Have I lost my files to OneDrive?

[Bambooboat]

Hi friendly forum! I recently purchased and set up a new laptop with Windows 11. I assume it defaulted to the OneDrive settings. When I copied my files/data (30GB) from an external drive onto my computer, OneDrive promptly began giving me error messages (not enouhg storage space?) and selling me additional storage. I am on the free account with 5GB of free storage and don't wish to purchase more. I want to retain my files on my local hard drive, and use OneDrive for maybe a few select folders.

My issue is that now I have tons of files in OneDrive using up the whole 5GB and much more. I deleted these files from OneDrive but I get a message saying that the files will be deleted from all my devices! Does that mean that it will delete them from my local hard drive as well???? It says I have 30 days to recover them from the OneDrive trash.

I don't get it. I don't understand the mess I am in. I can't delete everything and start from scratch because I have since added more files to the computer that are not yet backed up and I would not know which these are.

How do I make sure all my files are on my computer before I wipe OneDrive clean?

Many thanks for any words of wisdom. New at Windows and this is driving me crazy!

 

[Ian]

Welcome to the forum .

There's a bit more info on the process here:

What happens when you delete files in the cloud - Microsoft Support

Training: We'll show you what happens when you delete a file or folder on OneDrive with one device what happens on your other devices.

support.microsoft.com

If you delete from OneDrive, they'll no longer be available on any PC/Phone that is connected to your one drive account. However, if your files are copied out of the OneDrive folder to another folder on your machine, you can make a "local" backup to be sure they won't disappear.

 

[aephgarza]

If you're worried about losing files stored in OneDrive, there are a few manual methods you can try to recover them. First, check the OneDrive Recycle Bin; deleted files are typically stored there for 30 days before being permanently removed. You can access it by signing in to OneDrive and clicking on the "Recycle Bin" option in the left sidebar. If the files are not there, you can also check the "Version History" feature for any previous versions of your documents.

If these methods don't work, you might consider using a professional data recovery tool like the BLR Data Recovery Tool. This software is designed to recover lost or deleted files from various storage devices, including OneDrive. With its advanced scanning algorithms, it can help you retrieve files that may have been accidentally deleted or lost due to sync issues. The tool also offers a free preview option, allowing you to view recoverable files before proceeding with the restoration, making the process more efficient and reliable.

hope this will work for you