Unable to restore a deleted file or folder
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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
- Find a shareable link you may have in an old email.
- Navigate through your browsing history and locate the link.
- If you have Google Workspace Business Standard or higher editions, you may locate them with the Drive Audit Log.
- Log in to the Admin console.
- Navigate to Reporting > Audit and investigation > Drive Log events.
- You may add a filter to search by Owner, title, actor, event
- 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.
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Last updated 2024-02-02 UTC.
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