Undelete Files Within SharePoint Online

Overview

When you delete items from a SharePoint site (including OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams), they're sent to the site's Recycle Bin (also called the first-stage Recycle Bin), where you can restore them if you need to.

In this article:

• First-stage Recycle Bin
• Second-stage Recycle Bin

How do I use this technology?

Deleted items initially go to the First-stage Recycle Bin where they remain until either the retention duration has been exceeded, someone deletes them from the recycle bin, or manually empties the recycle bin. At that point the items goes to the Second-stage Recycle bin where they will stay until the retention duration 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

The site Recycle Bin storage counts against your site collection storage quota. The amount of space allocated to the site collection Recycle Bin is 200% of the site collection quota. These values are not configurable.

You can undelete a file using the directions below.

First-stage Recycle Bin

1. Open a web browser and goto Office 365.
    
2. Once there, enter your UA Email address (e.g. UaUsername@alaska.edu), and then click Next.
   
   
    
3. At the Enter password prompt enter your UA password, then click Sign in.
   
   
    
4. At the Stay signed in? prompt click Yes.
   
   
    
5. At the Office 365 Landing page click the SharePoint icon.
   
   
    
6. Locate the desired site, and click on it. Sites you have been granted access to will show up either under Recent, or Frequent sites.
   
   
    
7. Once the SharePoint Site opens, click on Recycle Bin.
   
   
    
8. Review the contents of the Recycle Bin.
   
   
    
9. Locate the desired file(s) to restore, click to the left of the file to select the desired file(s). You may select multiple files to restore at the same time if desired.
   
   
   
   Note: if you want to restore all the files currently displayed in the Recycle bin click the select all button at the top of the file list.
   
   
    
10. Click the Restore button.
    
    
     
11. Once the file(s) have been restored a notification message will be displayed. Note that the Recycle bin may, or may not be empty depending upon the number of items in there to begin with, and the number selected to be restored.
    
    

Second-stage recycle bin

The ability to restore files from the Second-stage recycle bin is restricted to owner's of the site, or system administrators. To access the Second-stage recycle bin follow steps 1 - 8 above, then do the following:

1. After accessing the First-stage Recycle bin look at the bottom of the page click the Second-stage recycle bin link.
   
   
    
2. Review the contents of the Second-stage recycle bin.
   
   
    
3. Locate the desired file(s) to restore, click to the left of the file to select the desired file(s). You may select multiple files to restore at the same time if desired.
   
   
    
4. Click the Restore button.
   
   
    
5. Once the file(s) have been restored a notification message will be displayed. Note that the Recycle bin may, or may not be empty depending upon the number of items in there to begin with, and the number selected to be restored.
   
   

Is there any additional information I should know about?

For support, requests may be submitted anytime using the appropriate Office 365 @ UA form. Requests generate a Ticket which will be worked in order received and urgency by IT Employees with the knowledge and permissions to assist with the request.

For immediate assistance please review the Contact IT page for the appropriate support group.