SkyDrive Adds Recycle Bin

Microsoft has added a new Recycle Bin feature to its cloud-based file hosting service, SkyDrive.

Although SkyDrive keeps previous versions of user's Office documents automatically, until now, there has been no way to recover deleted files in SkyDrive, and Microsoft reported that users have been asking for the feature. When deleting files on SkyDrive, it would prompt the user to confirm the deletion, but there were still times when files could get deleted accidentally. One particular scenario is when a group of users are sharing the same file, and one user deletes it but other users still want to keep it.

With the new feature, SkyDrive no longer prompts users to confirm the deletion of files. Instead, it sends deleted files to the recycle bin and offers the opportunity to undo the deletion. SkyDrive stores deleted files in the recycle bin for at least three days but no longer than 30 days. If the content of a user's recycle bin exceeds 10 percent of the user's storage limit, SkyDrive will begin permanently deleting files from the recycle bin, starting with the oldest first, but only after they have been in the recycle bin for at least three days. Files that have been in the recycle bin for 30 days will be permanently deleted regardless of how full the recycle bin is.

Items in the recycle bin don't count against a user's storage limit.

The recycle bin displays the date when the file was deleted and can display the items in thumbnail or details view. User's can restore items from the recycle bin the same way they do on their Windows PC. They can open the recycle bin in SkyDrive, select the items, and restore them. SkyDrive restores the files to the location from which they were deleted.

The recycle bin is available now in SkyDrive.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • close-up illustration of a hand signing a legislative document

    California Passes AI Safety Legislation, Awaits Governor's Signature

    California lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a bill that would impose new restrictions on AI technologies, potentially setting a national precedent for regulating the rapidly evolving field. The legislation, known as S.B. 1047, now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. He has until the end of September to decide whether to sign it into law.

  • illustration of a VPN network with interconnected nodes and lines forming a minimalist network structure

    Report: Increasing Number of Vulnerabilities in OpenVPN

    OpenVPN, a popular open source virtual private network (VPN) system integrated into millions of routers, firmware, PCs, mobile devices and other smart devices, is leaving users open to a growing list of threats, according to a new report from Microsoft.

  • interconnected cubes and circles arranged in a grid-like structure

    Hugging Face Gradio 5 Offers AI-Powered App Creation and Enhanced Security

    Hugging Face has released version 5 of its Gradio open source platform for building machine learning (ML) applications. The update introduces a suite of features focused on expanding access to AI, including a novel AI-powered app creation tool, enhanced web development capabilities, and bolstered security measures.