OneDrive is not a backup: what syncing protects and what it doesn't

Sync and backup look the same, but they do the opposite on one crucial point: sync copies your mistakes too. If a file is deleted, saved over or encrypted on the computer, the cloud receives that change within seconds.

Signs this guide is for you

• You deleted a folder on the computer and it disappeared from the cloud too.
• A file corrupted on the PC is also corrupted on OneDrive.
• The cloud recycle bin already emptied what you needed.
• You are not sure whether your files are really in the cloud or only on the PC.

Why it happens

• Sync keeps the computer and the cloud identical, deletions included.
• Cloud recycle bins and version histories have time limits (usually weeks) and caps that vary by plan.
• "Files on demand" leaves files only in the cloud; if the account has a problem, they are not on the PC.
• Ransomware on the computer can encrypt the synced folder, and the cloud replicates the damaged files.

How to do it, step by step

1. Check that important folders are really syncing: the cloud or check-mark icon appears on each file.
2. If you just deleted something, look in the recycle bin on the cloud's website (onedrive.live.com, drive.google.com or dropbox.com) before the deadline runs out.
3. For damaged files, use the service's version history by right-clicking the file on the website.
4. For a real backup, add a copy that is not a mirror: an external drive with versions, or a backup in a separate folder in the cloud.
5. In Neural Backup, you can use the OneDrive or Google Drive folder itself as a destination: the app writes its own versions, which syncing your working files does not overwrite, and can encrypt them.

So it doesn't happen again

• Keep at least one copy outside sync.
• Check the recycle bin period of your cloud plan from time to time.
• Turn on two-step verification on your cloud account.

Menu names may vary with your version of Windows. If a file is already missing, do not write anything to the drive where it was before trying to recover it.

No backup is an absolute guarantee: a destination can fail at the same time as the computer, and files that never made it into a backup cannot be restored. That is why the app verifies copies, tests restores and always recommends two destinations.