Restore thousands of files in Sharepoint Online for specific user

Question

Restore thousands of files in Sharepoint Online for specific user

Info Tech 0

A user has deleted thousands of files. Is there an easier way to get it back, rather than selecting a 100 at a time?

Ruby-N 8,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-08T16:56:51.3633333+00:00

Good day @Danie Cronje,

I hope everything is going well on your end.

I am following up on the support thread that has been discussed and wanted to check whether the information shared in my previous response helped address the issue you were experiencing.

If you are still encountering any issues or have additional questions, please feel free to reach out at any time. I would be happy to assist further as needed.

Additionally, ensuring that everything is functioning as expected and that your experience remains smooth is a top priority.

Thank you again for your collaboration throughout the troubleshooting process. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Info Tech 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T11:29:50.32+00:00

Hello @Ruby-N. Thank you for your reply. I apologise that I have not responded sooner.

[Moderator note: personal info removed] is no longer with this business. Not sure why his name is still linked to this instance of MS 365. I am reviewing your solutions that you sent and will revert once I have done so.
Ruby-N 8,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-13T16:28:00.13+00:00
Dear @Info Tech,

Thank you for your message. Please do not worry about the delay. I understand that you may have other priorities and I hope everything is going well on your side.

I appreciate the update regarding the previous contact person. Before an account is fully updated to a new name, the system may take some time to synchronize and refresh the associated links. That is why the previous name still appeared in the interface. I have reviewed your profile again and I can now see that it displays your updated name correctly. The previous name no longer appears on my end.

If you would like, I can revise the earlier response and adjust the comments to match your updated name. Please note that making these edits may trigger email notifications for you.

Please take your time reviewing the information I shared earlier. If any questions arise while you look through it or if you need further clarification, I am here and happy to assist.

I look forward to hearing from you once you have completed your review.
Info Tech 0 Reputation points

2026-02-14T13:21:29.06+00:00

Hi @Ruby-N

I have run the script found at this URL: https://pnp.github.io/script-samples/spo-restore-multiple-items/README.html?tabs=pnpps

However, I am getting this error:

Failed to restore item: Test 1.docx - The attempted operation is prohibited because it exceeds the list view threshold.

There seems to be no -PageSize parameter for the Get-PnPRecycleBinItem cmdlet, and the -RowLimit does not give the correct result.

There are in excess of 100 000 records in the Recycle Bin.

If you could assist with this it would be greatly appreciated?

Kind regards.
Ruby-N 8,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-15T23:15:16.74+00:00

Dear @Info Tech,

Thank you for sharing the details of the issue and for taking the time to test the script. I understand how challenging it is to work with a Recycle Bin that contains more than one hundred thousand items, especially when the goal is to restore specific files.

The error you are seeing occurs because the operation attempts to query or process more items than SharePoint allows under the list view threshold. Since the Get‑PnPRecycleBinItem cmdlet does not currently support a PageSize parameter and the RowLimit parameter does not always return reliable results when the Recycle Bin is extremely large, the script may struggle to retrieve items in a controlled way.

From experience, very large Recycle Bins often require a different approach. You may consider one of the following options. You can narrow the query as much as possible by filtering with parameters such as FirstStage, DirName or ItemState to reduce the volume that SharePoint must return in a single call. You can also run the script during off‑peak hours because SharePoint sometimes processes large queries more reliably when the service is under lower load.

If the objective is to restore a very specific set of items, another temporary approach is to export the Recycle Bin content in smaller batches using PowerShell with StartIndex and RowLimit, then restore only the items needed. It is not ideal, but it helps avoid hitting the threshold.

If none of these options help reduce the threshold issue, I recommend opening a support ticket with Microsoft. A support engineer can review the backend signals and confirm whether the Recycle Bin size or farm load is causing the limitation. They can also check whether the platform is enforcing additional restrictions that cannot be bypassed through scripts.

As a forum moderator, my role is limited to publicly available tools and documentation, and I don’t have visibility into internal logs or backend systems due to privacy and security requirements. I truly wish I could assist you further with this part.

Thank you again for your detailed follow-up, as well as your patience and understanding throughout this troubleshooting process.
Info Tech 0 Reputation points

2026-02-16T01:22:27.9066667+00:00

Thank you, @Ruby-N . I really appreciate your feedback. I will attempt using the filtering with parameters such as FirstStage, DirName or ItemState and see if that works.

