Unable to restore a deleted file or folder

Problem

You are looking for a file or folder within Google Drive to restore it and you are not able to find it.

Environment

  • Google Drive
  • Admin console

Solution

  1. Find a shareable link you may have in an old email.
  2. Navigate through your browsing history and locate the link.
  3. If you have Google Workspace Business Standard or higher editions, you may locate them with the Drive Audit Log.
    1. Log in to the Admin console.
    2. Navigate to Reporting > Audit and investigation > Drive Log events.
    3. You may add a filter to search by Owner, title, actor, event
    4. With the result you may see what happened to that file and folder and take action.

Cause

  • The owner deleted the folder and the rest of the files became orphaned.
  • The owner is not part of the Google Workspace.
  • The owner was deleted.