Data Backup Problems

How to Back Up an Employee's Microsoft 365 Data After Their Death

Olivia Miller Oct 23, 2026 868 views

Question details

An administrator needs to preserve business email, contacts, calendar information, and other required Microsoft 365 data of a deceased employee before cancelling their subscription.

How to Back Up an Employee's Microsoft 365 Data After Their Death

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing data retention and compliance when processing the account cancellation for a deceased employee.
Observed behavior: The organization needs a secure and compliant method to export and retain the employee's data before permanently removing the user account.

Before you start

Ensure you have active global or exchange administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant, and verify your organization's legal and data privacy policies regarding employee data access before proceeding.

Solution 1Recommended

Export Outlook Data to a PST File

Use the Outlook desktop application to export the employee's emails, contacts, and calendar into a local PST file for secure offline archiving.

This method requires you to have delegated access to the deceased employee's mailbox, which you can grant to yourself via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Add mailbox to Outlook

Sign in to your Outlook desktop application. Once you have granted yourself Full Access permissions in the Exchange admin center, the employee's mailbox will automatically appear in your folder pane.

Open the Export Wizard

Click on the 'File' menu in the top-left corner, select 'Open & Export' from the left sidebar, and click on 'Import/Export'.

Select Export to a File

In the Import and Export Wizard, choose 'Export to a file', click 'Next', and then select 'Outlook Data File (.pst)'.

Choose Folders to Back Up

Select the name of the deceased employee's email account to export everything. Make sure the 'Include subfolders' checkbox is ticked, then click 'Next'.

Save the PST File

Click 'Browse' to choose a secure location on your local drive or company server to save the file, name the file appropriately, and click 'Finish' to begin the backup process.

Backup Duration: Depending on the size of the mailbox, the export process may take some time. Do not close Outlook until the progress box disappears.

Solution 2

Convert Mailbox to a Shared Mailbox

Convert the deceased employee's mailbox into a shared mailbox to retain all email data in the cloud without requiring an active Microsoft 365 license.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I back up the data if I don't know the employee's Microsoft 365 password?

Yes. As a global or exchange administrator, you can grant yourself mailbox access or convert the account to a shared mailbox through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, allowing you to access and export the data without needing the user's password.

How long is data retained if the account is accidentally deleted before backing up?

When a Microsoft 365 user account is deleted, the data is typically retained in a soft-deleted state for 30 days. During this window, an administrator can restore the account to recover the emails, contacts, and calendar.

What happens to the deceased employee's OneDrive files?

When an account is deleted, you have 30 days by default to access the user's OneDrive. In the Admin Center, you can grant another user access to the deceased employee's OneDrive so they can download or move necessary files before permanent deletion.

Are there legal considerations before exporting an employee's data?

Yes, accessing and retaining a deceased employee's email and files can involve data privacy laws and company policies. Always consult with your organization's legal and HR departments to ensure compliance before accessing or exporting the data.

Migration & Recovery