MS locks out OneDrive user and their 30 years of data

According to a Reddit post, a user moved all important data, including photos and documents, to Microsoft's cloud solution before a planned relocation. He was concerned that his old hard drives wouldn't survive the move and would take up valuable space. Afterwards, he planned to transfer the data back to new hard drives. However, that never happened.

Instead, Microsoft abruptly locked the user's OneDrive account and cut off access to his data. A one-sided exchange of letters followed with the compliance center, which the user claims took a total of 18 attempts. But instead of helpful answers or even a reason for the suspension of his OneDrive account, the user only received pre-written responses. As of today, June 23, 2025, there has been no further response from the tech behemoth.

The Reddit user vows to keep fighting, as he is determined to recover his data from the past 30 years.

Other users recommend physical backups

One user suggested calling the Windows hotline and intentionally asking to be put through to the wrong department. Once connected, the user could then request to be transferred to an employee who can actually assist. Since this process can be complicated, another user advised requesting a callback.

However, the majority of comments emphasize that users should never rely solely on cloud services, no matter if it's Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Apple iCloud Drive or others. Instead, users should always create their own physical backups. These can be stored on SSDs, spinning HDDs, USB drives, or NAS servers, for instance. The key is that sensitive data should be backed up multiple times.

An affordable backup solution could be a Seagate Expansion external hard drive with 8TB, which retails for $149 on Amazon. For those who prefer an external solid-state drive, the Samsung T7 portable 1TB SSD is currently available for $99.

Translator: Enrico Frahn - Managing Editor Accessory Reviews, Tech Writer - 4724 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021

My fascination for technology goes back a long way to the Pentium II era. Modding, overclocking and treasuring computer hardware has since become an integral part of my life. As a student, I further developed a keen interest in mobile technologies that can make the stressful college life so much easier. After I fell in love with the creation of digital content while working in a marketing position, I now scour the web to bring you the most exciting topics in the world of tech. Outside the office, I’m particularly passionate about motorsports and mountain biking.