Mailbox and OneDrive contents once a license is unassign to an account

Question

Hi,

This might be a stupid question but I wouldn't like to test it before I am certain of what happens.

Basically, I have Office 365 A1 and A3 for Faculty (education) licenses.

Once I unassign a license from an account, what would happen to their mailbox and OneDrive contents please? Does Microsoft retain the data until the account is deleted or is there a period or timeframe until I can reassign a license to such an account to regain access to the mailbox and Onedrive data please?

Would I lose all the emails and OneDrive contents as soon as I unassign the license?

What are your thoughts?

Thanks

Answer 1

Hello Jesmond Navarro,

Hope you are doing well. Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft community. We will be happy to assist you.

When you unassign a license from a user in Office 365, such as Office 365 A1 or A3 for Faculty, the behavior regarding their mailbox (Exchange Online) and OneDrive contents depends on several factors:

1. Mailbox (Exchange Online):

   -Retention Period: Microsoft typically retains mailbox data for a limited period (usually 30 days) after a license is removed. During this retention period, the mailbox data remains accessible to administrators and can be restored if needed.

   - Access: After the license is removed, the user will lose access to their mailbox through Outlook and other email clients. They won't be able to send or receive emails using that account unless the license is reassigned, or the data is exported.

2. OneDrive:

   - Retention Period: Similar to the mailbox, OneDrive contents are retained for a limited period (30 days by default) after the license is removed. This allows administrators to recover files if necessary.

   - Access: The user will lose access to their OneDrive files through the web interface and OneDrive sync client once the license is removed. However, the files are retained during the retention period.

3. Data Loss:

   - Immediate Data Loss: If you do not reassign a license within the retention period or if you manually delete the user account (including mailbox and OneDrive data), then the data will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

   - Export Options: Before removing a license, you may consider exporting the mailbox data and OneDrive files if you want to preserve them for the user or for archival purposes.

In summary, Microsoft retains mailbox and OneDrive data for a limited period after a license is removed. It's crucial to understand and plan for this retention period to avoid data loss and ensure continuity of access for users. Always consider backup and data retention policies to protect critical information.

If I misunderstand you, please feel free to let me know. I will continue to assist you. Your understanding and co-operation are highly appreciated.

Thanks for your precious time. Have a nice day.

Sincerely,

Nafis Iqbal Shuvo

Answer 2

Recently, I saw an announcement that removing a license would affect the retention of files (OneDrive) and emails (Exchange mailbox) for that user. It was with the announcement of the availability of MS Backup. When will removing the license lead to removing files/mail? I thought I read October. Is this the case? How does this affect mailboxes in litigation hold?

Answer 3

Hello Jesmond Navarro,

Good day to you and hope you are doing well.

We haven't heard back from your, so wants to quick check, have you checked my last reply? Feel free if you need further assistance, we will be happy to assist you further.

Thank you for your time and cooperation.

Sincerely

Nafis Iqbal Shuvo