Deleted OneDrive Files Not in Recycle Bin! What Should I Do?

When the deleted OneDrive files not in Recycle Bin, where can you find them? This article will guide you to find them and effective restore the permanently deleted OneDrive files.

Posted by @Irene September 25, 2024 Updated By @Irene September 25, 2024

Why are deleted files not in the Recycle Bin on OneDrive?

Microsoft OneDrive is a cloud storage service that enables users to save and share files online. When you delete a file or folder in OneDrive for Business, it is moved to the OneDrive Recycle Bin, allowing you to restore it if necessary. For personal accounts, deleted files (or sometimes OneDrive deleting files automatically) are kept in the Recycle Bin for 30 days. During this time, you can restore them or permanently delete them if you prefer. Please note that if the Recycle Bin is full, the oldest files will be automatically deleted after 3 days.

If you can't find your deleted files there before the expiration, they may be in the second-stage Recycle Bin. This second stage keeps deleted items for up to 93 days, even if you empty the first Recycle Bin. The first Recycle Bin retains files deleted from their original location in SharePoint for a limited time. If you delete something from the first Recycle Bin, it automatically moves to the second stage, where it remains for 93 days before being permanently deleted.

To access the second-stage Recycle Bin, please check your OneDrive settings or the SharePoint site where the files were stored. This extra option can be very helpful if you accidentally any delete important files. By the way, it is a good idea to check the OneDrive Recycle Bin regularly to prevent losing any important data.

Can you restore OneDrive deleted files not in Recycle Bin?

When you delete a file from OneDrive using the web interface, you also remove the online backup of that file, but the original file remains on your computer. Therefore, you won't find it in the Recycle Bin. If you’ve deleted files or emptied the Recycle Bin, a quick and effective way to recover your OneDrive files is to use AOMEI FastRecovery. This tool works well for various reasons behind file loss and helps recover different formats, including documents, images, and videos. It can even help to recover deleted OneDrive files after 30 days or 93 days.

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Here’s a quick overview of AOMEI FastRecovery:

Powerful Features: Recover deleted and lost files like corrupted Excel files, unsaved Word documents, etc., folders, compressed files, photos, videos, audio, and many other file types from hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, and more. Easy to Find: During both Quick Scan and Deep Scan, you can search for files by path, filename, or date. Complex data loss scenarios:  It supports data recovery from formatted hard drives, encrypted drives, corrupted drives. Convenient: The software retains the original format, path, and filename of deleted files. Excellent Compatibility: Supports NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems in Windows 11/10/8/7 & Windows Server.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.

Other methods for OneDrive restore deleted files not in Recycle Bin

Generally, the OneDrive folder is stored at C:\Users\[your username] on your Windows computer. Your synced files and folders are stored here. It is possible to recover files that were permanently deleted, even if 30 days have gone by or the OneDrive and Windows Recycle Bin have been emptied.

Step 1. After that, open your computer and go to your OneDrive account.When you get there, you'll see a link at the bottom. "Second-Stage Recycle Bin" should be used as the anchor text. It's time to open it now. Look for your files in this Bin. That way, you can pick them all at once.

Steo 2. Right-click on your pick. If you right-click, the "Context Menu" will show you the restore command. You can also click the "Restore" button to use it.

If the deleted files or folders aren't in the Recycle Bin, you can also use OneDrive to restore a previous version.

Step 1. Open your OneDrive account and log in. From the drop-down box, select Restore your OneDrive by tapping "Settings".

Step 2. After locating the files or folders you wish to restore, click the box labeled "Select a date" and select a date before deleting them. Then, click "Restore".

Conclusion

This article shows that it is possible to recover deleted OneDrive files not in Recycle Bin. Just as you can see, it's not that hard as you might think. It's easy: just follow the steps given, which include using AOMEI FastRecovery to get back your safe and complete deleted files from OneDrive.