Converted users to shared mailbox and onedrive

Samuel Consigny 21

I am wondering what happens to the user's onedrive when his mailbox is converted to a shared mailbox.

According to the Microsoft Learn, the user's onedrive is retained.

But if you create a shared mailbox from scratch, it doesn't contain a onedrive folder.

Will converting a user's mailbox to a shared one and then revoking his license delete the user's onedrive after 30 days? (Default policy)

Accepted answer

Andy David - MVP 142.3K Reputation points MVP

2020-12-01T14:41:48.5+00:00

Neither removing the license, or converting to a shared mailbox remove the One Drive Files. Only deleting the user from Azure or removing the user from an AADConnect sync from on-prem does that. One Drive has no idea what type of mailbox is being used.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/retention-and-deletion?redirectSourcePath=%252farticle%252fef883c48-332c-42f5-8aea-f0e2366c15f9

The retention period for cleanup of OneDrive begins when a user account is deleted from Azure Active Directory. No other action will cause the cleanup process to occur, including blocking the user from signing in or removing the user's license. For info about removing a user's license, see Remove licenses from users in Microsoft 365 for business.

If the user is coming back however, I see no reason to remove the license, but simply converting to a shared mailbox and removing that license will not affect OneDrive as long as the user exists in Azure and is not deleted.
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2 people found this answer helpful.
Samuel Consigny 21 Reputation points

2020-12-01T14:47:23.547+00:00

Hi Andy,

Thank you for your answer.

I can see that opinions are shared between both sides.

Did a microsoft employee confirm that ? If yes, please share the link

Thank you for your time

Andy David - MVP 142.3K Reputation points MVP

2020-12-01T14:50:45.533+00:00

I can confirm it :) Converting to a shared mailbox is part of our term process. Until the account is removed from Azure, the One Drive stays intact.
For example: If you convert to a shared mailbox and 30 days later, remove the account from Azure, the one drive access is actually 60 days since its retained for 30 days after its deleted and the manager is given access automatically,

You can test this out and you will see what I mean.

Samuel Consigny 21 Reputation points

2020-12-01T17:05:34.45+00:00

Ok cause it also is part of our term process. But after converting the mailbox, we remove de licence. Should we keep it?

I just want to make sure that removing a licence from a converted mailbox wont activate the 30 days retention policy.

Do you remove the licence after converting the mailbox?

Andy David - MVP 142.3K Reputation points MVP

2020-12-01T17:09:54.1+00:00

Yes, convert to a shared mailbox then remove all the licenses.
30 days later, we remove from Azure and that gives the manager an additional 30 days to access the one Drive contents if required.

Samuel Consigny 21 Reputation points

2020-12-01T17:27:36.897+00:00

Thanks

How long have you been doing that? Have you run into any problems so far ?

Andy David - MVP 142.3K Reputation points MVP

2020-12-01T17:29:12.687+00:00

Prob close to 2 years. No issues reported so far! :)

Samuel Consigny 21 Reputation points

2020-12-01T17:33:58.377+00:00

Alright thanks !

It helps alot !

Mdg Rkb 1 Reputation point

2021-09-30T14:57:14.24+00:00

Hello.

Wanted to add to this discussion about former employees.

There should be a more holistic approach from Microsoft for handling this scenario.

Converting a user to a shared mailbox, as aconcept doesn't reflect the fact that its OneDrive data is being retained.

This could potentially lead to another admin taking over and deleting users with no license assigned, unknowingly deleting their mailboxes and OneDrive data.

Some organizations don't have so strict procedures in place and may want leave the former employee user data indefinitely.

I suggest a concept such as "resource user" be introduced by Microsoft, meaning it doesn't consume any licenses, but retains all data in services which formerly had a license assigned (Exchange, OneDrive, etc.).

As an alternative, provide a straight forward mechanism for moving Exchange, OneDrive, etc. data from a user account over to the manager user account.

Thanks
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3 additional answers

SethWH 436 Reputation points

2020-11-30T20:43:08.753+00:00

Hello,

You should probably start with mailbox conversion documentation:
about-shared-mailboxes

You'll have 30 days for OneDrive retention:
get-access-to-and-back-up-a-former-user-s-data
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Samuel Consigny 21 Reputation points

2020-11-30T20:57:35.253+00:00

Hi Seth,

Thanks for the fast answer.

I have read all that, but I am still wondering. It is not CLEARLY stated that converting a user mailbox to a shared one activate the 30 days onedrive retention.

It is said that removing a licence of a user keeps the onedrive files

It is said that a shared mailbox does not have a onedrive storage

No where do they state that converting a mailbox to a shared one will activate the 30 days onedrive retention for that user.

So, my question is, will the user on pregnancy leave keeps her file when she come back?
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Emily Du-MSFT 41,941 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2020-12-01T09:19:19.567+00:00

@Samuel Consigny
After you convert a user's mailbox to a shared mailbox, do not delete the user and remove her license. If the user has license, SharePoint will keep her OneDrive.

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Samuel Consigny 21 Reputation points

2020-12-01T14:33:34.493+00:00

Hi Emily,

Thank you for your answer, as I feared this is what would happen.

I will not click Accept Answer as I would like to have more comments on this before thinking this is true.

If someone from microsoft could confirm this, that would be great

Emily Du-MSFT 41,941 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2020-12-02T02:54:59.28+00:00

I think Andy David’s answer is right. If Andy David’s answer is helpful, please remember accept his answer.

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Artūrs Pupausis 0 Reputation points

2024-01-16T11:32:05.0066667+00:00

I didn't quite get it. So if the converted shared mailbox license is removed it deletes the OneDrive of the former user within 30 days. Is that right?
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