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Missing folder contents on Onedrive

JChan 0 Reputation points
2026-05-29T14:34:33.2566667+00:00

I accidentally deleted my Desktop on Onedrive (assuming that it was saved to my hard drive). I have tried to restore my Onedrive account from before the incident and my folders have been recovered, but the contents are missing.

Please can I ask where can I find the items? It is not in the recycling bin and originally, it noted that the items were on cloud.

I did not have the storage to sync it before, so I am confused why the items were on Onedrive in the first place.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | Windows
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  1. Xavier-D 8,585 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-30T01:41:52.1166667+00:00

    Hello JChan

    Since the folders are back but the files are still missing, it is worth checking whether the files are still stored online in OneDrive but are not syncing to this PC, or whether the Desktop folder was backed up to OneDrive. Please also check:

    • Whether Desktop backup is enabled Open the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar > Settings > Sync and backup > Manage backup, then see if Desktop is turned on. Desktop, Documents, and Pictures can be backed up from there.
    • Whether the folder is still online but not selected to sync to this PC In OneDrive settings, go to Account > Choose folders. If a folder is unchecked, it is removed from the PC but still remains available online.
    • Whether the files appear when searching directly on OneDrive.com The OneDrive website is the main place to look for missing files, and Search everything can often find items that are not obvious by browsing folders.
    • Whether another OneDrive account was used Missing files can sometimes be under another Microsoft account if a different account was signed in when the files were saved.

    If the files appear online, it would be safest to right-click the important folders and choose Always keep on this device so they fully download first.

    If they still do not appear online or under another account, the next step would be contacting support for further assistance:

    Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, are not allowed to directly interfere with Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited solely to providing technical guidance on reported incidents, requests, or ideas.  

    1. Open a website link - Contact - Microsoft Support 
    2. In the box below "We're here to help", type Microsoft 365, click "Get Help", and then click "Contact Support" below. 
    3. In this section, you will need to sign in to your Microsoft account. 
    4. Select "Microsoft 365 and Office" under Products & Services, select "Technical Support" as the category, and click to confirm 
    5. You can select " Chat with a support agent in your web browser " to access the chat window. 

    I hope you can get this issue resolve, have a nice day.

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