How do I recover corrupted .zip files that OneDrive produced?

Oguienko, Anastasiya D. (Nastya) 0 Reputation points
2026-05-14T20:05:44.0233333+00:00

I downloaded some files from a shared folder as .zip archives as there were many of them (too long to download one by one). All the .zip files downloaded successfully, but when I tried to unarchive them a day later, they were all corrupted. The original files are no longer there, and I need the contents of the archives. Opening up on multiple OSs, using different unpacking utilities and zip repairers didn't help. Does anyone have any solutions?

PS: when I left a review describing this story on Microsoft feedback website, I was blocked. Just FYI, this is how Microsoft handles some of the complaints, apparently.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Other

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  1. Ryan-N 14,060 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-14T20:35:05.33+00:00

    Hi @Oguienko, Anastasiya D. (Nastya),

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

    Based on your description, I understand that you downloaded ZIP files from OneDrive. However, when extracting them, the files became corrupted, and you are unable to locate the original files on OneDrive.

    To resolve this issue, please follow the steps below:

    Restore OneDrive to a point before the files were lost:

    • Step 1: Go to https://onedrive.live.com
    • Step 2: Click on Settings > Restore your OneDrive
    • User's image
    • Step 3: Select a date when the files were still available

    After completing these steps, please check whether the files have been restored successfully.

     

    Next, I recommend the following methods to safely download your files:

    1. Use the sync feature instead of direct download

    The files will be synced to your computer in the folder named: OneDrive – [CompanyName]

    You can refer to the following documentation for more details.

     Sync your computer's files and folders with OneDrive - Microsoft Support

    1. Avoid downloading a large number of files at once

    To minimize the risk of file corruption when downloading large batches, you should split the files into smaller groups and download them in parts to improve stability.

    I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.

    Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

    I look forward to continuing the conversation.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-14T20:05:56.7966667+00:00

    There is no supported way in OneDrive or SharePoint to repair already‑corrupted .zip archives that were downloaded and whose original source files have since been removed.

    Only the following supported recovery options exist for missing, deleted, or corrupted content:

    1. Restore from Recycle Bin (SharePoint/OneDrive)
      • If the original files or the original folder/library were deleted, check the SharePoint/OneDrive Recycle Bin (first- and second-stage) and restore the original items if they are still within the retention period.
      • SharePoint Online keeps deleted items for 93 days in the Recycle Bin.
    2. Restore the entire OneDrive or library to a previous point in time
      • If many files in a OneDrive or SharePoint library were deleted, overwritten, or corrupted, use Files Restore:
        • For personal work/school OneDrive: use Restore your OneDrive.
        • For a SharePoint document library (including shared libraries): use Restore a shared library.
      • This rolls the whole OneDrive or library back to a previous state where the files were still healthy.
    3. Restore individual previous versions (if versioning is enabled)
      • If only some files are affected and versioning was enabled:
        1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 portal.
        2. Browse to the library containing the file.
        3. Select the file, choose Version History.
        4. Choose an earlier version and select Restore.
    4. Use OneDrive sync/local copies
      • If the library or folder was synced to a computer, check whether a working local copy of the files exists on that device.
    5. Last-resort restore by Microsoft Support (SharePoint Online only)
      • SharePoint Online keeps backups for 14 additional days beyond deletion. If content cannot be restored via the Recycle Bin or Files Restore, a tenant administrator can open a support request to restore an entire site collection to a point within that 14‑day window. This cannot restore only specific files or folders.

    If none of the above options are available (for example, the original items are gone from Recycle Bin, Files Restore cannot reach a healthy point, there is no synced/local copy, and the 14‑day backup window has passed), there is no Microsoft-supported method to recover the contents of corrupted .zip files.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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