Deleted File Recovery

What Happens to Personal Microsoft Lists After User Deletion?

Natalie Taylor Oct 23, 2026 868 views

Question details

Administrators need to understand the fate of personal Microsoft Lists stored in a user's OneDrive when an employee leaves the organization, and how to prevent data loss.

What Happens to Personal Microsoft Lists After User Deletion?

Product: Microsoft Lists
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An employee is leaving the organization, and the IT administrator plans to delete their user account but needs to preserve access to important personal lists.
Observed behavior: Deleting the user account automatically deletes all personal lists associated with that account because they are stored in the user's personal OneDrive.

Before you start

Before proceeding with account deletion, review the departing user's personal lists and determine which data is critical for the remaining team members.

Solution 1Recommended

Transfer Lists to a SharePoint Site

Move personal lists to a shared team location before deleting the user account to ensure uninterrupted access.

Personal lists are tied to an individual's OneDrive, while SharePoint lists are tied to the organization. Moving lists to SharePoint is the safest way to prevent data loss.

Reset user credentials

In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, reset the departing user's password to gain temporary access to their account.

Log into Microsoft Lists

Recreate or transfer the lists

Copy the list data or use the 'Create a list from an existing list' feature to recreate the vital personal lists within a shared SharePoint site.

SharePoint Safety: Lists created in or moved to a SharePoint site are never deleted when an individual user account is removed.

Solution 2

Delegate OneDrive Access During Deletion

Grant another user access to the departing employee's OneDrive during the account deletion process.

Solution 3

Retain Account and Remove Licenses

Keep the data intact without paying for unused licenses by converting or modifying the account.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage Your Team's Documents with WPS Office

While Microsoft Lists handles list tracking, managing your team's documents, spreadsheets, and presentations is seamless and cost-effective with WPS Office. It provides an excellent, lightweight alternative for teams needing strong compatibility with Microsoft formats.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
2. Install the software: Run the installer and follow the quick on-screen instructions to set up WPS Office on your computer.
3. Open existing files: Launch WPS Office and open your existing .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files directly without losing formatting.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats.Lightweight architecture runs smoothly even on older hardware.Free to download and use for essential daily office tasks.Familiar user interface reduces the learning curve for teams.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are lists saved to SharePoint sites deleted when the user leaves?

No. Lists created and saved within a SharePoint site are tied to the organization's site structure, not the individual user. They will remain fully accessible to anyone with site permissions even after the creator's account is deleted.

What happens to existing personal lists if I disable the personal-list creation feature?

Disabling the ability to create new personal lists does not delete existing ones. Any personal lists that users previously created will remain in their 'My Lists' area and continue to be accessible.

Can I recover personal lists if the user account has already been deleted?

Yes, if the account was deleted recently (typically within 30 days), an administrator can restore the user account from the 'Deleted users' section in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This will temporarily restore their OneDrive and the associated personal lists.

Migration & Recovery