How to Restore a Deleted User in Office 365

2 February 11, 2025

When a user is deleted in Office 365, their account can be restored within 30 days before permanent deletion. Restoring a deleted user recovers their email, OneDrive files, and other associated data. This guide explains how to restore a user via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and PowerShell.

Requirements

  • Admin access to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center or Exchange Online PowerShell.
  • The user must have been deleted within the last 30 days to be recoverable.

Method 1: Restore a Deleted User via Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Step 1: Log into the Admin Center

  1. Open a browser and go to https://admin.microsoft.com.
  2. Sign in with your administrator credentials.

Step 2: Navigate to Deleted Users

  1. In the left-hand menu, click Users > Deleted users.
  2. Locate the user you want to restore.

Step 3: Restore the User Account

  1. Click on the user’s name to open their profile.
  2. Click Restore user.
  3. If prompted, assign a new password or reset the existing one.

Step 4: Assign Licenses (If Required)

  • If the user was assigned a license before deletion, Office 365 will attempt to restore it.
  • If no licenses are available, you must purchase or reassign one.

📌 Note: It may take a few minutes for the user’s data and access to be fully restored.

Method 2: Restore a Deleted User via PowerShell

For larger organizations, PowerShell is a faster way to restore users in bulk.

Step 1: Connect to Microsoft Entra ID PowerShell

  1. Open PowerShell on your computer.
  2. Run the following command to connect to Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD):powershellCopyEditConnect-MgGraph -Scopes "User.ReadWrite.All"
  3. Authenticate using your admin credentials when prompted.

Step 2: List Recently Deleted Users

To see all deleted users that are still recoverable, run:

Get-MgDirectoryDeletedUser

Step 3: Restore a Specific User

To restore a specific user, run:

Restore-MgDirectoryDeletedUser -UserId "[email protected]"

Step 4: Verify the Restoration

After restoring, confirm the user is active by running:

Get-MgUser -UserId "[email protected]"

What Happens After Restoring a User?

  • The user will regain access to their email, OneDrive files, and assigned licenses.
  • Group memberships and permissions may need to be reconfigured.
  • If the user’s data was transferred to another user before deletion, it will not be automatically restored.

How to Permanently Delete a User (Before 30 Days Expire)

If you want to permanently delete a user before the 30-day retention period expires:

Using Admin Center:

  1. Go to Admin Center > Users > Deleted users.
  2. Select the user and click Permanently delete.

Using PowerShell:

Run the following command:

Remove-MgDirectoryDeletedUser -UserId "[email protected]"

📌 Warning: This action is irreversible!

Best Practices

✅ Monitor Deleted Users – Regularly review deleted users to ensure no accidental removals.
✅ Use Role-Based Access Control – Limit who can delete users to prevent accidental data loss.
✅ Back Up User Data – Consider using third-party backup tools for extra data protection.