How to roll back any file in OneDrive – OneDrive version history tutorial

OneDrive will let you undo any changes to your files for the last 30 days. And the great thing is, this works for both free and paid plans.

That means, if you accidentally change something in a file and you can’t undo it, you have the option to go back to a previous version of the file and get it back. This should also work if a file has broken and you can’t open it all of a sudden.

Keep scrolling to see our simple-to-follow step-by-step guide to undo changes to files in OneDrive using the version history function. Or if you prefer to watch, this video shows you everything you need to know!

How to Use OneDrive’s Version History: A Step-By-Step Guide

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have your file stored on OneDrive.

Restore Previous File Versions from File Explorer

1. Locate your file: Find the file that you wish to roll back to a previous version in your File Explorer. Right-click on the selected file.
2. Access Version History: From the context menu that appears, hover over ONEDRIVE, then select VERSION HISTORY. (In Windows 10, just select VERSION HISTORY right away. This will display a list of previous versions of the file. OneDrive typically creates a new version every time the file is saved.
3. Choose your version: Scroll through the available versions and identify the version you want to restore.
4. Restore or Download: Next to the selected version, click on the three dots (…). A small menu will appear with the options to DOWNLOAD or RESTORE.
   • Select DOWNLOAD if you want to download a copy of that version.
   • Choose RESTORE to make that specific version the newest one. This action does not delete any version. So, even if you mistakenly roll back to the wrong version, you can always restore another one.

Restore Previous File Versions in the Browser Version of OneDrive

1. Access OneDrive: Navigate to the OneDrive website and sign in with your Microsoft account.
2. Locate your file: Locate the file that you wish to roll back and right-click on it.
3. Access Version History: From the context menu, select VERSION HISTORY. A tab will open displaying the available versions of the file.
4. Choose your version: Find the version of the file you want to restore.
5. Restore or Open: Click on the three dots (…) next to your selected version. This will present you with two options: OPEN and RESTORE.
   • Select OPEN to view the file.
   • Choose RESTORE to make the selected version the newest version of the file.

That’s all there is to it! Using OneDrive’s version history, you can easily restore previous versions of your files, ensuring you never lose your work due to an accidental change or unexpected file damage. Be sure to check out the Microsoft 365 playlist for more useful tips and timesavers.

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Video transcript

On a computer, you have two options to get back to a previous version of your file.

Here in File Explorer, I will just right click the file that I need to roll back, and then select VERSION HISTORY.

OneDrive normally makes a new version of a file every time you save it.

Looking through the list, here’s the version I want.

Clicking on the three dots here, I have the option to either DOWNLOAD the file or RESTORE that version see.

If I select RESTORE, OneDrive makes a copy of that particular version and turns it into the newest version of the file again. None of the versions will actually get deleted. So that means, it’s no stress if you roll back to the wrong version. You can always roll back to another one.

Here in the browser version of OneDrive, it’s pretty much the same.

I will right click the file I want to roll back and go to VERSION HISTORY. This tab shows me the available versions of
the file. And if I click on the three dots there will be two options, with one of them being slightly different to what we saw in File Explorer.

Here I have the option to either OPEN the file — or RESTORE it. And that’s all there is to it.

Check out our Microsoft 365 playlist for more useful tips and timesavers.