: 

• Are you using a personal account(gmail, yahoo, hotmail,…) or a work/school account(has a company or school name)?   
• How many days have passed since you deleted your files? 
• Before disconnecting your OneDrive and deleted the files in the "OneDrive" folder, did all your files fully sync? Check the OneDrive icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner of your screen): 
  • Green checkmark: Files are synced and available offline. 
  • Cloud icon: Files are online-only. 
  • Syncing arrows: Sync is in progress. 
  • Red X: Sync error. 
• When you restore the file, which is the Recycle Bin that you restore from: The Local Recycle Bin in your device or the OneDrive Recycle Bin? 

Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. 

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.