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

Your deleted OneDrive files are waiting in your computer's 🗑️ Recycle Bin. Open the Recycle Bin and look for the files you want to get back. You can scroll through the Recycle Bin list or type the file name in 🔍 the search bar at the top right to find your files faster. Once you spot your files, click on the specific files you want to restore.

Windows 🗑️ Recycle Bin holds deleted items. Users can search the Recycle Bin using its 🔍 search bar, located in the top right corner, to find specific files or folders by name. After locating the desired deleted items, users select them for restoration.

Step 3Restore the Selected Files or Folders

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

🗑️ Recycle Bin Action: Highlight the desired files or folders in the Recycle Bin. 🖱️ Right-click on the highlighted items. A menu appears. Select "Restore" from the menu to bring the files back.

Step 4Check if the Files Are Back

Restored OneDrive files appear in their correct locations after you restore them. Navigate to the folder on your computer where OneDrive files were originally stored, for example, 📁C:\Users\copy<YourUsername>\OneDrive. Open the restored OneDrive files to confirm these files are complete and work properly, proving the OneDrive file restore was successful.

Navigate to the original location on your computer where the deleted files or folders previously existed. Open the files or folders to verify their completeness and confirm access to their content.

Reference:

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

Summary

You can easily restore deleted OneDrive files from your computer using the Windows 🗑️ Recycle Bin. Just open the Recycle Bin, select the files you want back, and click ‘Restore’. They’ll go right back to their original spot, usually within 30 days of being deleted.