Will give feedback here.

Kind regards.
Ruby-N 8,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-16T23:05:01.7233333+00:00

Dear @Info Tech,

Thank you so much for your update. I truly appreciate the time you have taken to look into the suggestions. It is great to hear that you will be trying the filtering options with parameters such as FirstStage, DirName or ItemState.

I hope this approach helps clarify the behavior you are seeing. Thank you again for your collaboration and for keeping me updated.

Info Tech 0

Hello @Ruby-N

I the script in the url you sent initially as follows:

try {

    $count = 0

    Write-Host "Retrieving items deleted by '$DeletedByName' since $TargetDate..."

    $items = Get-PnPRecycleBinItem -RowLimit $BatchSize | Where-Object {

        $_.ItemState -eq "FirstStageDeleted" -and $_.DeletedByName -eq $DeletedByName -and $_.DeletedDate -gt $TargetDate

    }

However, here I could not find the correct parameters to set:

Restore-RecycleBinItems -DeletedByName $userInput.deletedByName -TargetDate $targetDate -Rowlimit 100000 -BatchSize $batchSize -LogFile $logFileName

The script ran through without error but did not write a log file nor restored any items.

I would appreciate any input you may have.

Kind regards.

2 answers

Your answer

Ruby-N 8,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-08T16:56:51.3633333+00:00

Good day @Danie Cronje,

I hope everything is going well on your end.

I am following up on the support thread that has been discussed and wanted to check whether the information shared in my previous response helped address the issue you were experiencing.

If you are still encountering any issues or have additional questions, please feel free to reach out at any time. I would be happy to assist further as needed.

Additionally, ensuring that everything is functioning as expected and that your experience remains smooth is a top priority.

Thank you again for your collaboration throughout the troubleshooting process. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Info Tech 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T11:29:50.32+00:00

Hello @Ruby-N. Thank you for your reply. I apologise that I have not responded sooner.

[Moderator note: personal info removed] is no longer with this business. Not sure why his name is still linked to this instance of MS 365. I am reviewing your solutions that you sent and will revert once I have done so.
Ruby-N 8,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-13T16:28:00.13+00:00

Dear @Info Tech,

Thank you for your message. Please do not worry about the delay. I understand that you may have other priorities and I hope everything is going well on your side.

I appreciate the update regarding the previous contact person. Before an account is fully updated to a new name, the system may take some time to synchronize and refresh the associated links. That is why the previous name still appeared in the interface. I have reviewed your profile again and I can now see that it displays your updated name correctly. The previous name no longer appears on my end.

If you would like, I can revise the earlier response and adjust the comments to match your updated name. Please note that making these edits may trigger email notifications for you.

Please take your time reviewing the information I shared earlier. If any questions arise while you look through it or if you need further clarification, I am here and happy to assist.

I look forward to hearing from you once you have completed your review.
Info Tech 0 Reputation points

2026-02-14T13:21:29.06+00:00

Hi @Ruby-N

I have run the script found at this URL: https://pnp.github.io/script-samples/spo-restore-multiple-items/README.html?tabs=pnpps

However, I am getting this error:

Failed to restore item: Test 1.docx - The attempted operation is prohibited because it exceeds the list view threshold.

There seems to be no -PageSize parameter for the Get-PnPRecycleBinItem cmdlet, and the -RowLimit does not give the correct result.

There are in excess of 100 000 records in the Recycle Bin.

If you could assist with this it would be greatly appreciated?

Kind regards.
Info Tech 0 Reputation points

2026-02-16T01:22:27.9066667+00:00

Thank you, @Ruby-N . I really appreciate your feedback. I will attempt using the filtering with parameters such as FirstStage, DirName or ItemState and see if that works.

Will give feedback here.

Kind regards.
Ruby-N 8,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-16T23:05:01.7233333+00:00

Dear @Info Tech,

Thank you so much for your update. I truly appreciate the time you have taken to look into the suggestions. It is great to hear that you will be trying the filtering options with parameters such as FirstStage, DirName or ItemState.

