Retrieve Emails that were Permanently deleted

Question

Recently got hacked and there were emails that were permanently deleted. Can I submit anything to Microsoft to retrieve them?

Answer 1

Hi I'm Brian and I'll try to help.

If the messages were "permanently deleted," as you say, they cannot be restored. That's what "permanently" means. Microsoft does not keep a backup of your data in the cloud.

Answer 2

If emails were permanently deleted, recovery options depend on whether the deleted item retention period has expired. As an administrator, you can recover purged messages if the retention period hasn't expired. You can also check the mailbox audit log to see if the emails were deleted and potentially recover them if they fall within the retention timeframe. However, if the retention period has expired, it may not be possible to retrieve those emails.

For further assistance, you may want to contact Microsoft support directly to explore any additional recovery options available to you.

---

References:

• Recover deleted messages in a mailbox in Exchange 2013
• Search the audit log to investigate common support issues