Lost Spreadsheets

[IMANUT46]

Suddenly, 3 of 4 spreadsheets disappeared. They contain very critical data. I checked all of my trash folders and they are not there. What could have happened and where else could they be. These sheets have many years of data. How else could I recover them. This is the worst problem I've ever had. Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

Were these separate files, or were they tabs within one spreadsheet?

When you say you checked all of your trash folders, do you mean Google Drive's main Trash section?

Did you already try using the search function?

 

[IMANUT46]

They were all individually named covering all different data sets. I checked all the files in my Google drive trash. I'm sorry but I only remember the search command from the DOS days (*. *). How do I find files with Android. As I said before, recovery of these files is critical.. I feel much better now that I know you're helping.

 

[B. Diddy]

Open your Google Drive app, then enter your search term in the search bar at the top.

 

[IMANUT46]

Thanks. I can't remember the full names of the files that are gone. I was hoping my DOS experience would help me by using the *. *,, would work with *. Xls,but it didn't. How do I search in Android.

 

[B. Diddy]

The search you want to use is the one within Google Drive, as I mentioned. You don't necessarily need the file name -- the Drive search function will also search for instances of that search string within​ a file.

 

[IMANUT46]

Are the sheets missing on my pixel in the cloud and if so can I read them.

 

[IMANUT46]

I've tried every string I could have possibly used and I can't find any of the 3 that are missing. Are these files in the cloud, and if so, how do I find them. Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

If you created the spreadsheets while connected to the web at the time, then they should've been saved automatically to your Google Drive. The only way I can think of losing a spreadsheet would be if you created it while offline and never connected to the web before deleting the sheet (either on purpose or by accident).

Just to be clear -- when you checked the Trash, you did it by opening the Drive app, then tapping the menu button at the upper left and tapping Trash there? What if you tap the Recent option as well?

 

[IMANUT46]

The Recent only showed the only sheet I worked on a week ago.
I'm wondering what would happen if I uninstalled Sheets and reinstalled it. Would I lose the only sheet I have left?

 

[B. Diddy]

Go to Settings>Accounts, select your Google account, and then look at Sheets. Is the sync toggle turned on?

 

[IMANUT46]

Yes it's turned on. BTW, I have never Had to restore a file from Google Backup /Restore. I fumbled around but I not sure of the process and don't want to make matters worse. Would a restore help me with this problem. Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

For now, let's remain focused on the normal way Google Sheets and other Drive apps save their files. These were actual Google Sheets files, and not Excel files that you were using in Compatibility Mode, right?

You didn't mention what you see when you open Drive, then tap Menu>Trash. Is that how you've been looking in the trash folders?

Also, have you looked on your Google Sheets website on your computer browser?

Another thing -- are you absolutely sure you're logged into the correct Google account? This is obviously important if you have access to more than one.

 

[IMANUT46]

The only thing I have not done is to check the web for those files because I don't know how to do it. I've looked at sheets.Google.com but I don't see the spreadsheet that I don't have. I need guidance. Thanks.

 

[B. Diddy]

Go to drive.google.com on your computer browser (making sure you're signed into the proper Google account, of course). Then look through My Drive to see if it's there in any of your folders. If not, then click on Recent, as well as Trash, and see if it's there.

These are spreadsheets that you created yourself, and not ones that were shared with you, correct?

 

[IMANUT46]

The 3 missing spreadsheets were created 7 or 8 years ago. I've been updating them every month since they were created. What I don't understand is why 1 is still there and the other 3 are gone. It's like they just vanished.
I'd like to try the old DOS global find command of *.XLS and hope that finds them.
Other than Uninstall and REINSTALL, I don't know what else to do. As an aside, all these years, I've been under the impression that GOOGLE BACKUP would be a solution, but I don't find a way to RESTORE. I don't have a PC. Any other suggestions.

 

[B. Diddy]

I don't think uninstalling and reinstalling will do anything, since everything is saved to the cloud.

Since you don't have a PC, open Chrome on your phone and go to drive.google.com, then tap the Chrome menu button and check the Request Desktop Site option. Now look through the Drive folders and the Trash, and see if the spreadsheets are there.

 

[IMANUT46]

I did that after your last recommendation and they are not there. I guess I'll never know what happened. All that data is now permanently gone . My worry is that since I don't know what happened, I can't do anything to preventing it from happening again. It just demonstrates to me that backups are useless.
Thanks again for trying your best to help me. I appreciate it.

 

[B. Diddy]

Try going to this site and selecting the Contact Us option at the bottom: https://support.google.com/drive/?hl=en#topic=14940. Maybe someone at Google might be able to help?

 

[IMANUT46]

I've tried your suggestion. I also dug out my old Samsung to look for the missing files. When it first boot, the files were listed but when I tried to load them, all I got were error messages and now they no longer show. I guess that means the files are gone forever. I'm going to design a backup system just for spreadsheets.