Recovering Deleted Emails, Files, and Accounts (Microsoft 365)

How to get back things that have been accidentally deleted

Do Not Panic

Almost everything in Microsoft 365 can be recovered if you act quickly enough. Microsoft builds in safety nets at every level, from emails to files to entire user accounts. This guide covers the main recovery scenarios you are likely to encounter.

Recovering Deleted Emails

Step 1: Check the Deleted Items folder

• Open Outlook and look in the Deleted Items folder in the left sidebar.
• If the email is there, right-click it and select Move > Inbox (or whichever folder it came from).

Step 2: Recover permanently deleted emails

• If the email has been deleted from the Deleted Items folder as well, it is not gone yet.
• In Outlook on the web (outlook.office.com), go to the Deleted Items folder.
• At the top, click Recover items deleted from this folder.
• Find the email, select it, and click Recover.
• Items can be recovered this way for up to 14 days after they were permanently deleted (30 days in some configurations).

Recovering Deleted Files from OneDrive

Step 1: Check the OneDrive recycle bin

• Go to the user’s OneDrive (onedrive.com or through the admin centre).
• Click Recycle bin in the left sidebar.
• Select the file(s) and click Restore.
• Items stay in the OneDrive recycle bin for 93 days.

Step 2: Second-stage recycle bin

• If the file has been deleted from the recycle bin, there is a second-stage recycle bin.
• At the bottom of the recycle bin page, click Second-stage recycle bin.
• Files can be recovered from here for up to 93 days total from the original deletion.

Recovering Deleted Files from SharePoint

SharePoint works the same way as OneDrive. Each SharePoint site has its own recycle bin, and there is a second-stage recycle bin managed by the site admin. Files remain recoverable for up to 93 days.

Recovering a Deleted User Account

Step 1: Find the deleted user

• Go to admin.microsoft.com.
• Click Users > Deleted users.
• Find the person you need to restore.

Step 2: Restore the account

• Select the user and click Restore user.
• Choose whether to auto-generate a new password or set one manually.
• Click Restore.
• The account, including their mailbox and OneDrive files, will be restored.
• You will need to reassign a licence for them to access everything again.

✨ Important: Deleted user accounts can only be restored within 30 days. After that, the account and all associated data (email, OneDrive files) are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.