Microsoft 365 backup by ConboolBack up Microsoft 365. And bring back what is missing.
365 Backup protects mailboxes and online archives, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Teams chats, Planner and Entra ID on a schedule. When something is gone, you bring back exactly that: one message, one file, one plan. Stored immutably in Germany, operated outside Azure.
- sources on one schedule
- 8
- retention, if you want it
- 10 years
- a sample, restored and checked
- Daily
Microsoft 365 has no backup
Microsoft runs the platform and keeps it available. The content is your responsibility, as the shared responsibility model puts it. Recycle bins and retention are deadlines, not a backup: once the deadline passes, what was deleted is gone for good.
I can't find the email from the spring.Exchange Online keeps permanently deleted items for 14 days, at most 30.
Our colleague has left and we need his files.After a user is deleted there are 30 days by default, then mailbox and OneDrive are gone.
A whole folder is missing in SharePoint.The SharePoint and OneDrive recycle bin empties after 93 days.
Our team's plan is gone.Planner has no recycle bin for a deleted plan.
Restore in five steps
The question usually comes from a department: a file, an email, a folder is missing. This is how a restore runs in the portal, using a deleted quote file as the example.
- 1
Find the account
Type a name and the portal shows everything backed up for that account: mailbox, online archive, OneDrive, Teams chat. Each source shows how current its backup is.
BergerMailbox2 h agoOnline archive2 h agoOneDrive3 h agoTeams chattoday 02:40 - 2
Pick a state
Every run is kept as a state of its own and never overwrites the previous one. You choose the point in time when the file was still there.
Yesterday, 20:12File missing14 Oct, 08:10File missing12 Oct, 20:05File presentSelected12 Oct, 08:04File present - 3
Search and view
Search the chosen state by name, subject or sender and look at the item in the preview before anything is written. Several items can be selected together.
Quote 2026Quote 2026-0431.pdf/Customers/North/QuotesViewQuote 2026-0431 draft.docx/Customers/North/Quotes - 4
Choose a target
Back to the original location, into another mailbox or another library, or as a download: ZIP with EML files or PST, encrypted with a password.
Back to the originalOneDrive of M. Berger, into a new folderTo another libraryOneDrive or SharePoint of another accountDownload as a fileZIP, encrypted with a password - 5
Restored, nothing overwritten
The file lands in a new folder named after the time of the restore, with the original folder structure rebuilt inside. Existing data stays untouched, and the action is in the audit log.
Restore complete1 file, 284 KB, in 41 secondsOneDriveRestored on 18 Oct 2026 08:31CustomersNorthQuotes
Eight sources, one schedule
Whatever data Microsoft 365 holds, 365 Backup protects. Each source has its own pitfalls, so here they are one by one: what is backed up, how often, and how it comes back.
Exchange Online
Mailboxes with their structureEmails with folders and attachments, calendars, contactsFrequency:every six hoursHow it comes back:Single emails, folders or the whole mailbox, to the original or another mailbox, or as ZIP with EML files or as PST.
Messages are captured with folder structure and attachments, along with calendars and contacts. A restore lands where the item used to be, not in a catch-all folder without context.
Exchange Online backup- Folder structure is preserved
- Attachments, calendars and contacts included
- States kept beyond the Microsoft deadline
Online archive
The archive mailbox as a source of its ownThe archive mailbox with its own folder structureFrequency:every six hoursHow it comes back:Back into the same or another online archive, or as an encrypted ZIP with EML files.
When a mailbox grows too large, older messages move to the online archive. That is a separate store with its own folder structure. Backing up only the primary mailbox misses exactly the data someone looks for years later.
- Own source next to the mailbox, no extra seat
- Archive folder structure preserved
- Same schedule as the mailbox
OneDrive
Each user's personal storageFiles and folders of every userFrequency:every six hoursHow it comes back:Single files and folders to the original, to another library or as ZIP.
Whatever is deleted or encrypted locally syncs up to the cloud. There it looks like an intended change, which is why older states have to live outside the environment.
