OneDrive deleted local files and started syncing old files !

Hi Martin,

Sorry for the trouble caused at your end.

First, we would like to convey that OneDrive doesn’t delete the content by itself unless there is some other action like polices applied by the organization or due to some third-party software.

Second, when you delete the files in OneDrive synced folder which is online-only (blue cloud beside the files), it will delete the files permanently.

If you delete the files that are Always keep on this device or locally available files (when you opened the Online-only files), those files will be moved to the recycle bin of Windows. So, you can check the recycle bin of Windows and restore it.

Thanks,

Chitrahaas

The files in my local folder are gone and I did not delete them myself.

I used them just before I went to bed and needed them again when I woke up and then they were gone.

Instead old files have suddenly showed up in my OneDrive synced folders including on my desktop.

Several of these files had previously (days/weeks ago) been moved out of OneDrive and to the local folder where they have now been deleted by OneDrive.

I have not deleted any of the local files myself, I depend on them for work.

I have seen notifications from OneDrive that a large number of files had been deleted, which was correct and my intention since I wanted the files out of OneDrive as I copied them back to have them locally on my computer.

My guess is that suddenly all the files that was previously moved to the local folder has been reverted by OneDrive, hence why the old files are suddenly showing up in the OneDrive synced folders again and why the new versions are now gone from the local folder.

This is a huge problem and a major flaw.

I have lost all my recent work because of this.

I need to have my local files back.

Even I have the same issue! I didn't delete or do anything! Now all my recent work are gone!

This is a serious problem.

I want to add that in my folder that is not synced with OneDrive, it is every single file that has been deleted, the folder structure is still intact, which obviously also shows that it is not something I have done myself.

The old files have suddenly showed up back in the synced folder, but it is the old version from when I initially deleted / moved them out of OneDrive, meaning that I have lost all recent work because of this.

How can this even happen?

Why would OneDrive delete files in folders that are not even synced with OneDrive.

My best guess is that after I moved a lot of files out of OneDrive, I saw a message saying that I had deleted a lot of files from OneDrive (I guess it saw them as deleted because they were moved), some mechanism most have decided to revert the action after X amount of days, even though I never asked for this to happen.

OneDrive has caused a gigantic mess and loss of lot of work.

To anyone reading this, stay away from OneDrive, it is not a mature product.

Hi Martin,

Sorry for the inconvenience caused by this issue and we will try our best to help you.

According to your description, as Chitrahaas mentioned, OneDrive will sync the file automatically in the OneDrive sync folder, and once you move the file out of OneDrive sync folder to location, these files will be not affected by OneDrive.

To narrow down this issue, may I confirm that if you enabled back up the Important PC folder? You can refer to Back up your Documents, Pictures, and Desktop folders with OneDrive

If so, we would like to inform that your Desktop folder, picture folder and documents folder will be sync to OneDrive automatically, and if you have restored your entire OneDrive to previous time, all file like Desktop folder, picture folder and documents folder on your PC will revert to the old version. Therefore, please check if those old version files stored in those folders.

Reference: Restore your OneDrive

Besides, if you have checked those deleted files are not stored in the OneDrive sync folder and the important PC folder, we would inform that there is no current option to delete local file via OneDrive.

To narrow down this issue, may I confirm that if there is anyone else used your computer?

@uata Please check if you have enabled Back up Important PC folder and have anyone else used your computer before then you?

Looking forward to hearing your reply.

Best Regards

Higgins

Hi Higgins Meng,

That is not what have happened - please read my description.

I moved my files out of the OneDrive synced folder to a local non-synced folder a long time before this problem occurred.

Later all files from the non-synced folder was deleted and the old files were being loaded into the old synced folder.

For this reason there is no backup of the files from the local non-synced folder in OneDrive as they were not in a OneDrive synced folder.

I understand you expect the software to behave perfectly and as expected - but that is not what have happened, there is major flaw in your software. Please take this issue seriously.

Every single file in my local non-synced folder has been deleted but the entire folder structure has been kept intact.

All the old files that was moved/deleted from the OneDrive folder suddenly reappeared again in the old synced folder, as well as other old files in other folders (which should of course not happen in the first place).

It seems like OneDrive has reverted to an older state and at the same time reverted the action to move the files out of OneDrive which I did a long time ago, hence why all the files in the non-synced folder has been deleted.

No one else has used my computer.

I worked until late in the evening / night, fell asleep with the computer right next to me on the bed, woke up and turned on the computer to continue work and now all the files were gone from my local non-synced folder and OneDrive was loading the old files into the old locations where they had been moved from a long time ago.

As also explained, OneDrive have for a long time showed a message that a lot of files were deleted and I had X amount of days to revert / recover the files. Since I did not want to recover the old files as they were intentionally moved out of OneDrive I did not act on this message.

However, this is most likely the reason why all my local files has been deleted and the old files have been recovered.

You must have a serious flaw in the software related to this recovery functionality that have made it automatically trigger since all my old files suddenly showed up again and all my new files in the local non-synced folder was deleted.

Hi Martin,

Thanks for your quick reply and share a detailed description to help us better understand your concern.

Based on your description, even though the local file will be not affected by OneDrive, and the old version file will not be generated in OneDrive.

However, due to this issue is truly happened and you didn't do any action related to OneDrive. In this scenario, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused by this event, and as the side of Office 365 admin has access to report this issue to the related team, we would suggest posting a ticket directly so that our related team could check the OneDrive server event from the backend and recover your files deleted within 15 days, and give you more effective suggestions about how to narrow down this issue. 

If there is an issue related to OneDrive, while troubleshooting this issue, your feedback can also help our support team get a full understanding of your issue and then feedback to our product team so that we can fix this issue as soon as possible and update a satisfying version later.

This is the best way and fast way to solve this issue.

We truly hope that your issue can be resolved as soon as possible. Have a nice day.

Best Regards

Higgins

OneDrive just did exactly the same thing to me, right in front of my eyes...it deleted the pictures on my local PC in OneDrive folder and replaced them with the current ones that were on the cloud. In other words it synced from the cloud to the local PC and disregarded that there were already files there on the local PC. What kind of a sync is this because I do not even have an option in the local OneDrive settings to sync it this way?!

This is after they deleted everything in my Personal vault, blamed me for it, and told me to check other local PCs...what a joke this OneDrive really is. 

Alex

Hi All,

Thanks for your posting here and sorry to hear that you got the same issue as well.

As OP posted this thread long time ago, to help you narrow down this issue effective and do more assistance, we suggest you post a new thread and our members and moderators will keep working for you.

Best Regards

Higgins