How to Restore File Versions and Deleted Items in Microsoft Teams & SharePoint

1.0 Audience

Identify the intended audience for this document. Select all that apply:

  • Employees (Staff, Faculty)

 

2.0 Purpose 

The purpose of this article is to guide you through restoring previous versions of files and recovering deleted files in Microsoft Teams and SharePoint. These instructions apply to all major browsers on Windows and Mac operating systems.


 

3.0 Instructions

Restore a Previous Version of a File

  1. Navigate to the Teams channel where the file is located. Click Open in SharePoint.
     
  2. Open the file you want to restore.

 
 

  1. At the top of the file, click the drop-down arrow next to the file name.
  2. Select Version History.

 

  1. In the Version History panel:
    • Select the date of the version you want.
    • Choose Restore to revert to that version, or Save a Copy to keep both versions.
    • To download a previous version, click the three dots (ellipsis) next to the version and select Download.

 

 

 

Recover a Deleted File or Folder

  1. Go to the Team where the file was deleted.
  2. Select Files from the top menu.
  3. Click Open in SharePoint.


 

  1. In SharePoint, select Recycle Bin from the left-hand menu.


 

  1. Locate the file or folder you want to restore. Click Restore at the top left of the page.

 

4.0 Definitions 

  1. Version History: A feature in SharePoint that allows you to view and restore previous versions of a file.
  2. Recycle Bin: A location in SharePoint where deleted files and folders are temporarily stored before permanent deletion.

 

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