- Older states outside of sync
- Restore single files and folders
- Even after the user licence is removed
SharePoint
Libraries and lists of team sitesLibraries with folders, lists with columns and entriesFrequency:files every six hours, lists dailyHow it comes back:At file level instead of the whole site, to the original or another library.
Libraries get reorganised, folders removed, and with them versions nobody can reconstruct. The site collection recycle bin expires, the backed-up states do not. Alongside the libraries, the lists of a site are included: tasks, events, contacts, a register of contracts.
Teams and SharePoint backup- Libraries with folder structure
- SharePoint lists with their columns and entries
- Independent of recycle bin deadlines
Teams
Channels and their filesChannels and their filesFrequency:dailyHow it comes back:Channels and files back into the team, or as a readable history to download.
Technically, a channel's files live in SharePoint. Backing up both together saves you the hunt for the right location once a team has been dissolved.
Teams and SharePoint backup- Channels with their files
- Reachable even after the team is dissolved
- In the same portal as all other sources
Teams chat
Private and group chatsPrivate and group chats with shared filesFrequency:dailyHow it comes back:As a readable history to download, or as channels in a new team. Microsoft does not allow writing back into an existing conversation.
Much of the coordination happens in the chat window rather than in a channel. These histories belong to the users taking part and are therefore backed up per user, including the files shared in them.
Teams chat backup- Private and group chats per user
- Shared files kept with the history
- Readable even after an employee leaves
Planner
Plans, buckets and tasksPlans, buckets, tasks, assignments, checklistsFrequency:dailyHow it comes back:As a new plan in the original group or another one, with buckets, tasks and checklists.
A deleted plan takes a whole team's task distribution with it. There is no recycle bin to bring a plan back from.
Microsoft Planner backup- Plan, buckets, tasks, assignments and checklists
- Back to the original group or another one
- Optionally as a new plan with its own title
Entra ID
The directory behind everythingUsers, groups, roles, applications, conditional accessFrequency:dailyHow it comes back:First a change plan showing what is missing and what differs. Users and groups are written back; policies and role assignments are deliberately left out.
Deleted users and groups stay in the directory recycle bin for thirty days, then they are gone. For role assignments and many settings there is not even that way back. Lose a sign-in policy and you will notice on Monday morning across every sign-in.
Entra ID backup- Users, groups, roles with memberships
- Applications, service principals, administrative units, conditional access
- Change plan to review before anything is written
A backup that checks itself
Whether a backup is any good only shows when you restore. That is why 365 Backup restores a sample every day and checks it, without writing anything to Microsoft 365.
- Drawn at random, including old states, never the same items
- The full path: fetch, decrypt, reassemble and compare with the checksum taken at backup
- Result and report in the portal, for your own review or for your auditors
- If a night is missed, the portal reports it
- Drawn
- 200 items, at random
- From sources
- all eight
- Oldest state
- 14 Mar 2026
- Decrypted
- 200 of 200
- Checksum matches
- 200 of 200
- Written to Microsoft 365
- nothing
Protected, for when it matters
- Immutable
- Every state is stored with a lock period and can be neither deleted nor overwritten until the end of retention.
- Encrypted
- Every block encrypted on its own with AES-256, with a separate key for each protected account.
- Deletion spike
- If an unusual number of items disappears at once, 365 Backup reports it straight away. You set the threshold.
- Second person
- If you wish, every restore needs the approval of a second person.
- Legal hold
- Keep the data of one account or the whole tenant beyond the deadline, for example for proceedings.
- Audit log
- Every backup, restore and settings change is in the audit log, each entry chained to the one before.
Employees restore their own emails
With the Conbool Backup add-in, employees restore their own emails, appointments, contacts and OneDrive files right in Outlook. IT decides who may do what, and gets fewer tickets.
- Rights per user and group, per data type and time span
- Limit per person and day
- Optionally with approval by a second person, valid for 48 hours
- Off by default, you switch it on
Where the backup lives
- Location
- STACKIT data centres in Germany. Operated outside Azure, so an outage at Microsoft does not hit the original and the backup at once.
- Provider
- Conbool is a German company with no parent company outside the EU. Data processing under the GDPR, contract directly with us.
