Microsoft Teams: Recover Deleted Files or Folders

I deleted a file or folder in Microsoft Teams. How can I recover deleted items to their original location?

The Microsoft Cloud offers a Recycle bin that maintains deleted items for up to 30 days. Every Team has a corresponding SharePoint site which hosts all of the files from the Teams Channel file repositories.  If you need to recover items, please take the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Team in which the channel file repository resides. In this example, we are using the Demo Human Resources (HR) Team used in the Microsoft Teams training workshops.
    
2. Select the channel that contained the deleted item. Upon accessing the channel, click the Files tab at the top. Maximize the Teams window to ensure you can see all of the menu choices. 
   
    
3. The example we are using is from the Demo Human Resources (HR)- General Channel. The same applies for all Teams-Channels in the YSU Microsoft Teams environment. Once you are able to see the channel file repository, click the Open in SharePoint button on the top toolbar.
   
   Note: If you do not see Open in SharePoint, click the 3 dots (...) item at the top to show the buttons that are not in view. This can occur if there isn't enough screen real estate to show the entire menu. 
   
    
4. Your default web browser will now launch into the SharePoint site for the Team. The system will take you to the SharePoint view of the channel you launched from. In this example, the Demo Team Human Resources (HR)- General Channel. Note: If you are prompted to login to SharePoint, use your @ysu.edu email address and password. 
   
   You should now see the files/folders corresponding to the channel file storage repository. To access the Recycle bin, click Recycle bin on the left side menu.
   
   
    
5. You should now see the list of recently deleted items in the Recycle bin. Browse the Recycle bin for any item(s) you wish to restore, click the circle next to the item(s), and then click Restore at the top. 
   
   
    
6. The item(s) in which you selected have now been restored. Navigate back to the channel in Teams to confirm.
   
   

Companion Video:

If you have any questions, please reach out to IT Training Services.