Before you cancel Microsoft 365.

What happens to the data when you cancel Microsoft 365

1. For most offers in most countries and regions, a subscription enters the Expired status as soon as it reaches its end date (whether its term ran out, you turned off recurring billing or you upgraded it), stays Expired for 30 days, then Disabled for 90 days, and is then Deleted.

   Plans: Microsoft 365 for business subscriptions, most offers in most countries, except license-based subscriptions bought directly through a Microsoft Customer Agreement (no Expired stage since February 9, 2026); Enterprise Agreement, Volume Licensing, Open Value and CSP purchases follow their own tables

   Microsoft’s words

   The Expired status starts immediately after the subscription reaches its end date, regardless of whether it expired naturally by reaching the end of the subscription term, you turned off recurring billing or upgraded it. ... For most offers, in most countries and regions, the number of days a subscription stays in each lifecycle status is shown in the following table. | Active | Expired | Disabled | Deleted All subscription terms | Default status | 30 days | 90 days | Terminal state

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

2. Since February 9, 2026, license-based subscriptions bought directly through a Microsoft Customer Agreement no longer have an Expired stage.

   Plans: license-based subscriptions bought directly through a Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA)

   Microsoft’s words

   As of February 9, 2026, the Expired lifecycle state no longer applies to license-based subscriptions bought directly through a Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA).

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

3. While Expired, everyone still has their data; while Disabled, only admins can reach it; a global or billing admin can reactivate the subscription in either stage, but once it is Deleted the data is gone and it cannot be reactivated.

   Plans: most offers, in most countries/regions

   Microsoft’s words

   | Active | Expired* | Disabled* | Deleted Customer data | Data is accessible to all | Data is accessible to all | Data is accessible to admins only | Data is deleted and Microsoft Entra ID is removed, if not in use by other services ... Reactivation | Subscription is already active | Global or billing admins can reactivate the subscription in the admin center | Global or billing admins can reactivate the subscription in the admin center | Subscription can't be reactivated

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

4. Canceling inside the cancellation window sends the subscription straight to Disabled, where admins can still back up data; anything left behind might be deleted after 90 days and will be deleted no later than 180 days after cancellation.

   Plans: all Microsoft 365 for business subscriptions

   Microsoft’s words

   If you cancel your subscription within the cancellation policy window, the subscription moves directly to the Disabled status. We recommend that you back up your data before you cancel your subscription. As an admin, you can still access and back up data for your organization while it's in the Disabled status. Any customer data that you leave behind might be deleted after 90 days and will be deleted no later than 180 days after cancellation.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

5. Microsoft's cancellation page gives a shorter floor: customer data left behind after canceling might be deleted after 30 days and is deleted no later than 180 days after cancellation.

   Plans: all Microsoft 365 for business subscriptions

   Microsoft’s words

   When the cancellation becomes effective, your users lose access to their data. Before you cancel the subscription, have users save their OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online files to another location. Any customer data that you leave behind might be deleted after 30 days, and is deleted no later than 180 days after cancellation.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

6. Explicitly deleting a subscription skips the Expired and Disabled stages and deletes SharePoint and OneDrive content immediately.

   Plans: all Microsoft 365 for business subscriptions

   Microsoft’s words

   If you explicitly delete a subscription, it skips the Expired and Disabled statuses and SharePoint Online data and content, including OneDrive, is immediately deleted.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

7. After you delete a user, you have 30 days to restore the account before the user's data is permanently deleted.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   You have 30 days to restore the account before the user's data is permanently deleted.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

8. Restoring a deleted user within 30 days brings back the account and all associated data, including the full mailbox.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   When you restore a user account within 30 days of deleting it, the account and all associated data are restored. The user can sign in with their same work or school account. Their mailbox is fully restored.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

9. A deleted user's OneDrive is kept for 30 days by default for someone to move files out; after that it sits in the site collection recycle bin for 93 days, where restoring it requires PowerShell.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   You need to move the files you want to keep within the retention period that is set for OneDrive files. By default, the retention period is 30 days. If you don't move the files within the retention period after deleting the user, the OneDrive for the deleted user is moved to the site collection recycle bin, where it's kept for 93 days. During this time, users will no longer be able to access any shared content in the OneDrive. To restore the OneDrive, you need to use PowerShell.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

Who can export what, by plan

1. Microsoft Purview eDiscovery can search Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups, OneDrive, SharePoint and Viva Engage and export the results; organizations with an Office 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 E5 subscription (or related E5 add-on subscriptions) can further manage cases and analyze content with premium eDiscovery features.

   Plans: eDiscovery search and export: see the licensing facts on this page; premium features: Office 365 E5, Microsoft 365 E5 or related E5 add-ons

   Microsoft’s words

   Supported Microsoft 365 services include: Exchange Online Microsoft Teams Microsoft 365 Groups OneDrive SharePoint Viva Engage You can search mailboxes and sites in the same eDiscovery search, and then export the search results. Use eDiscovery cases to identify, hold, and export content found in mailboxes and sites. If your organization has an Office 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 E5 subscription (or related E5 add-on subscriptions), you can further manage cases and analyze content by using premium eDiscovery features.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

2. Members of the eDiscovery Manager role group can search content locations and preview and export search results, and assigning eDiscovery permissions in the Microsoft Purview portal requires membership of the Organization Management role group or the Role Management role.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   eDiscovery Manager: An eDiscovery Manager can search content locations in the organization and perform various search-related actions such as preview and export search results in eDiscovery. ... You need to be a member of the Organization Management role group or be assigned the Role Management role to assign eDiscovery permissions in the Microsoft Purview portal.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

3. Microsoft's Exchange Online service description lists eDiscovery content search of mailboxes as included in Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium, as well as E1, E3/E5, F3 and Exchange Online plans.