- Retention
- One year by default, adjustable up to ten years. Also applies to accounts whose Microsoft licence has been removed.
- Storage
- Included in the price per account, no storage packs, within fair use.
- Own target
- If you wish, the backup goes to your own S3 storage, for example at STACKIT, OVHcloud or Amazon S3.
- Frequency
- Mailbox and files every six hours, the other sources daily. Can be changed in the portal.
Protected in three steps
- 01Approve the appYou consent once to a Microsoft 365 app that only reads. Nothing to install on any device.
- 02SelectChoose the users, groups and teams to protect. Anyone new shows up in the portal for selection.
- 03Try a restoreWriting back needs a second, separate consent. We restore an item together so you know the way before you need it.
The first backup takes a few hours depending on data volume. After that everything runs on schedule and needs no attention.
Frequently asked questions
Does Microsoft 365 include a backup?
No. Microsoft runs the platform and protects it against outages; the content remains your responsibility. Recycle bins and retention policies are deadlines: once they pass, Microsoft removes deleted content for good. Without a backup of your own it cannot be brought back.
Does a backup replace archiving?
No. A backup brings lost data back, an archive proves without gaps what was sent and received and when. Only the archive satisfies statutory retention. We cover both, retention is handled by Conbool Archive.
How fast is a restore?
Individual messages and files are usually back within minutes. Duration depends on volume and on the limits Microsoft applies to access.
What happens when an employee leaves?
Captured states remain available for the retention period you set, even once the Microsoft licence has been removed.
Does anything need to be installed on workstations?
No. The connection runs through a Microsoft 365 application you approve once. Nothing is installed on devices.
How is 365 Backup licensed?
Per licensed Microsoft 365 account. Anyone holding a licence with Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive or Teams takes one seat, which covers that user's mailbox, online archive, personal file storage and chat history. Groups, teams, SharePoint sites and the Entra directory take no seat of their own, and neither does a shared mailbox without a licence. Storage for the backups is included in the seat, with no storage packs, subject to fair use as set out in the service description. 365 Backup is part of the largest plan and can also be booked on its own.
Are Teams chats part of the backup?
Yes. Alongside the channels of a team, the private and group chats of protected users are captured, including the files shared in them. The history is handed out as a readable file, because Microsoft offers no supported way to write messages back into an existing conversation.
Is Entra ID backed up as well?
Yes, as a source of its own per Microsoft tenant. It captures users, groups, roles and their memberships, plus applications, service principals, administrative units and conditional access policies. Before anything is written a change plan is produced that shows item by item what is missing, what differs and what exists on top. Users and groups can be written back; policies and role assignments are deliberately left out, because bringing them back is more dangerous than losing them.
Does the online archive belong to the mailbox or is it separate?
It runs as a source of its own, on the same schedule as the mailbox and without an extra seat. It can be exported as a ZIP of EML files, encrypted and password protected. Writing back into the online archive is possible, into the same one or another.
Is the backup protected against ransomware?
Yes. The backup sits outside Microsoft 365 and out of reach of a compromised account. Every state is locked against deletion and overwriting until the end of retention, and if an unusual number of items disappears at once, 365 Backup reports it straight away.
How do I know the backup works?
Every day 365 Backup restores a random sample from the backed-up data, decrypts it and compares it with the checksum taken at backup. Result and report are in the portal under Proof. If a night is missed, the portal reports it.
Can employees restore by themselves?
Yes, with the Conbool Backup add-in for Outlook, once you switch it on. Per user and group you decide which data types from which time span may be restored, how many jobs per day are allowed and whether a second person must approve.
How often is data backed up?
By default mailbox, online archive and files every six hours; SharePoint lists, Teams, Teams chats, Planner and Entra ID daily. You change the frequency per source in the portal.
Where is the backed-up data stored?
In STACKIT data centres in Germany, operated outside Azure. If you prefer, the backup goes to your own S3 storage instead, and the data stays entirely in your ownership.
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Protect what Microsoft does not
We set up 365 Backup with you and show the restore on your own data.