Question:

How can I recover files that were deleted from my local documents folder by OneDrive backup?

I enabled OneDrive backup on my laptop without realizing that it would delete the files from my local documents folder that were not selected for backup. I only have the files that I manually saved to OneDrive left. Is there any solution to restore the deleted files?

Answer:

OneDrive is a cloud storage service that allows you to sync your files across multiple devices and access them from anywhere. However, if you enable OneDrive backup on your Windows 10 PC, you might encounter a problem: the files that are not selected for backup will be deleted from your local documents folder and moved to the OneDrive recycle bin. This can result in losing important files that you did not intend to backup or delete.

Fortunately, there are some ways to recover the deleted files from OneDrive or your PC. Here are some steps you can try:

• Check the OneDrive recycle bin: The first thing you should do is to check the OneDrive recycle bin, which is where the deleted files are stored temporarily. You can access the OneDrive recycle bin from the OneDrive app on your PC or from the OneDrive website. The files in the recycle bin will be kept for 30 days or until you empty the bin, whichever comes first. If you find the files you want to restore, you can select them and click on the Restore button. This will move the files back to their original location on your PC and OneDrive.
• Check the Windows recycle bin: If you cannot find the files in the OneDrive recycle bin, you can also check the Windows recycle bin on your PC. Sometimes, the files that are deleted by OneDrive backup are also moved to the Windows recycle bin. You can open the Windows recycle bin from your desktop and look for the files you want to recover. If you find them, you can right-click on them and choose Restore. This will restore the files to their original location on your PC.
• Use a file recovery software: If the files are not in either of the recycle bins, you might need to use a file recovery software to scan your PC for the deleted files. There are many file recovery software available online, some of which are free and some of which are paid. You can choose one that suits your needs and budget. However, you should be careful when downloading and installing any software from the internet, as some of them might contain malware or viruses. You should also act quickly, as the deleted files might be overwritten by new data on your PC. To use a file recovery software, you need to follow the instructions provided by the software. Generally, you need to select the drive or folder where the deleted files were located, and then start the scanning process. The software will then display a list of the files that can be recovered. You can preview the files and select the ones you want to restore. You might need to choose a different location to save the restored files, as the original location might be occupied by OneDrive.

These are some of the methods you can try to recover the files that were deleted from your local documents folder by OneDrive backup. However, you should also take some precautions to prevent this problem from happening again in the future. Here are some tips you can follow:

• Disable OneDrive backup: If you do not want OneDrive to delete the files from your local documents folder, you can disable the OneDrive backup feature on your PC. To do this, you need to open the OneDrive app on your PC and click on the Settings icon. Then, go to the Backup tab and click on the Manage backup button. You will see a list of the folders that are backed up by OneDrive, such as Desktop, Documents, and Pictures. You can uncheck the folders that you do not want to backup, and then click on the Stop backup button. This will stop OneDrive from deleting the files from your local documents folder and syncing them to the cloud.
• Choose the files you want to backup: If you still want to use OneDrive backup, but only for some of the files in your local documents folder, you can choose the files you want to backup and exclude the rest. To do this, you need to open the OneDrive app on your PC and click on the Settings icon. Then, go to the Backup tab and click on the Manage backup button. You will see a list of the folders that are backed up by OneDrive, such as Desktop, Documents, and Pictures. You can click on the Change how you backup your folders link under the Documents folder. This will open a window where you can select or deselect the files and subfolders that you want to backup. You can also click on the Add folder button to add more folders to the backup list. Once you are done, click on the Start backup button. This will backup only the files you have selected to OneDrive and leave the rest on your PC.
• Backup your files regularly: One of the best ways to avoid losing your files is to backup your files regularly to an external hard drive or another cloud service. This way, you will have a copy of your files in case something goes wrong with OneDrive or your PC. You can use the built-in backup features of Windows 10 or a third-party backup software to backup your files. You should also test your backup files periodically to make sure they are working properly.

We

hope this article has helped you to recover the files that were deleted from your local documents folder by OneDrive backup. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading!