Overview
Files and objects deleted from the vault may still reside in the vault's database if not marked for destruction at the deletion. When deleting an object, users with elevated permissions will have a second option checkbox to mark the item to be destroyed. Enabling this checkbox will permanently remove the object from the vault. For normal users, this option does not exist, and it is possible to recover the deleted object. Destroyed objects can be recovered only from backups assuming they have been backed up.
Solution
1. As a vault or system administrator, perform an advanced search by clicking on the icon next to the search button.
2. Click on Additional Conditions button.
3. In the pop-up dialog at the very bottom, you should see a checkbox labeled "Deleted" enabled.
(Note: If you do not see this option, you are not logged in with administrator privileges)
4. Select the value to "Yes" and click OK.
5. Click on the Search button with no text in the search box. This will display all items "deleted" but not destroyed.
If your document shows up in that list, then the good news is you can restore it. Simply right click on the file and select "undelete".
If your document does not show up in the list, then it has been permanently destroyed (removed) from the database.
User guide references:
- https://m-files.com/user-guide/2018/eng/New_user.html shows the details of different permissions.
- https://m-files.com/user-guide/2018/eng/deleting_and_undeleting_objects.html how to undelete objects.
