Permission & Access Issues

How to Automate Access to Terminated Users' OneDrive Accounts

WPS Editor Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

An administrator needs a bulk method to grant a manager access to multiple terminated users' OneDrive accounts.

How to Automate Access to Terminated Users' OneDrive Accounts

Product: Microsoft 365 / OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing data access for departing or terminated employees efficiently across a specific region without configuring each account one by one.
Observed behavior: Manual configuration through the Microsoft 365 and SharePoint admin centers is too time-consuming for multiple accounts, requiring an automated scripting solution.

Before you start

Ensure you have the SharePoint Administrator role in Microsoft 365 and that the latest version of the SharePoint Online Management Shell is installed on your computer.

Solution 1Recommended

Use PowerShell to Automate OneDrive Access Delegation

Utilize the SharePoint Online Management Shell to script and assign site collection administrator rights across multiple OneDrive URLs simultaneously.

While the Microsoft 365 and SharePoint admin centers allow you to assign administrators to individual OneDrive accounts, they lack native bulk-action capabilities for this specific task. PowerShell is the most efficient and officially supported method to iterate through multiple users and delegate access instantly.

Prepare a CSV file

Create a CSV file containing the list of OneDrive URLs for the terminated users and the User Principal Name (UPN) of the manager who needs access. Name the columns appropriately, for example, 'OneDriveUrl' and 'ManagerUPN'.

Connect to SharePoint Online

Open PowerShell as an administrator and run the command 'Connect-SPOService -Url https://[yourtenant]-admin.sharepoint.com' to authenticate with your Microsoft 365 tenant credentials.

Execute the delegation script

Use a foreach loop to iterate through the CSV file rows and run the 'Set-SPOUser' cmdlet. The specific command structure should be: 'Set-SPOUser -Site $row.OneDriveUrl -LoginName $row.ManagerUPN -IsSiteCollectionAdmin $true' to grant the manager admin rights.

Use PowerShell to Automate OneDrive Access Delegation

Alternative Manual Method: If you only have a few accounts to manage, you can manually generate access links by going to the Microsoft 365 admin center, selecting 'Deleted users', choosing the user, and clicking 'Create link to files' under the OneDrive tab.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a terminated user's OneDrive data remain accessible?

By default, when a user's Microsoft 365 account is deleted, their OneDrive data is retained for 30 days. Administrators can modify this retention period up to 3650 days (10 years) via the SharePoint admin center before the data is permanently purged.

What permissions does a manager need to view a former employee's OneDrive?

To view, download, or move files, the manager must be designated as a Site Collection Administrator for that specific user's personal OneDrive site.

Will the manager receive an email notification when access is granted via PowerShell?

No, granting Site Collection Administrator rights via the Set-SPOUser cmdlet in PowerShell happens silently. The manager will not receive an automated email, so the administrator must provide them with the direct OneDrive URLs manually.

Document & File Issues