OneDrive File Issues

Why Orphaned OneDrive Sites Are Missing from the Unlicensed Report

Amos Gikunda Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are unable to locate restored orphaned OneDrive sites within the SharePoint Online Unlicensed OneDrive accounts report.

Why Restored Orphaned OneDrive Sites Are Missing from the Unlicensed Report

Product: Microsoft SharePoint Online / OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An administrator restores a deleted or orphaned OneDrive site using the Restore-SPODeletedSite cmdlet, but the original user is no longer active in the directory.
Observed behavior: The restored orphaned OneDrive sites fail to appear in the Unlicensed OneDrive accounts report, making them difficult to track via the standard Admin Center interface.

Before you start

Ensure that you have the SharePoint Online Management Shell installed and possess global or SharePoint administrator permissions to run the necessary PowerShell cmdlets.

Solution 1Recommended

Use SharePoint PowerShell to Identify and Reassign Orphaned Sites

Since the unlicensed accounts report excludes sites without active owners, use SharePoint PowerShell cmdlets to manually locate orphaned sites and assign a new administrator.

An orphaned OneDrive site typically has no active owner because the original user's account was completely deleted or they have left the organization. In contrast, an unlicensed OneDrive account corresponds to a user still present in the directory but with an inactive or expired Microsoft 365 license.

Because the Unlicensed OneDrive accounts report is designed to track directory users with inactive licenses, it automatically excludes sites that lack an active owner altogether. PowerShell is the most reliable way to regain access to these personal sites.

Connect to SharePoint Online

Open the SharePoint Online Management Shell as an administrator and run 'Connect-SPOService -Url https://[yourtenant]-admin.sharepoint.com' to authenticate your session.

Identify the Orphaned Sites

Run the cmdlet 'Get-SPOSite -IncludePersonalSite $true' to retrieve a list of all sites, including personal OneDrive sites. You can filter this list to find sites where the original owner is no longer valid.

Assign a New Site Owner

Once the orphaned site URL is identified, use the command 'Set-SPOSite -Identity [SiteURL] -Owner [NewAdminEmail]' to assign an active administrative account as the new owner.

Use SharePoint PowerShell to Identify and Reassign Orphaned Sites

Access Restored: After assigning a new owner via PowerShell, you can navigate directly to the OneDrive site URL in your browser to view, backup, or manage the files.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exact difference between an orphaned site and an unlicensed OneDrive account?

An orphaned site belongs to a user whose account has been completely deleted from your organization's Microsoft 365 directory. An unlicensed account belongs to a user who still exists in the directory, but their Microsoft 365 license has either expired or been removed.

Can I use the Microsoft 365 Admin Center to find these orphaned sites?

Generally, no. The standard admin center reports focus on active directory users or unlicensed users. Orphaned sites without a directory user must typically be managed or identified using SharePoint Online PowerShell.

How can I backup the data from an orphaned OneDrive site once it is found?

After using the Set-SPOSite cmdlet to assign yourself or another administrator as the owner, you can log in to the site via a web browser and manually download the files, or use a certified migration tool to transfer the data.

Document & File Issues