Full Guide to Recovering Your SharePoint Data
Need to bring back archived files in SharePoint? This step-by-step guide walks you through restoring all previously archived files in a SharePoint Online site using Squirrel, ensuring a seamless and efficient recovery process.
How to Restore All Files from Archive in a SharePoint Online Site with Squirrel
Restoring an entire SharePoint Online site from Squirrel is a simple and efficient process that ensures all previously archived files are returned to their original location within SharePoint. This functionality is particularly useful when a site requires full access to archived content, whether for compliance, business needs, or reactivation of an old project.
Important Note: This process will restore only the files that were archived in the selected SharePoint site. Any files that were not archived will remain untouched. For this example, we will be restoring all files in the Engineer site, which was previously archived in our earlier blog post.
Why Restore an Archived SharePoint Site?
There are several reasons why you might need to restore an entire site’s archived files:
- Business Needs – If a project is reactivated or a department needs historical data, restoring all files ensures they have everything they need.
- Compliance & Legal Requirements – Some industries require companies to retain and restore archived documents for audits and regulatory compliance.
- Collaboration & Access – If users need to work on a previously archived site, restoring the files provides immediate access to original content.
- Accidental Archiving or Policy Changes – If a site was archived in error or business policies change, restoring files allows for a seamless rollback.
Regardless of the reason, Squirrel makes the restoration process straightforward while maintaining data integrity.
Access the Squirrel Dashboard
To begin the restoration process, follow these steps:
Log into your Squirrel web portal then navigate to the Site Archive Settings section of the dashboard.
This section provides an overview of all the SharePoint Sites in your environment, as well as the ability to whitelist a site from a global archive policy, implement the sites own archive policy. But also gives the administrator the ability to either Archive or Restore a complete site..
The dashboard ensures that administrators can quickly find the site they need to restore without navigating through complex menus.
Select the SharePoint Site for Restoration
Locate the Engineer site in the list of archived sites then click on the Restore button to proceed.
Confirm the Restoration Process
Before proceeding with the full restore, Squirrel review the information carefully.
Click Confirm Restore to initiate the process.
A warning prompt will appear, notifying that the restore process may take time and could impact user access. It is recommended to perform restores outside of business hours.
Once confirmed, the site restoration will begin, and you will be redirected to the Restore Queue for progress tracking.
Monitor the Restore Progress
The Restore Queue displays the current status of all active restores.
Navigate to the Restore Jobs section to check the details of the restoration process.
Squirrel provides real-time updates, showing progress bars for large restores.
Depending on the site’s size, restoration may take a few minutes to several hours.
Squirrel ensures that even during large-scale restorations, users can track the progress and plan accordingly.
Verify the Restored Files
Once the restoration process is complete, it’s important to verify that all files have been properly restored:
Open SharePoint Online and navigate to the Engineer site.
Access the document library to confirm that the previously archived files have been restored to their original locations.
Check file metadata such as last modified date and version history to ensure integrity.
At this stage, users should be able to access all files as they were before archiving
Validate Access and Integrity
As seen in the image, you can see that the file has been restored sucessfully back to SharePoint including all the version history.
Before finalizing the restore process, conduct a validation check:
Open several restored files – Ensure documents, spreadsheets, and images open correctly.
Check permissions – Verify that user permissions are still in place as expected.
Validate linked content – If there were interlinked documents or referenced files, ensure that they function as intended.
If any issues are detected, Squirrel’s logging system provides detailed reports that can help diagnose and resolve potential problems.
Conclusion
Restoring archived files from Squirrel is an easy and efficient way to bring back data when needed. Whether for compliance, business continuity, or user access, the step-by-step process ensures that all previously archived files in a SharePoint Online site can be restored seamlessly while maintaining SharePoint’s structure.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Selective Restoration – Only previously archived files are restored, ensuring no unnecessary changes.
✅ Fast & Reliable – The restore process is efficient, even for large SharePoint sites.
✅ Seamless User Experience – Files are returned to their original location with no manual intervention needed.
✅ Complete Control – Administrators can monitor the progress and verify restoration integrity.
With Squirrel, your SharePoint archiving and restoration processes remain secure, efficient, and hassle-free.
Stay tuned for more Squirrel guides and best practices!
Squirrel: The Smartest Way to Restore Your SharePoint Data – Fast, Reliable, and Hassle-Free!
Lost important SharePoint files? With Squirrel, you can instantly restore archived data and get your team back on track with minimal downtime.
