How to Restore a Previous Version of a File in Windows

Accidentally overwrote or deleted a file? Windows and OneDrive both have ways to restore previous versions. Method 1: Restore Previous Versions (Windows File History) This works if File History is enabled on your computer. 1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder containing the file (or the file itself if it still exists) 2. Right-click the file or folder > Properties > Previous Versions tab 3. A list of saved versions will appear with dates 4. Select the version you want and click Restore (overwrites current) or Restore To... (saves it to a different location, safer) Method 2: OneDrive Version History If the file was in a OneDrive-synced folder: 1. Go to onedrive.com and sign in with your work account 2. Navigate to the file 3. Right-click the file > Version history 4. A panel shows previous versions with timestamps 5. Click the three dots next to any version > Restore OneDrive keeps versions for 30 days (or up to 180 days on business plans). Method 3: Recycle Bin (if the file was deleted) 1. Look on your Desktop for the Recycle Bin icon — double-click to open 2. Find the file, right-click > Restore 3. The file returns to its original location Note: Files deleted from OneDrive or SharePoint also have a recycle bin — check onedrive.com or the SharePoint site. Method 4: SharePoint/OneDrive Recycle Bin 1. Go to onedrive.com > click Recycle Bin in the left panel 2. Find the deleted file, select it > Restore 3. Deleted items stay in the OneDrive Recycle Bin for 93 days before permanent deletion If you can't find the file through any of these methods, contact us. We may be able to recover it from backup depending on your backup setup.