Microsoft 365 Backup Gains Faster File-Level Restore
▼ Summary
– Microsoft is upgrading Microsoft 365 Backup to allow administrators to restore individual files and folders, speeding up recovery times.
– Previously, the service required full-site or full-drive restores, but the new granular feature lets admins browse and select specific items from restore points.
– This capability is exclusively for tenants with Microsoft 365 Backup enabled and requires the SharePoint Backup Administrator role, with end users unaffected.
– The granular restore feature entered public preview in early March 2026 and is expected to reach general availability worldwide by late April to early May 2026.
– Microsoft advises customers to review their backup coverage, train administrators on the new workflow, and update internal recovery procedures before rollout.
A significant enhancement is coming to Microsoft 365 Backup, designed to dramatically accelerate data recovery times for administrators. The service, which safeguards SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange data from threats like ransomware and accidental deletion, is gaining the ability to restore individual files and folders. This move addresses a key limitation, as previous restore operations required recovering an entire site or drive even for a single lost item, a process that could be lengthy and disruptive.
Microsoft 365 Backup is a SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange backup and restore service designed to protect against data loss from ransomware, accidental deletion, or data corruption. The new functionality shifts the paradigm from bulk restoration to precise recovery. Administrators will be able to browse and search through existing restore points for protected SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts. From there, they can pinpoint and select only the specific files or directories that need to be recovered, bypassing the need for a full-scale restore operation.
This granular restore capability is reserved for tenants who have already enabled the Microsoft 365 Backup service. Furthermore, access is restricted to administrators who hold the specific SharePoint Backup Administrator role. The company emphasizes that this change is transparent to end-users; restore operations will be initiated and managed solely by admins without altering the standard user experience.
In a recent update, Microsoft stated the feature would allow admins to “browse, search, and restore individual files or folders from SharePoint and OneDrive restore points.” They noted that this granular restore reduces recovery time and operates within the boundaries of existing backup policies. The update entered a public preview phase in early March 2026, with a planned global rollout for general availability set between late April and early May of the same year.
Prior to the feature becoming active in their environments, Microsoft recommends customers take several preparatory steps. Organizations should review their current backup coverage for SharePoint and OneDrive, ensure that their backup administrators are trained on the new granular restore workflow, and update their internal recovery documentation and procedures to include these file- and folder-level scenarios.
The company clarified that this upgrade provides a new method for accessing backup data without changing where or how that data is stored. It grants administrators finer control to restore specific files or folders containing personal data, which is particularly valuable when responding to specific recovery requests, data correction needs, or remediation efforts following an incident.
This announcement follows another recent expansion of Microsoft’s backup offerings. Last month, the company enhanced Windows Backup for Organizations, an enterprise-grade tool, to allow users to restore personal settings and Microsoft Store applications from a previous Windows 11 device, further broadening its data protection and recovery suite for businesses.
(Source: Bleeping Computer)
