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How to Access the Second-Stage Recycle Bin for Teams SharePoint Files
Question details
Users are unable to locate or access the second-stage recycle bin when trying to recover files from a Teams-connected SharePoint site.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to recover deleted files from a Microsoft Teams-connected SharePoint site after they have been purged from the primary recycle bin.
- Observed behavior
- The link to the second-stage recycle bin is completely missing at the bottom of the recycle bin page for specific Teams-connected sites.
Ensure you are logged into your organization's Microsoft 365 environment with your primary work account and have the exact name of the affected Teams channel ready.
Verify Site Collection Administrator Permissions
The second-stage recycle bin is restricted to Site Collection Administrators. You must verify your account permissions to ensure you have the necessary access.
In Microsoft SharePoint, standard site members and even some site owners may not automatically have access to the second-stage (site collection) recycle bin. This administrative feature is hidden unless your account possesses Site Collection Administrator privileges.
Navigate to the affected Microsoft Team, go to the 'Files' tab at the top of the channel, and click 'Open in SharePoint'.
Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner of the SharePoint site and select 'Site permissions'.
Click on 'Advanced permissions settings' and then look for 'Site Collection Administrators' to verify if your name is listed.
If you are not listed as an administrator, contact your organization's IT department or tenant global admin to request Site Collection Administrator rights for that specific site.
Test Cross-Site and Cross-User Accessibility
Determine if the missing recycle bin issue is isolated to a specific site configuration or if it affects your entire tenant.
Manage Your Team's Documents Effortlessly with WPS Office
While recovering deep-deleted SharePoint files requires Microsoft administrative permissions, you can streamline your everyday document collaboration with WPS Office. It is a lightweight, highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office that makes editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files straightforward and completely free.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website to download the free installation package for your operating system.
- 2. Install and Launch: Follow the simple on-screen instructions to install the software, then launch the application.
- 3. Open Your Documents: Easily open, edit, and save your existing Microsoft Office documents directly within WPS Office with zero format loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can access the second-stage recycle bin in SharePoint?
Only users who have been granted explicit Site Collection Administrator permissions can view and restore items from the second-stage (site collection) recycle bin.
How long are files kept in the second-stage recycle bin?
Deleted items are typically retained for a total of 93 days. This retention period is shared across both the first-stage (user) and second-stage (administrator) recycle bins combined.
Why is the second-stage recycle bin link completely hidden?
The link is hidden by default if your current account lacks the necessary Site Collection Administrator privileges, or if custom site configurations have disabled the view for standard users.
