OneDrive - Understanding File Versioning and History
OneDrive version history lets users view and restore earlier versions of a file stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. It works with many file types, including Microsoft 365 files, PDFs, photos, and more.
Use version history when a file was overwritten, edited incorrectly, or needs to be rolled back to an earlier version.
If the file was deleted entirely, use the OneDrive Recycle Bin instead of version history. Deleted files and folders can be restored from the Recycle Bin, while version history is for recovering earlier versions of an existing file.
Instructions
Recommended actions before restoring
Open Version history and confirm the date/time of the version you want.
If needed, make a copy of the current file before restoring so you have a backup.
Restore the desired version.
Open the file immediately after the restore and confirm the contents are correct.
If the restored version is still not right, return to Version history and restore a different version. This is important because restore actions can affect the latest working copy of the file.
OneDrive on the web
Sign in to OneDrive with the correct account.
Locate the file you want to restore.
Right-click the file and select Version history.
In the Version History pane, find the version you want.
Select the 3 dots (...) next to that version.
Choose Restore.
File Explorer
Make sure the OneDrive sync app is installed and the file is synced to your device.
In File Explorer, right-click the file.
Select OneDrive > Version history.
Select the 3 dots (...) next to the version you want.
Click Restore.
What happens after a restore
The version you restore becomes the current version of the file.
The version that was current before the restore is not necessarily lost immediately; it becomes the previous version in version history.