Skip to content

Restore Exchange Online user mailbox | Cloud only (Fully Hosted) environment | Article 2#3 | Part 9#23

In the current article, we review the required steps for recovering Soft Deleted Exchange Online mailbox by restoring the Office 365 user account that considered as the Exchange Online mailbox owner.

In the previous article, we prepare all the required setting for simulating the “deletion event.”

In this article, we will continue to process of restoring Angelina Soft Deleted Exchange Online mailbox.

Restoring Exchange Online user account (User mailbox owner) – the flow of events

Before we start with the step by step instructions, a brief review of the “Restore process flow” in Office 365 and Exchange Online base environment.

When we restore a Soft Deleted Exchange Online user mailbox, by restoring the user mailbox user account (the mailbox owner), the following chain of events implemented:

Azure Active Directory infrastructure

  • Step 1#4 – The status of the recovered user account, is updated from – Soft Deleted user account to – “Active.”
  • Step 2#4 – Azure Active Directory synchronizes the “updated information” to Exchange Online infrastructure.

Exchange Online infrastructure

  • Step 3#4 – Exchange Online accepts the up-to-date information and starts a process of recovering the Soft Deleted user mailbox.
  • Step 4#4 – The Shared mailbox is recovered, and “associated” with the restored Azure Active Directory user account that was the “original owner” of the user mailbox.
Restore the Office 365 user account that will activate the process of restoring the Exchange Online user mailbox

Phase 3#3 – Restoring an Exchange Online User mailbox by – Restore the Office 365 deleted user account

In this section, we review how to restore the Angelina Office 365 user account; that was the “owner” of the deleted User mailbox.

As mentioned, the action of restoring the user account will “trigger” a sequence of events, which end with – restoring the deleted Exchange Online User mailbox.

Phase 1#3 | Using Azure Active Directory recycle bin for restoring a user account

In our example, we will use the Office 365 admin center web-based interface, for restoring Angelina Soft Deleted user account.

Note: Another option of restoring a Soft Deleted Azure Active Directory user account is, by using PowerShell command.

To be able to restore the Office 365 deleted user account, use the following steps:

Restore the Soft Deleted Azure Active Directory User account Using Azure Active Directory recycle bin -00
  • In our scenario, we choose to restore the deleted Office 365 user account named – Angelina and click on the Restore
Restore the Soft Deleted Azure Active Directory User account Using Azure Active Directory recycle bin -01

When we restore a Soft Deleted Azure Active Directory user account, we need to select one of the options for the “user password.”

We can choose the option of Auto-Generate password or define the restored user account password by selecting the option – Let me create the password

  • In our example, we choose the option – Auto-Generate password
  • Click on the Restore button
Restore the Soft Deleted Azure Active Directory User account Using Azure Active Directory recycle bin -03

We will finish the “restore user procedure,” by click on the button – Send email and close

Restore the Soft Deleted Azure Active Directory User account Using Azure Active Directory recycle bin -04

Phase 2#3 | Verifying that the user account was successfully restored

In case that the restore process successfully completed, the following objects should be restored:

  • The user account Angelina should appear in the Azure Active Directory admin center, under the section
    of Active users.
  • The mailbox – Angelina, should appear in the Exchange Online admin center, under the section of
    recipients \ resources.

Active Directory admin center – Active users

In the following screenshot, we can see that user “Angelina,” was successfully restored.

Restore the Soft Deleted Azure Active Directory User account Using Azure Active Directory recycle bin -05

In the following screenshot, we can see that user “Angelina,“ was removed from the Windows Azure Active Directory recycle bin.

In the following screenshot, we can see that user “Angelina,” was successfully restored.

In the following screenshot, we can see that the Angelina’s restored user account, include all the “details” of the user account, before he deleted, such as – Group membership and the Office 365 license that assigned to the user account.

Verifying that the Office 365 user was successfully restored -01

Also, of the user details such as office, telephone number and so on was also successfully restored.

Verifying that the Office 365 user was successfully restored -02

Phase 3#3 | Verify that the Exchange Online mailbox was successfully restored

3.1 – Looking at the Soft Deleted mailbox store using – Exchange Online Admin Center

To be able to verify what happened to Angelina’s mailbox, we will start by looking at the Exchange Online recycle bin by using the Exchange Online admin center.

To be able to view the list of Soft Deleted mailboxes, use the following steps:

  • Login to Exchange Online admin page
  • On the left menu bar, select the menu – recipients
  • On the top menu bar, choose the menu – mailboxes
  • Click on the three dots icon
  • Choose the menu – Deleted mailboxes
Verifying that the Exchange Online was successfully restored -01

In the following screenshot, we can see that – Angelina’s mailbox was “removed” from the Exchange Online recycle bin.

Get information about the soft deleted Exchange Online user mailboxes -02

3.2 – Looking at the Soft Deleted mailboxes store using – PowerShell

Also, we would like to view the information about the Exchange Online Soft Deleted mailboxes using PowerShell.

We will use the PowerShell command – Get-Mailbox -SoftDeletedMailbox

In the following screenshot, we can see the Exchange Online recycle bin content before the mailbox restore process and after the restores mailbox process.

We can see that – Angelina’s mailbox was “removed” from the Exchange Online recycle bin.

Verifying that the Exchange Online was successfully restored -03

Note: The ability to view the content of the Exchange Online recycle bin using PowerShell command, is based preliminary step, in which we need to connect Exchange Online using remote PowerShell.

In case that you need instructions how to create a Remote PowerShell session to Exchange Online, you can read the article – Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell

3.3 – Looking at the active Exchange Online mailbox list

In the following screenshot, we can see that Angelina’s mailbox appears back in the “active” Exchange Online mailbox list.

Verifying that the Exchange Online was successfully restored -04

3.4 – Verify that the mailbox permissions were successfully restored

In this section, we would like to verify the status of the “mailbox permissions” and verify If the permissions successfully recovered

quick reminder, before the Angelina mailbox was deleted, Angelina had Full access permissions on Bob mailbox and vice versa.

  • We will access Angelina mailbox, and select the Mailbox delegation menu

In the following screenshot, we can see that Bob has Full access permissions on Angelina’s mailbox. The meaning is that the mailbox permissions successfully restored.

Verifying that the Exchange Online was successfully restored -05

The next step is to check the mailbox permissions on Bob Mailbox.

  • We will access Bob mailbox, and select the Mailbox delegation menu

In the following screenshot, we can see that Angelina has Full access permissions on Bob mailbox. The meaning is – that the mailbox permissions are successfully restored.

Verifying that the Exchange Online was successfully restored -06

3.5 – Verify that the mailbox content successfully restored

The last phase in our “journey” is to verify the most important thing – if the mailbox content successfully restored!

In the following screenshot, we can see the Angelina manage to log in to her “restored Exchange Online mailbox” and that she can see all the mailbox content.

Verifying that the Exchange Online was successfully restored -07

The next article in the current article series

Restore Exchange Online user mailbox | Cloud only (Fully Hosted) environment | Article 3#3 | Part 10#23

o365info Team

o365info Team

This article was written by our team of experienced IT architects, consultants, and engineers.

This Post Has 0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *