Is there any way I can use rclone to restore deleted files? I accidentally deleted a folder in RCX and now want to restore it. I can see the files from the deleted folder after running rclone ls mydrive: --drive-trashed-only.
Run the command 'rclone version' and share the full output of the command.
rclone v1.72.0
- os/version: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 22H2 22H2 (64 bit)
- os/kernel: 10.0.19045.6575 (x86_64)
- os/type: windows
- os/arch: amd64
- go/version: go1.25.4
- go/linking: static
- go/tags: cmount
This is the latest version available currently at Rclone downloads.
Which cloud storage system are you using? (eg Google Drive)
Google Drive
The command you were trying to run (eg rclone copy /tmp remote:tmp)
Looking up whether it was possible to restore deleted files using rclone, I stumbled onto a post on this forum that suggested I create a copy of my Google Drive remote (named “mydrive:”) and add trashed_only = true to it (naming it “idrive:”). After doing that, I ran rclone move "idrive:Name of the folder that appeared afer adding the above string to it" "mydrive:Name of the folder that appeared afer adding the above string to it"which I assume was bad because while the command ran for quite a while when I checked the newly created folder, it was still empty and going back and checking the original folder that appeared after adding trashed_only = trueto the newly created remote also seems empty. But running rclone ls mydrive: --drive-trashed-onlystill displays the contents of the accidentally deleted folder.
Please run 'rclone config redacted' and share the full output. If you get command not found, please make sure to update rclone.
[5d44cd8d-397c-4107-b79b-17f2b6a071e8]
type = alias
remote = /storage/emulated/0
[idrive]
type = drive
scope = drive
token = XXX
trashed_only = true
[mydrive]
type = drive
scope = drive
token = XXX
[mydropbox]
type = dropbox
token = XXX
[mymega]
type = mega
user = XXX
pass = XXX
[myonedrive]
type = onedrive
region = global
token = XXX
drive_id = XXX
drive_type = personal
A log from the command that you were trying to run with the -vv flag
2025/11/30 21:26:31 DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.72.0" starting with parameters ["C:\\Users\\User\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WinGet\\Links\\rclone.exe" "move" "idrive:Name of the folder" "mydrive:Name of the folder" "-vv"]
2025/11/30 21:26:31 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "idrive:Name of the folder"
2025/11/30 21:26:31 DEBUG : Using config file from "C:\\Users\\User\\AppData\\Roaming\\rclone\\rclone.conf"
2025/11/30 21:26:32 DEBUG : Google drive root 'Name of the folder': 'root_folder_id = 0AF2Z4ovewR-YUk9PVA' - save this in the config to speed up startup
2025/11/30 21:26:33 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "mydrive:Name of the folder"
2025/11/30 21:26:33 DEBUG : Google drive root 'Name of the folder': 'root_folder_id = 0AF2Z4ovewR-YUk9PVA' - save this in the config to speed up startup
2025/11/30 21:26:34 DEBUG : Sub folder inside the accidentally deleted folder: Directory modification time the same (differ by 0s, within tolerance 1ms)
2025/11/30 21:26:34 DEBUG : Added delayed dir = "Sub folder inside the accidentally deleted folder", newDst=Sub folder inside the accidentally deleted folder
2025/11/30 21:26:35 DEBUG : Google drive root 'Name of the folder': Waiting for checks to finish
2025/11/30 21:26:35 DEBUG : Google drive root 'Name of the folder': Waiting for transfers to finish
2025/11/30 21:26:35 INFO : There was nothing to transfer
2025/11/30 21:26:35 INFO :
Transferred: 0 B / 0 B, -, 0 B/s, ETA -
Checks: 0 / 0, -, Listed 2
Elapsed time: 1.1s
2025/11/30 21:26:35 DEBUG : 6 go routines active
2025/11/30 23:42:40 DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.72.0" starting with parameters ["C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WinGet\Links\rclone.exe" "copy" "idrive:TGC/BaBV" "c:\path" "-vv" "--dry-run" "--log-file=c:\path\to\dlog.txt"]
2025/11/30 23:42:40 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "idrive:TGC/BaBV"
2025/11/30 23:42:40 DEBUG : Using config file from "C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\rclone\rclone.conf"
2025/11/30 23:42:41 DEBUG : Google drive root 'TGC/BaBV': 'root_folder_id = 0AF2Z4ovewR-YUk9PVA' - save this in the config to speed up startup
2025/11/30 23:42:43 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "c:\path"
2025/11/30 23:42:43 DEBUG : fs cache: renaming cache item "c:\path" to be canonical "//?/c:/path"
2025/11/30 23:42:43 DEBUG : Local file system at //?/c:/path: Waiting for checks to finish
2025/11/30 23:42:43 DEBUG : Local file system at //?/c:/path: Waiting for transfers to finish
2025/11/30 23:42:43 INFO : There was nothing to transfer
2025/11/30 23:42:43 NOTICE:
Transferred: 0 B / 0 B, -, 0 B/s, ETA -
Checks: 0 / 0, -, Listed 1
Elapsed time: 0.5s
According to the previous log file, there are files in the folder, but perhaps they cannot be transferred because they are from the accidentally trashed folder.
