Restore Deleted OneDrive Files

In order to allow users the ability to restore files themselves, Microsoft built a Recycle Bin into your OneDrive and Teams account. Files that are deleted from your OneDrive or Teams reside here for 93 days and can be restored by the user at any point during that 93 day period. You can choose to empty your Recycle Bin at any point as well. 

When you empty your Recycle Bin, files move into the second stage Recycle Bin. They stay here for the remainder of the 93-day retention, or until a user permanently deletes the file. 

Screenshot of the Outlook web app. Recycle bin highlighted with Empty Recycle button, then "Second stage recycle bin" hyperlink highlighted.

If you scroll to the bottom of your Recycle Bin, you will see the link to select the Second stage recycle bin

Click the link Second-stage recycle bin, and you will be taken to a list of files that have been moved from your First-stage Recycle Bin. Locate the file that you wish to restore, or permanently delete, and click the radio button to the left of the file, and you will be given a Delete or Restore button. 

Screenshot of the second stage recycle bin in Outlook web app. The Delete and Restore buttons are highlights at the top of the screen.

When you choose Restore, the file is restored back to the original folder the file was deleted from. If you can not remember where the original location was, simply search for the file in the search field at the top of OneDrive.

 

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