Delete and restore files in Google Drive

To delete your Google Drive files, move them to the trash. Files in trash will be automatically deleted subsequently xxx days. You can restore files from your trash before the xxx-24-hour interval fourth dimension window. You can also permanently delete them to empty your trash. If yous delete, restore, or permanently delete multiple files or folders at once, it might accept time for you to notice the changes.

Motility a file to the trash

To remove a file from your Drive, put information technology in your trash. The file will stay in your trash for 30 days before beingness automatically deleted. When you put a file in the trash:

  • If you ain the file, people you've shared information technology with tin can brand a re-create. Acquire how to permanently delete a file.
  • If you don't own the file, removing the file from your Drive only removes information technology for y'all.

Drive for desktop

When you sync files  between Google Drive and your calculator, any files you put in your trash in 1 place will be put in the trash everywhere.

Empty your trash

Y'all can permanently delete an individual file or empty your entire trash.

  • After you delete a file permanently, anyone you've shared the file will lose access to information technology.
  • If you desire others to be able to view the file, you can transfer ownership to someone else.

Recover a file from the trash

If there's a file in your trash yous want to go on, put it back in "My Drive." If you're not the owner of the file and want to use it:

  • Brand a re-create of the file.
  • Contact the owner to take them restore information technology.

On the web

  1. On your computer, go to bulldoze.google.com.
  2. On the left, click Trash.
  3. Click the file you desire to restore.
  4. At the top, click Restore Restore from trash.
    • Tip:Y'all can sort your trashed files past trashed date to find the oldest or newest files trashed.
  5. You tin can find restored files in their original location. If the original location no longer exists, wait in "My Drive."

Drive for desktop

If you can withal find a file you trashed in your Drive trash, try restoring it from Drive to ensure whatever metadata, like previous revisions, is preserved. If the file is no longer available in your Drive trash, but is available in your figurer'due south Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (MacOS), yous can restore it with following instructions.

If you're not the owner of the file, contact the owner to have them restore information technology.

Tip: If you take important information in a file, y'all can brand a copy of information technology. Open up the file and click File and thenBrand a copy.

If yous tin't recover your deleted file

If y'all delete a file and need to become information technology back, contact a Drive specialist. To find your file, call or chat with united states.

Restore files you deleted

If y'all deleted something recently using Google Drive or the Google Drive desktop app, yous might be able to restore the file yourself.

Restore from your Trash

  1. On a computer, go to drive.google.com/drive/trash.
    • Tip: Yous can sort your trashed files by trashed appointment to discover the oldest or newest files trashed.
  2. Right-click the file you want to recover.
  3. Click Restore.
  4. You can observe restored files in their original location. If the original location no longer exists, look in "My Drive."

Find a file you don't call back you lot deleted

Try these steps

Bank check the activity panel

  1. On a computer, get to bulldoze.google.com.
  2. At the left, click My Bulldoze.
  3. At the top right, click Info Info.
  4. Scroll down and await for your file.

Use an avant-garde search

  1. On a calculator, become to drive.google.com.
  2. At the top, in the search bar click the Downwardly arrow Down arrow.
  3. Utilise the avant-garde search options to observe your file. For case, to meet spreadsheets, next to 'Type,' click the down arrow, then click 'Spreadsheets.'

Learn why files go missing

If you created the file

If you can't find a file that yous created in Drive, it might have lost the folder it was in. The file still exists, merely is harder to find.

How files lose their binder

  • Yous create a file in someone else's binder and they delete that folder. The file isn't deleted. It's automatically moved to your My Drive.
    Important: Merely you can delete the files you lot own.
  • You share a folder with someone and they remove your file from the folder. The file isn't deleted, information technology'south automatically moved to your My Drive.

Find unorganized files

  1. On a computer, go to bulldoze.google.com.
  2. In the search bar, enter: is:unorganized owner:me
  3. When you observe the file, move it to a folder in My Bulldoze and so it's easier to find next fourth dimension.

Search now

If someone else created the file

When someone creates a file, they can delete, rename, and restore it. Contact the person who created the file and ask them to restore it or share information technology with you again.

If information technology was in a folder someone else created

If someone deleted that folder, you won't see that folder in your Drive anymore.

Detect files y'all created in deleted folders

Find all files that are in deleted folders

To make that file easier to discover in the future, move information technology into a folder in "My Bulldoze."

More on how to notice files

Effort advanced search

To refine your search in Drive, utilize a search phrase on your calculator with one of these options:

Search for Example
Verbal phrase

"Use quotes around an exact phrase"

Exclude a discussion

Water but non lakes:

water -lakes

File owner

Files Dad owns:

possessor:dad@gmail.com

Files shared by others

Files Mom shared with yous:

from:mom@gmail.com

You shared files

Files y'all shared with Mom:

to:mom@gmail.com

Starred items

is:starred

Deleted items

is:trashed

File type

Spreadsheet file type:

type:spreadsheet

Time frame

Before or after January 18, 2015.

before:2015-01-18

after:2015-01-18

Championship

title:"The title goes here"

App

Files opened in Google Drive:

app:"Bulldoze"

Recovered file types

For personal accounts: We can assistance you recover recently deleted files for a limited time after they're deleted if you utilize Google Drive with a consumer account (and not an account through your piece of work, school, or other group) and ane of these is truthful:

  • You created the file.
  • You uploaded the file to Google Drive.
  • Yous accustomed ownership of the file from someone.

If your Google Account was deleted, y'all might not be able to recover your files.

If you need to recover emails from Gmail

Learn how to recover emails from Gmail.

Contact us

To contact us, sign in to your Google Business relationship.

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