2025/12/01 00:15:09 DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.72.0" starting with parameters ["C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WinGet\Links\rclone.exe" "copy" "idrive:Movies/Battle Royale (2000)/Featurettes/Filming on Set.mkv" "c:\path" "-vv" "--log-file=c:\path\to\dlog.txt"]
2025/12/01 00:15:09 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "idrive:Movies/Battle Royale (2000)/Featurettes/Filming on Set.mkv"
2025/12/01 00:15:09 DEBUG : Using config file from "C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\rclone\rclone.conf"
2025/12/01 00:15:09 DEBUG : Google drive root 'Movies/Battle Royale (2000)/Featurettes/Filming on Set.mkv': 'root_folder_id = 0AF2Z4ovewR-YUk9PVA' - save this in the config to speed up startup
2025/12/01 00:15:13 DEBUG : fs cache: renaming child cache item "idrive:Movies/Battle Royale (2000)/Featurettes/Filming on Set.mkv" to be canonical for parent "idrive:Movies/Battle Royale (2000)/Featurettes"
2025/12/01 00:15:13 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "c:\path"
2025/12/01 00:15:13 DEBUG : fs cache: renaming cache item "c:\path" to be canonical "//?/c:/path"
2025/12/01 00:15:14 DEBUG : Filming on Set.mkv: Need to transfer - File not found at Destination
2025/12/01 00:15:33 DEBUG : Filming on Set.mkv.6c7e7b43.partial: size = 76124827 OK
2025/12/01 00:15:33 DEBUG : Filming on Set.mkv: md5 = 49c42f0ea9f628846004ee0e48ea1626 OK
2025/12/01 00:15:33 DEBUG : Filming on Set.mkv.6c7e7b43.partial: renamed to: Filming on Set.mkv
2025/12/01 00:15:33 INFO : Filming on Set.mkv: Copied (new)
2025/12/01 00:15:33 INFO :
Transferred: 72.598 MiB / 72.598 MiB, 100%, 3.761 MiB/s, ETA 0s
Transferred: 1 / 1, 100%
Elapsed time: 19.2s
But only this trashed file was able to download. When I try any of the files from the accidentally deleted folder, those return this:
2025/12/01 00:20:50 DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.72.0" starting with parameters ["C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WinGet\Links\rclone.exe" "copy" "idrive:The Great Courses/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning (Guidebook).pdf" "c:\path" "-vv" "--log-file=c:\path\to\dlog.txt"]
2025/12/01 00:20:50 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "idrive:The Great Courses/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning (Guidebook).pdf"
2025/12/01 00:20:50 DEBUG : Using config file from "C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\rclone\rclone.conf"
2025/12/01 00:20:51 DEBUG : Google drive root 'The Great Courses/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning (Guidebook).pdf': 'root_folder_id = 0AF2Z4ovewR-YUk9PVA' - save this in the config to speed up startup
2025/12/01 00:20:53 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "c:\path"
2025/12/01 00:20:53 DEBUG : fs cache: renaming cache item "c:\path" to be canonical "//?/c:/path"
2025/12/01 00:20:53 ERROR : Google drive root 'The Great Courses/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning (Guidebook).pdf': error reading source root directory: directory not found
2025/12/01 00:20:53 DEBUG : Local file system at //?/c:/path: Waiting for checks to finish
2025/12/01 00:20:53 DEBUG : Local file system at //?/c:/path: Waiting for transfers to finish
2025/12/01 00:20:54 ERROR : Attempt 1/3 failed with 1 errors and: directory not found
2025/12/01 00:20:54 ERROR : Google drive root 'The Great Courses/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning (Guidebook).pdf': error reading source root directory: directory not found
2025/12/01 00:20:54 DEBUG : Local file system at //?/c:/path: Waiting for checks to finish
2025/12/01 00:20:54 DEBUG : Local file system at //?/c:/path: Waiting for transfers to finish
2025/12/01 00:20:54 ERROR : Attempt 2/3 failed with 1 errors and: directory not found
2025/12/01 00:20:54 ERROR : Google drive root 'The Great Courses/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning/Argumentation - The Study of Effective Reasoning (Guidebook).pdf': error reading source root directory: directory not found
2025/12/01 00:20:54 DEBUG : Local file system at //?/c:/path: Waiting for checks to finish
2025/12/01 00:20:54 DEBUG : Local file system at //?/c:/path: Waiting for transfers to finish
2025/12/01 00:20:54 ERROR : Attempt 3/3 failed with 1 errors and: directory not found
2025/12/01 00:20:54 INFO :
Transferred: 0 B / 0 B, -, 0 B/s, ETA -
Errors: 1 (retrying may help)
Checks: 0 / 0, -, Listed 6
Elapsed time: 1.4s
2025/12/01 00:20:54 DEBUG : 5 go routines active
2025/12/01 00:20:54 NOTICE: Failed to copy: directory not found