OneDrive File Expiry: How Long Do Files in OneDrive Expire?

OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage service, implements file expiry policies to manage storage resources efficiently. Files in OneDrive may have different retention periods based on various factors such as storage plan, file type, and user settings.

Overview of OneDrive File Retention

Files stored in OneDrive are typically retained based on Microsoft's default policies, which ensure that files are kept accessible for a specified duration before any potential deletion. Understanding these retention periods is crucial for users to manage their data effectively.

How Long Does OneDrive Keep Files? The duration for which OneDrive keeps files varies depending on several factors, including whether the user is subscribed to a free or paid storage plan, the type of file, and specific settings configured by the user.

OneDrive File Retention Policy Rules

OneDrive’s file retention policies are designed to help users manage their data effectively, ensuring that files can be recovered within a specific timeframe and that organizational and legal requirements are met. These rules define how long files are retained, what happens when storage quotas are exceeded, and how inactive accounts and deleted users’ data are handled. Below are the key rules with more detailed explanations:

Deleted Files:

• 30-Day Retention in the Recycle Bin: When a file is deleted from OneDrive, it is temporarily moved to the Recycle Bin. For personal accounts, files remain in the Recycle Bin for 30 days before being permanently deleted.

• Automatic Deletion After Three Days (Full Recycle Bin): If the Recycle Bin becomes full, older items are automatically deleted after three days to make space for newly deleted files. This ensures that the most recently deleted files remain available for recovery.

• Restoring or Permanently Deleting Files: Within the 30-day period, users have the option to restore deleted files back to their OneDrive or permanently delete them from the Recycle Bin. This gives users a window to recover accidentally deleted files.

• Files for Microsoft 365 Users: For Microsoft 365 subscribers, OneDrive files can be preserved for a specific period after account deletion. This retention period is configurable by an administrator, ensuring that important data is not lost immediately after account termination.

Files Exceeding Storage Quota:

• Storage Quota Overages: If a user exceeds their OneDrive storage quota for six consecutive months, their files may be deleted. This applies to users who fail to manage their storage by either reducing file size or upgrading to a higher storage plan.

• Permanent Deletion: Once the files are deleted due to exceeding the storage quota, they are permanently unrecoverable. Users are advised to regularly monitor their storage usage and take action before their quota is exceeded to prevent losing important files.

Inactive Files:

• Account Inactivity for Two Years: If a user hasn’t accessed their OneDrive account for two years and received a message saying"Your OneDrive is inactive and will soon be deleted",  their files may be deleted. This applies to users who have abandoned or forgotten about their accounts, ensuring that inactive data doesn’t occupy valuable cloud storage.

• Account Reactivation: If an account is reactivated within two years, the files are still accessible. However, if the user does not log in within this period, the data may be removed permanently to free up storage for active users.

Files of Deleted Users:

• Access for 30 Days After User Deletion: If a user’s account is deleted but their OneDrive files have been shared with other users, those users will have 30 days to access and download the shared files. This ensures that important files are not lost immediately when a user’s account is deactivated.

• Customizable Retention by Administrators: For organizations using OneDrive as part of Microsoft 365, administrators can set a specific retention period for files from deleted users. This allows administrators to retain critical data for longer periods in compliance with organizational policies or legal regulations.

Back up OneDrive Regularly to Avoid Unexpected Loss Due to Expiry Policy

To prevent data loss due to OneDrive's expiry policies (e.g., account inactivity or subscription changes), regularly backing up your files is essential. You can choose to back up OneDrive files to local / external hard drive, or another cloud service. If you don't want to lose the easy access to OneDrive files at any place from any device, backing up them to another cloud service is much better.

For the cloud to cloud data backup, you can utilize MultCloud. It is desigend and developed to help users transfer, sync, backup data from one cloud to another directly online. In short, the transferring, syncing or backing up process does not pass through the local storage, an overwhelming advantage over traditional downloading and re-uploading method.

Next we will show you how to back up OneDrive to Google Drive as an example to help you understand.

Step 1: Sign up An Account

 Visit the MultCloud website. Sign up for a free account or log in if you already have one.

Step 2: Add OneDrive and Google Drive into MultCloud

Once logged in, go to the "Add Cloud" section in the MultCloud dashboard. Select OneDrive from the list of cloud services.Follow the prompts to connect your OneDrive account by granting MultCloud access. Repeat the process to add Google Drive.

Step 3: Create Cloud Backup Task

Go to the "Cloud Backup" tab in the MultCloud interface. Select OneDrive as the source cloud. Select Google Drive as the destination cloud. And you can also choose specific folders or files from OneDrive to back up to Google Drive.

Step 4: Configure Backup Settings (Optional)

Enable the scheduling feature to back up files automatically (e.g., daily, weekly, or monthly). Use the filter option to include or exclude specific file types if needed.

Step 5: Start the Backup Process

Click "Backup Now" to initiate the process. MultCloud will handle the transfer in the background, even if you log out.

By maintaining regular backups, you can safeguard your OneDrive data and avoid unexpected losses due to inactivity or policy changes.