Restore Missing Files

Question

We have a group of users who say they've deleted a bunch of files from their Archive Document Library. We see nothing in the recycle bin confirming that. Nothing in the Audit & Compliance report shows deletion. I've tried Powershell, OneDrive & Desktop Recycle bins but no leads.

If they deleted it over 93 days ago, is it possible Microsoft can find and restore a site collection from a specific date? Or are they SOL?

Answer 1

ITEM/FILE DELETION

Items are retained for 93 days from the time you delete them from their original location. They stay in the site Recycle Bin(first-stage Recycle Bin) the entire time, unless someone deletes them from there or empties that Recycle Bin. In that case, the items go to the site collection Recycle Bin(second-stage Recycle Bin), where they stay for the remainder of the 93 days unless:

• The site collection Recycle Bin exceeds its quota and starts purging the oldest items
• The items are manually deleted by the site collection administrator from the site collection Recycle Bin

For info about doing this, see Delete items from the site collection Recycle Bin

SITE COLLECTION DELETION

If an entire site collection is deleted it will remain in the SharePoint Online Administration Center Recycle Bin for 93 days, after which time it will be permanently deleted.

The SharePoint Online site's administrator can access this recycle bin in order to view the deleted site collections therein, as well as the days left on each of their retention periods.

Answer 2

Microsoft keep backups for 14 days beyond the 93 days that the item is in the recycle bin. You can request a restore from a backup by contacting Microsoft support but they can only restore entire sites rather than individual items. More information can be found here:

Restore deleted items from the site collection recycle bin