Topic
This article explains the steps you may need to take due to Microsoft's recently announced deprecation of Exchange Web Services (EWS).
Environment
- NinjaOne SaaS Backup End-User Portal
- NinjaOne SaaS Backup Partner Portal
- Microsoft Exchange Online
Description
Microsoft is updating how third-party applications connect to Microsoft Exchange Online. Starting 2026-10-01, Microsoft will block specific older connection methods.
We have already updated NinjaOne SaaS Backup to align with this change. We are requiring affected organizations to reauthorize their Microsoft 365 (M365) instances no later than 2026-06-01, ahead of Microsoft's enforcement date. This reauthorization deadline ensures service continuity and minimizes disruption. We do not anticipate that these changes will affect your data security or backup schedules, or cause data loss.
What You Need to Know
For affected organizations only, email restore or migration may be temporarily unavailable until your organization reauthorizes its M365 domain. If this change impacts your organization, a notification banner will appear in the NinjaOne SaaS Backup End-User Portal to guide you through the reauthorization process. You only need to take the required action once to ensure that restore and migration features continue to function normally. All other features will remain unchanged.
If one or more of your organizations receive a reauthorization notice, we strongly recommend that you complete the workflows described in this article before 2026-06-01; email restore and migration features will be temporarily unavailable until you have completed the reauthorization procedure. Refer to the Reauthorizing an M365 Domain section below.
Partners and resellers can also assist their customers by monitoring which organizations require action via the NinjaOne SaaS Backup Partner Portal and reminding their customers to complete reauthorization, also providing support if needed. For instructions on monitoring your organizations,refer to the Monitor Organizations That Require Reauthorization section below.
Known Limitations of the Graph API Migration
Microsoft Graph API does not yet fully cover all Microsoft Exchange Online features. For operations where Graph API support is unavailable, NinjaOne SaaS Backup continues to rely on EWS as a fallback. As a result, disabling EWS will affect the features listed below. Refer to the following table for details and available workarounds.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| In-place archive folder | Microsoft Graph API does not currently support access to in-place archive folders, so the system relies on EWS for this operation. When EWS is disabled, any backup or restore request that includes an in-place archive folder will proceed without that folder's data. The request completes, but the in-place archive folder content is skipped. |
| Public folder | Microsoft Graph API does not support public folder backup and restore, so the system relies on EWS for this operation. When EWS is disabled, backup and restore for public folder accounts are not available. |
| Groups & Teams shared mailbox | Unlike the features above, restore functionality for Groups and Teams mailboxes has been fully migrated from EWS to Graph API. The restore process works as before, with differences: users are now required to authenticate with an admin account before restoring Groups or Teams mailbox data. |
Reauthorizing an M365 Domain
If you receive a notice that your organization needs to reauthorize an M365 domain, follow these steps:
- Log in to the NinjaOne SaaS Backup End-User Portal.
- In the Permission Update Required dialog box, click Review Impacted Domains.
Alternatively, from the Dashboard page, you can click the Review Impacted Domains link in the Permission Update Required banner
NinjaOne will redirect you to Account Settings → Credentials.
- Click Re-Authenticate.
NinjaOne SaaS Backup will redirect you to the M365 landing page.
- Input the correct credentials and click Enter.
Monitor Organizations That Require Reauthorization
As a partner or reseller, you can view all of your organizations with pending reauthorizations. To do so, follow these steps:
- Log in to the NinjaOne SaaS Backup Partner Portal.
- In the Permission Update Required prompt, click the View Impacted Organizations button.
Alternatively, from the Dashboard page, you can click the Review Impacted Domains link in the Permission Update Required banner.
NinjaOne SaaS Backup will redirect you to the Organizations page, where any organizations that require reauthorization will display an 🛈 icon in the Partner Name column of the organizations table
- Click the actions menu, then click Go to Credentials page.
NinjaOne SaaS Backup will redirect you to Organization Details → Credentials, where you can view a more detailed description of the status and required actions.
Activate EWS Configuration in Microsoft 365 Admin Center
To activate EWS configuration, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (external link)
- Click Block Access to Exchange Web Services. The side panel will open.
- Verify that Block your entire organization from using EWS is not selected. If the box is checked, deselect it.
Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is changing with Microsoft Exchange Web Services (EWS)?
Microsoft is gradually retiring EWS and transitioning customers to Microsoft Graph as the supported access method for M365 email.
Has NinjaOne SaaS Backup updated its platform to support Microsoft Graph?
Yes. This change is part of Microsoft's long-term roadmap and does not indicate an issue with your NinjaOne SaaS backup service.
Does this change affect my NinjaOne SaaS backups or archives?
For most customers, no. There is no impact on backup or archive operations. Your data will continue to be protected as expected. Some customers will need to reauthorize M365 to avoid backup interruption. If you are using in-place archive, public folder, or Groups & Teams mailbox. ,refer to the Known Limitations of the Graph API Migration section above for more information.
Will this change affect restore capabilities?
Restores will continue to work as expected, with some exclusions for in-place archive and public folder when your tenant EWS configuration is disabled. If you are using in-place archive, public folder, or groups and teams mailbox, please refer to the limitations above.
Is it okay if I want to keep my EWS configuration in my tenant disabled?
Yes, You can keep the EWS configuration in your tenant disabled if you need to. The backup and restore operations will continue to work with a few limitations around in-place archive folder, public folder, and Groups and Teams mailbox restore. For more information, refer to the Known Limitations of the Graph API Migration section above.
Why am I hearing about this issue now?
Microsoft is rolling out this transition in phases across tenants and license types. Most customers will not notice any change. We are proactively communicating only where action may be required.
Do I need to reconfigure anything in my environment?
You may need to reauthorize M365, but not all organizations will. This update affects a limited subset of organizations. NinjaOne will notify organizations that require reauthorization through their End-User Portal with detailed instructions. Organizations that do not receive a notification are not required to take any action.
How do I know if I need to take action?
You'll receive a notification in both the NinjaOne SaaS Backup Partner Portal and the End-User Portal if an organization needs to take action. If you don't receive a notification, your account is not currently impacted by this issue.
What happens if I receive a notification but don't take any action?
If you receive a notification but do not take action, email restore and migration features will be temporarily unavailable until you reauthorize. During this time, NinjaOne SaaS Backup will also alert you via the Organization Details page.
I have multiple tenant backups. Can I complete reauthorization once for all of them?
No. You must reauthorize each tenant backup individually.
Where can I learn more about Microsoft's announcement?
Microsoft has shared additional details publicly about the EWS retirement and the move to Microsoft Graph. You can reference Microsoft's announcement at: Retirement of Exchange Web Services in Exchange Online (external link).
Who should I contact if I have questions?
If you believe this issue impacts your account and you need assistance, contact NinjaOne SaaS Backup Support.