OneDrive
Recovering Deleted or Previous File Versions
This guide shows you how to recover a file you accidentally deleted from OneDrive, or restore a file to an earlier version if you made unwanted changes.
Time needed
5 minutes
Platform
Microsoft 365
Guide steps
2 clear sections
Before you begin
You are signed in to OneDrive (portal.office.com or the OneDrive website).
Follow along
Step-by-step guide
Restore a deleted file from the OneDrive Recycle Bin
- Instruction 1: Go to onedrive.live.com or open OneDrive from portal.office.com.
- Instruction 2: In the left-hand menu, click Recycle bin.
- Instruction 3: Find the file you deleted — deleted files are kept in the Recycle Bin for 93 days.
- Instruction 4: Click the file to select it (tick the checkbox), then click Restore at the top of the page.
- Instruction 5: The file will be restored to its original location in your OneDrive.
Action map
Restore a deleted file from the OneDrive Recycle Bin
- 01
Go to onedrive.live.com or open OneDrive from portal.office.com.
- 02
In the left-hand menu, click Recycle bin.
- 03
Find the file you deleted — deleted files are kept in the Recycle Bin for 93 days.
Visual guide
Use this visual action map alongside the written instructions above.
Open OneDrive help & learning for Recovering Deleted or Previous File VersionsRestore a previous version of a file
- Instruction 1: Navigate to the file in OneDrive on the web (not the desktop app).
- Instruction 2: Right-click the file and click Version history.
- Instruction 3: A panel on the right shows a list of previous saved versions, each with a date and time.
- Instruction 4: Click on an older version to preview it.
- Instruction 5: If you want to restore that version, click the three-dot menu next to it and click Restore.
- Instruction 6: The file will be restored to that earlier version. The current version is saved as a version entry so nothing is permanently lost.
Quick fixes
Troubleshooting
The file is not in the Recycle Bin
Recycle Bin items are deleted after 93 days. If the file is older than that, it may be permanently gone. Contact the helpdesk — they may be able to restore from a compliance backup if your organisation has one configured.
Version history only shows the current version
Version history may not be enabled for that file, or the file was uploaded (not edited) through OneDrive so no older versions exist. Versioning is automatic for files edited within Microsoft 365 apps. Contact the helpdesk for further assistance.
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