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Retention Policy Do Nothing

Learner 40 Reputation points
2025-01-14T01:17:19.83+00:00

Applying a one-year retention policy to SharePoint, Exchange, and OneDrive,Exchange Groups and Mailboxes. Created and implemented the retention policy, configuring it with a disposition of "Do Nothing" for the specified services.up

I understand that the "Do Nothing" disposition means no action will be taken after the one-year retention period. However, I want to be absolutely certain that nothing happens to the data after one year—such as data being moved or altered in any way after one year has elapsed.

My second question concerns disabled or unlicensed users. For example, what happens to data for a user whose mailbox has been converted to a shared mailbox, or for disabled/unlicensed users with OneDrive or SharePoint data? Are there any side effects or potential impacts I should be aware of after the one year has elapsed?

I would appreciate confirmation on these points. Many thanks!

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  1. Alex Zhang-MSFT 3,315 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2025-01-14T03:00:39.6133333+00:00

    Hello, @Learner,

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A platform!

    According to your description, you have some uncertain points on Retention Policy, to clarify your questions, let's break them down into parts:

    1."Do Nothing" Disposition

    When you configure a retention policy with a "Do Nothing" disposition, it means that after the specified retention period (one year in your case), no action will be taken on the data. The data will not be moved, deleted, or altered in any way. It will simply remain in its current state, as the screenshot shown below. This ensures that your data will stay intact even after the one-year period has elapsed. User's image

    (Reference: https://zcusa.951200.xyz/en-us/purview/retention-settings#settings-for-retaining-and-deleting-content.)

    2.Data for Disabled or Unlicensed Users

    a. Exchange: For mailboxes converted to shared mailboxes, the data will remain accessible as long as the shared mailbox exists. If the mailbox is unlicensed, it will follow the retention policies set for Exchange. Typically, data in unlicensed mailboxes will be retained for a specified period before being moved to the recycle bin.

    b. OneDrive: If a user's OneDrive account becomes unlicensed, the data will be retained for a default period of 30 days, which can be extended. After this period, the OneDrive account will be marked for deletion and will be retained in a deleted state for 93 days, during which it can be restored by an admin. If the account is subject to a retention policy, it will be archived after 93 days of license removal, as the screenshot shown below.

    User's image

    (Reference: https://zcusa.951200.xyz/en-us/sharepoint/unlicensed-onedrive-accounts#changes-to-storage-policies-for-unlicensed-onedrive-accounts.)

    c. SharePoint: Similar to OneDrive, data in SharePoint associated with unlicensed users will follow the retention policies set for the organization. If no specific retention policy is applied, the data will be retained for a default period before being moved to the recycle bin.

    3. Potential Impacts

    a. Access Restrictions: After the retention period, access to data for unlicensed accounts may be restricted, and only admins will have the ability to restore or manage the data.

    b. Archiving: Data subject to retention policies will be archived, ensuring it remains available for compliance purposes but may not be readily accessible to end users.

    Finally, if you have specific concerns about settings or configurations, it might be helpful to review your organization's policies or consult with your IT admin to ensure compliance with data retention requirements. Should you need more help on this, you can feel free to post back. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click on ACCEPT ANSWER as it could help other members of the Microsoft Q&A community who have similar questions and are looking for solutions.

    Thank you for your support and understanding.

    Best Wishes,

    Alex Zhang

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