Creative files are deleted | need to recover

[imprint_design]

Shared many documents from a colleague via the invite to share in Adobe Express. The access to the files is now lost. Going through email with the link to the files in Adobe Express and then get an error message that the files have just disappeared. Is there a way to retrieve the files? ugh.

[Amitej S]

Hey @imprint_design, Welcome to our Adobe Express community! Please confirm if the Adobe ID from which these projects were shared with you is active or discontinued. Also, let us know if these accounts (yours and your colleagues) are enterprise accounts? 

[imprint_design]

Hi Amitej S

Yes, when the files were shared both accounts were active and Enterprise level accounts. In the past month, the original email address that shared the files has been closed; however, my account is still active and originally I was able to edit / collaborate on the file.

[Amitej S]

Thanks for confirming @imprint_design! In that case, please reach out to the organization's IT administrator and ask them to see if they can still access the closed enterprise account. If it's accessible, share the required files with you, along with edit access, and then, from your account, create a duplicate of each shared file. 

[imprint_design]

Hi Amitej S

Everything is gone from the closed Enterprise Adobe account—the brand assets, the individual files that were created, and the ones that were shared. It's as if I was logging in for the first time with a brand new account. Do you have any other suggestions for recovering the files?

[Amitej S]

@imprint_design, For this particular scenario, I'd suggest you reach out and work with our dedicated support team. They can be reached here: https://adobe.ly/43gXTii

[imprint_design]

Amitej S

Thank you for the recommendation to contact the support team. I have been able to download the cloud files from the previous user. These Express files are identified as .express files, and I'm now unable to import these into Adobe Express to use the previous work. I did see another post in the Community (from February) that said there is no way to import .express files into Adobe Express (? so many fundamental flaws), can you let me know if that is still the case now (May 2025)? If the cloud files are inaccessible, then what is the archive value of having them if they cannot be seen or used? Thanks.

[Amitej S]

Hey @imprint_design, can you please confirm if the files you've mentioned are video files and if they were made using the previous Adobe Express version? Were any other project types (PDG, JPG, PNG) recovered?  

[imprint_design]

Hi Amitej S

Some of the files are animated files. There were also individual image PNGs recovered but nothing with text, which I think are inside the .express files. And all of the files had been shared and being worked on in the version of Adobe Express since April 2025 (I'm not sure which version that is referring to in your question). Thanks.

[imprint_design]

Hi Amitej S

Do you have any feedback regarding importing the .express files back into Adobe Express from my previous reply above? Really need to figure out a solution on this one. Thank you.

[imprint_design]

Hi Amitej S

Waiting on any feedback regarding importing the .express files back into Adobe Express from my previous reply above. Thank you.

[Amitej S]

Hey @imprint_design, Apologies for the delayed response. You'd need to drag and drop the .express files to the Files tab in the Creative Cloud Desktop app. Once uploaded there, the files will be displayed in Express.