OneDrive recycle bin retention period | Restore deleted files in OneDrive

Unlike the native Recycle Bin in Windows, many users are unaware of how to restore any data files that were accidentally deleted from OneDrive on Windows 10. Therefore, to cater to such users, this article will encompass everything about the OneDrive Recycle Bin, including its retention and data recovery. Let's get started!

Where is the Recycle Bin in OneDrive?

The Recycling Bin is a special folder in OneDrive that holds deleted files and folders. When you delete a file or folder from OneDrive, it's moved to the Recycling Bin, where it stays until you permanently delete it or restore it to its original location. You can find the OneDrive Recycling Bin in the top-left corner of your screen.

The OneDrive Recycle Bin essentially has two stages:

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• `First-stage Recycle Bin`
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• `Second-stage Recycle Bin`
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First-stage recycling bin

When you delete files from your computer, they aren't immediately gone for good. Instead, they go into the Recycle Bin, where they stay until you decide to permanently delete them. This is called the first stage of the Recycle Bin.

The Recycling Bin serves as a safety net in case you accidentally delete a file. If you find that a file is missing, you can quickly retrieve it from the Recycling Bin.

Second Stage Recycling Bin

The second recycle bin allows you to recover files that you deleted from the recycle bin during your first attempt. In other words, it keeps files that you thought were no longer useful, even after you deleted them.

OneDrive Retention Period for Recycle Bin

OneDrive is utilized by various businesses to store and access all sorts of data. Hence, it's crucial to have a retention policy in place to prevent any inconvenience in the future. One benefit of OneDrive is that it allows you to choose your retention settings. This way, you can conveniently recover deleted files.

Here's how to set up retention policies for OneDrive.

Step 1: First, you need to access the Compliance Center. Now, click on the "Information Management" option.

Step 2. Click on "RetentionPolicy" to create a custom policy.

Step 3: Specify a name and type for the retention policy that you want to create.

Step 4: Here, you would need to choose the OneDrive account as the location. Note that an admin can include or exclude multiple accounts from this location.

Step 5. After reviewing the retention policy, click Submit.

That's how you set up a retention policy in OneDrive. Just make sure your retention rules align with your business document requirements, and you'll be able to easily recover any deleted data.

How to recover deleted files or folders in OneDrive

Now comes the practical part. Actually, there are numerous ways to recover lost or deleted files from OneDrive recycle bin. Hence, we have picked the top 3 methods to restore deleted files or folders from OneDrive. Below are these methods along with their step-by-step guidelines.

Method 1: Recover Deleted Files from OneDrive Recycle Bin

If you accidentally delete an important document or data from OneDrive, a simple way to recover it is by checking the Recycle Bin. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do this: 1. Open the OneDrive website: First, make sure you're logged in to your Microsoft account, then visit the official OneDrive website. 2. Locate the Recycle Bin: On the left-hand menu bar of the webpage, you'll see an option labeled "Recycle Bin" or "Deleted items." Click on it. 3. Check deleted files: On the Recycle Bin page, you'll find all the files and folders that have been deleted but not yet permanently erased. Browse through these items to find the one you need to restore. 4. Restore the file: Once you've found the target file, hover your mouse over it, and click the "Restore" button that appears. This will move the file back to its original location. 5. Confirm the recovery: OneDrive might display a confirmation dialog asking if you're sure you want to restore the file. Click "Yes" or "OK" to complete the recovery process. 6. Verify the restored file: After the recovery, go to the folder where the file originally was; you should find it there. Please note that if the file is not in the Recycle Bin or has been emptied from the Recycle Bin, you may need to use alternative data recovery methods, such as backups or contact the OneDrive support team for assistance.

Step 1: First, sign in to your OneDrive account.

Step 2: Next, select the "Trash" option from the left-hand menu.

Step 3: The Recycle Bin will show all the deleted files. Just check the ones you want to restore.

Step 4. Click Restore. It's in the menu bar. This will restore the deleted file from the OneDrive Recycle Bin.

Method 2: Recover Deleted Files or Folders from Your Computer

OneDrive also keeps your data files saved in a local storage folder on your computer. All the files saved in this folder are also updated and monitored by OneDrive. Hence, it is also a good option to recover deleted files from this folder.

Follow these steps to recover deleted files or folders from your computer:

Step 1: Find the OneDrive app icon in your system tray, and right-click it.

Step 2. Click on “Settings” to access its settings.

Step 3: Now you must click on the “Accounts” tab.

Step 4. Click the "Select Folder" button.

Step 5: The location of the folder you chose will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. Make a note of this location, then browse to the folder using File Explorer to find your deleted or lost files.

This way, you can easily recover the deleted file by finding the location of the folder that contained the file you accidentally deleted.

Method 3: Recover Permanently Deleted Files or Folders from OneDrive

For many users, restoring permanently deleted files or folders from OneDrive might seem like an intimidating and impossible task. However, with the help of reliable data recovery software, you can make it happen. When we talk about high-quality and dependable data recovery software, the tool that comes to mind is the Data Recovery Wizard. This software can recover your local OneDrive files from HDD, external USB drives, SD cards, and other storage media.

It's a fully featured and easy-to-use data recovery tool that can help with this. You can recover deleted files from any of the following locations:

• Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD)
• External Hard Disk Drives
• Cloud Storage
• Portable storage devices such as USB drives, SD cards, flash drives, etc.

Now, download this data recovery program to restore files lost due to various reasons like accidental deletion, formatting of hard drive, OS crash, virus attack, lost partition, and more.

Step 1. Select the exact location of your file and click on the "Scan" button to proceed.

Step 2. Once the scan is complete, select the "Deleted Files" and "Other Lost Files" folders from the left panel. You can then use the "Filter" feature or click on the "Search for files or folders" button to look for your deleted files.

Step 3. Click “Recover,” and save your recovered file – preferably to a location different from the original.

Conclusions

The OneDrive Recycle Bin works differently than the Windows one, and that's why we've detailed all aspects of data retention on OneDrive so you can understand it. However, data loss can still occur, especially if these methods don't work for you.

We recommend trying the Data Recovery Wizard tool. With this software, you can recover lost, formatted, or stolen data from almost any storage device.