How to Restore Deleted OneDrive Files from Your Computer

Restoring deleted OneDrive files from your computer is possible because Windows stores them in the Recycle Bin first, just like other deleted files.

The Recycle Bin is a special folder that holds files and folders you’ve recently removed from your computer, giving you a chance to recover them. This applies even if the files were originally synced with your Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage.

You can often get back files and folders you accidentally deleted from your PC that were part of your OneDrive sync. This process works for most versions of Windows, including Windows 11, because the deleted items are temporarily kept safe.

This means you don’t always need to visit the OneDrive website to bring back something you thought was lost forever.

Step 1Check Your Computer’s 🗑️ Recycle Bin

When you delete files synced with OneDrive on your Windows computer, they usually go to the 🗑️ Recycle Bin first, not disappear forever.

Step 2Find and Select Your Deleted OneDrive Files

Once the 🗑️ Recycle Bin is open, you can look for your deleted OneDrive files and folders by scrolling through the list or using 🔍 the search bar.

Action: Look through the items in the 🗑️ Recycle Bin. If you know the name of the file or folder, use 🔍 the search bar in the top right of the Recycle Bin window. Once you find the item(s) you want to get back, select them.

Step 3Restore the Selected Files or Folders

Found them? Excellent! Let’s put them back where they belong.

Action: With the files or folders you want highlighted in the 🗑️ Recycle Bin, 🖱️ right-click on any of them. A menu will appear. Choose Restore from this menu.

Step 4Check if the Files Are Back

After restoring your files from the 🗑️ Recycle Bin, it’s important to check their original location to make sure they’re back and you can open them properly.

Action: Go to the original location on your computer where the deleted files or folders used to be. Try opening them to make sure they are complete and you can access their content.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/onedrive/restore-deleted-files-or-folders-in-onedrive

Summary

You can restore deleted OneDrive files from your computer by using the Windows 🗑️ Recycle Bin, which is the most common and easiest method.

First, open the 🗑️ Recycle Bin and look for your deleted files. Select the ones you want to restore. Then, right-click and choose “Restore.” Finally, check the original location on your computer to make sure the files are back and working correctly. This process can save you from losing important data.