I hope this approach helps clarify the behavior you are seeing. Thank you again for your collaboration and for keeping me updated.
Info Tech 0 Reputation points

2026-02-17T06:26:07.2833333+00:00

Hello @Ruby-N

I the script in the url you sent initially as follows:

try {

$count = 0 Write-Host "Retrieving items deleted by '$DeletedByName' since $TargetDate..." $items = Get-PnPRecycleBinItem -RowLimit $BatchSize | Where-Object { $_.ItemState -eq "FirstStageDeleted" -and $_.DeletedByName -eq $DeletedByName -and $_.DeletedDate -gt $TargetDate }

However, here I could not find the correct parameters to set:

Restore-RecycleBinItems -DeletedByName $userInput.deletedByName -TargetDate $targetDate -Rowlimit 100000 -BatchSize $batchSize -LogFile $logFileName

The script ran through without error but did not write a log file nor restored any items.

I would appreciate any input you may have.

Kind regards.

Answer 1

Dear @Danie Cronje,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand how inconvenient it can be when a user accidentally deletes thousands of files and restoring them in batches of only 100 at a time can be very time‑consuming.

SharePoint Online includes built‑in recovery features that make it possible to restore content at scale without manually selecting hundreds of items. Large deletions often occur when a synced folder is removed from File Explorer or when a parent folder is deleted in a document library, which triggers a delete for everything inside it. In most cases, these items can still be recovered as long as they remain within the retention period.

Here are some workarounds you can consider:

Note: If you are an end user, please contact your organization’s IT administrator. These steps can only be performed by an IT admin.

Option 1: Restore the entire document library to a previous point in time

This is the fastest approach if the deletion happened within the past 30 days.

Note: This method relies on version history and recycle bin data and cannot restore items that have already been permanently removed from both recycle bins.

Open the document library where the deletion occurred.

Select the Settings gear icon.

Choose Restore this library.

Select a preset time such as “Yesterday” or choose a custom date and time just before the deletion.

Review the activity list.

Confirm the restore.

Option 2: Restore items in bulk using PnP PowerShell (Advanced option)

If you need to restore only the items deleted by a specific user or within a certain time range, PowerShell provides a more targeted and scalable option.

Install and connect PnP PowerShell to the SharePoint admin center.
Retrieve items from the first‑stage and second‑stage recycle bins.
Filter the deleted items by criteria such as user email or deletion date.
Use bulk restore commands, such as RestoreByIds, to restore all selected items at once.

This method is ideal for very large sets of deleted files. If needed, your administrator can also open a support request for assistance with scripting tailored to your SharePoint site environment.

Restore multiple deleted items from the SharePoint Online Recycle Bin based on deletion date and us…

Please note that this information is being provided by the moderator solely for your convenience. The referenced sites are not managed or overseen by the moderator, and therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy, security, or suitability of any software or content available there. We recommend reviewing all information carefully and ensuring you understand any associated risks before following suggestions from the provided link.

Option 3: When items are no longer available in the recycle bins

If the deletion occurred more than 30 days ago or the content is no longer present in either recycle bin, your IT admin can submit a support request through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Support > Help & Support.

Support may assist with site‑level recovery options such as point‑in‑time restoration. If your organization uses Microsoft 365 Backup, that service may also provide additional recovery alternatives.

Additional information is available in the following resources: Restore items in the recycle bin that were deleted from SharePoint or Teams - Microsoft Support

Restore a shared library - Microsoft Support

Restore deleted items from the site collection recycle bin - Microsoft Support

How to recover missing, deleted or corrupted items in SharePoint and OneDrive for work or school - …

As community moderators, we kindly ask for your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have visibility into performing deeper backend analysis, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have any extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Answer 2

To restore thousands of files in SharePoint Online for a specific user, you can utilize the Files Restore feature, which allows you to go back in time on any Document Library in SharePoint to recover files from the last 30 days. This feature can help you restore all files at once rather than selecting them individually. Here’s how you can do it:

Go to the document library where the files were deleted.
Click on the settings gear icon and select Restore this library.
Choose a restore point from the last 30 days to restore the library to that specific state.
Confirm the restoration.

This method will restore all files deleted within that timeframe, making it much easier than selecting files one by one.

References:

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Restore thousands of files in Sharepoint Online for specific user

2 answers

Your answer