With OneDrive for Business, you have various options to manage backups, restore data, download files, and configure backup settings based on specific needs.

• Select Specific Workloads: Choose specific OneDrive workloads for backup, available for both manual and AutoDiscover backups.
• Restore Options: Restore an entire OneDrive, a single folder, or a single file, including point-in-time restores to access data as it existed on any date since the backup began.
• Flexible Destination: Restore data to the same user’s OneDrive or another user’s drive within the same tenant.

This guide covers selecting specific workloads, restoring data, downloading files, and managing OneDrive backup settings.

Manage M365 Tenant Backups

Users with a backed-up M365 tenant will see a list of mailboxes under the Account tab. Each mailbox and sub-product (e.g., OneDrive, Contacts, Calendar, Tasks) is marked with an icon in blue, red, or gray, indicating whether it is available, excluded, or added to the backup.

Add a Mailbox to Backup, Excluding OneDrive

1. Log In to the End-User portal and navigate to the Dashboard.
   
   
2. Click +Add Backup, select the backed-up M365 tenant, and choose the account you want to modify.
   
   
3. To exclude OneDrive, click Exclude, select "OneDrive" from the dropdown, and confirm.
   
   
   
4. Return to the M365 page, select the account again, and click +Add Backup.
   
   
5. The system shows an add-to-backup pop-up confirmation. Ensure that the OneDrive toggle is disabled, then click the Yes, continue button.
   Note: OneDrive toggle indicates whether they will be added to backup or not
   
   
   
6. OneDrive toggle indicates whether they will be added to backup or not.
   
   
7. The system will display OneDrive in red, indicating it is excluded, and other products in gray, showing they are added to the backup.

Exclude OneDrive from AutoDiscover

The AutoDiscover feature automatically detects and includes new M365 accounts and sub-products, such as mailboxes and OneDrive, in backups.

1. Login to the End-User portal, go to the Dashboard, and click +Add Backup.
   
   
2. Select the backed-up M365 tenant.
   
   
3. Select the account that you wish OneDrive to be excluded, then click Exclude button.
   
   
4. The system shows an exclusion pop-up confirmation. Select “OneDrive” on the Sub-product dropdown, then click Yes, continue button.
   
   
5. The system redirect back to the M365 page. Enable the AutoDiscover toggle.
   
   
6. The system shows AutoDiscover pop-up confirmation. Ensure to disable the OneDrive toggle, then click Continue button.
   
   
7. Once it is successful, the AutoDiscover toggle will be active, and another toggle will appear below following the previous state.

Restore OneDrive

To restore data from a user’s OneDrive:

1. Log in to the End-User Portal and go to the Dashboard.
   
   
2. Select the OneDrive tab.
   
   
3. To restore the entire user’s OneDrive, hover over the user and click Restore.
   
   
4. Configure Restore Options:
   • Backup Date: Restore files and folders as they existed on the selected date.
   • Destination: Choose the original user’s drive or another user’s drive within the same tenant.
   • Default Folder: Restores data to its original location.
   • Create New Folder: Specify a new folder for the restored data.
   • Advanced Options for File Conflicts:
     • Create (Default): Restores files as duplicates.
     • Append: Adds a new version to the existing file.
     • Overwrite: Replaces existing files with the restored version.
     • Skip: Skips conflicting files.
       
       
5. Click Start Restore and confirm with Yes.
   
   
6. Click the user’s name, select the items, and proceed with the options above.
   
   
7. Track restore progress under System Status > Restores.

Download OneDrive

To download data from a user’s OneDrive:

1. Log in to the End-User Portal and goo to the Dashboard > OneDrive tab.
   
   
2. Hover over the user and click Download.
   
   
3. Select the date for the download to access files as they existed on that date.
   
   
4. Click Generate Download and confirm.
   
   
5. To download only certain files or folders, click the user’s name, select the desired items, and follow the steps above. You have the option to download either the latest version or all previous versions of the selected items. Note that each backup version reflects the file state at the time the backup was taken, which may differ from tenant-specific versioning. If multiple versions of a file were created between backup passes, only the latest one from each pass is saved.
   
   
6. Monitor download status under System Status > Downloads.

FAQs

Is OneDrive backup enabled by default?

Yes, OneDrive is included by default, but you can disable it at any time.

Will excluding OneDrive from backup affect my email or other sub-product backups?

No. Excluding OneDrive does not impact email or other sub-product backups.

Will excluding OneDrive from backup affect previous backups?

No. Changes apply only to future backups and do not affect prior data.

Can I apply OneDrive modularity across multiple tenant backups?

Yes, modularity is available for each tenant individually.

Can I exclude OneDrive for a mailbox with an added status?

Yes. If an "added" status has a checkbox, at least one sub-product hasn’t been backed up. You can exclude OneDrive in these cases.

What if I change my mind after excluding OneDrive?

Use the “Remove from exclusion list” feature:

1. Login to the End-User Portal.
2. Go to the Dashboard and click +Add Backup.
3. The system redirect back to the M365 page. Select same account with step #4, then click +Add Backup button.
4. Proceed directly with manual backup settings.
5. Select the mailbox, click the kebab (three dots) menu next to it, and choose Remove from exclusion list.
6. Remove exclusion performed per mailbox, meaning bulk actions are not supported.
7. The system shows a remove exclusion pop-up confirmation. Select Remove all sub-products, then click Yes, continue button.

Note: Remove exclusion performed per mailbox, meaning bulk actions are not supported.

Can I re-add the excluded OneDrive to the backup?

If you want to re-add OneDrive after it has been excluded, follow these steps using the “+Add to backup” feature, applicable for both manual and AutoDiscover backups:

1. Login to the End-User portal.
2. From the Dashboard page, click +Add Backup button.
3. Select to the backed-up M365 tenant.
4. Proceed directly with manual backup settings.
5. Click the Click here to manage excluded accounts button.
6. Select the mailbox and click +Add to backup button.
7. In the pop-up confirmation, ensure the OneDrive toggle is enabled, then click Yes, continue.
8. Once successful, the previously excluded OneDrive will show as Added in your backup settings.