notacomputergeek

Not long ago, a client contacted me because a recently terminated employee allegedly deleted several important files from a SharePoint site before they left. When files are deleted from a SharePoint site or OneDrive for Business, they are moved to the Recycle Bin (also referred to as the First-stage Recycle Bin). Anyone with access to the site can restore the files from the Recycle Bin within 93 days of deletion.

But what if someone also deletes the files from the Recycle Bin? The files then go to a Second-stage Recycle Bin (also known as the site collection Recycle Bin) for the remainder of the 93 days. End users do not have access to this Recycle Bin, so a SharePoint site collection admin would need to restore the files.

To access this Second-stage Recycle Bin, browse to the SharePoint site and click Recycle Bin. At the bottom of the page, you will see “Can’t find what you’re looking for? Check the Second-stage Recycle Bin” The text is also a link that takes you straight to it. Highlight the files you want restored and click Restore.

According to Microsoft, once the files are automatically removed after 93 days, you still have 14 days to contact Microsoft and they can restore the files for you.

Lastly, you can add an additional amount of security by selecting an online backup vendor who can also backup Microsoft 365 data.

For my client, the crisis was averted since we were able to restore all the files from the Second-stage Recycle Bin that were previously deleted.