   Plans: Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, Office 365 E1, Microsoft 365 and Office 365 E3/E5, F3, Exchange Online Plan 1, Plan 2, Kiosk (mailbox content only)

   Microsoft’s words

   Feature | Description | Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard | Microsoft 365 Business Premium | Office 365 E1 | Microsoft 365 E3/E5 & Office 365 E3/E5 | Microsoft 365 F3 & Office 365 F3 | Exchange Online Plan 2 | Exchange Online Plan 1 | Exchange Online Kiosk ... Encryption of data at rest (BitLocker), Messaging Records Management (MRM), S/MIME, Journaling, eDiscovery content search3, Transport rules4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

What can stop or limit an export

1. The person running an eDiscovery export needs a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 or E5 license, plus a SharePoint E3 license for SharePoint content to export reliably.

   Plans: Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 or E5 for the exporting user

   Microsoft’s words

   To export content in eDiscovery, assign the eDiscovery user a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 or E5 license. When exporting SharePoint content, the account must also have a Microsoft SharePoint E3 license; otherwise, SharePoint items might not export as expected.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

2. Search export packages are deleted automatically 14 days after you create the export and cannot be recovered, so download them before then.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   Search export packages expire 14 days after you create the export. After 14 days, the export and all data contained in the export package are automatically deleted and can't be recovered. To retain the exported data, download the export packages before the 14-day expiry. This expiry applies only to search exports, not to review set exports.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

3. An export that runs for more than seven days without finishing is canceled automatically, so large exports have to be split into smaller batches.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   If an export runs for more than seven days without completing, it automatically cancels. To prevent cancellation, divide exports into smaller batches.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

What the export looks like

1. Mail comes out as PST files or individual messages, and SharePoint and OneDrive content comes out as copies of the native Office and other documents.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   When you export search results, you download mailbox items in PST files or as individual messages. When you export content from SharePoint and OneDrive sites, you export copies of native Office documents and other documents.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

2. You choose .pst or .msg files for messages, and the download arrives compressed in .zip packages.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   Create PSTs for messages: This option creates .pst files for messages. Create .msg files for messages: This option creates .msg files for messages. ... Unzipping export files: Data is compressed into a .zip file for improved performance and reliability.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

3. Teams and other chat messages can be exported threaded into HTML transcripts.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   Organize conversation into HTML transcript: Contextual chat messages are threaded into HTML transcripts for ease of review and handling.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

What is deleted while you still pay

1. In Exchange Online, deleted mail held in the Recoverable Items folder stays there for 14 days by default (adjustable up to 30 days) and is then removed from Exchange Online.

   Plans: all Exchange Online plans

   Microsoft’s words

   Items remain in the Deletions subfolder until the deleted item retention period is reached. The default deleted item retention period for Exchange Online is 14 days. You can modify this period for mailboxes up to a maximum of 30 days. In addition to a deleted item retention period, the Recoverable Items folder is also subject to quotas. To learn more, see Recoverable Items mailbox quotas later in this article. When the deleted item retention period expires, the item is removed from Exchange Online.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

2. Deleted SharePoint items are kept in the recycle bins for 93 days from the moment they are deleted, then permanently deleted.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   Deleted items are retained in recycle bins for a certain period of time. For SharePoint, the retention time is 93 days. It begins when you delete the item from its original location. When you delete the item from the site recycle bin, it goes into the site collection recycle bin. It stays there for the remainder of the 93 days, and then is permanently deleted.

   support.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

3. Removing a user's Exchange Online license, even without deleting the user, starts a 30-day grace period after which that mailbox data is deleted and cannot be recovered.

   Plans: all Exchange Online plans

   Microsoft’s words

   When an Exchange Online license is removed from a user, Exchange Online data associated with that account is held for 30 days. After the 30-day grace period, the data is deleted and can't be recovered. If you add the license back to the user during the grace period, this will restore access, and the mailbox will become fully active.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

4. A OneDrive without a valid license is archived automatically on its 93rd unlicensed day, and after 12 months of unpaid archive storage its data might be deleted even if retention policies or holds apply.

   Plans: all

   Microsoft’s words

   All OneDrive accounts that don't have a valid OneDrive license are automatically archived on their 93rd unlicensed day. Retention settings, retention policies, eDiscovery, and all holds are still honored while an unlicensed account is in the paid archive state. After 12 month of Unpaid storage/archive the OneDrive Data might be deleted regardless of Retention settings, retention policies, eDiscovery, and all holds.

   learn.microsoft.com, read October 29, 2026

What Microsoft’s pages do not say

• Microsoft's pages do not settle whether a company on Business Basic, Business Standard or Business Premium alone can export with Purview eDiscovery: the service descriptions list content search for those plans, while Microsoft's eDiscovery pages say the person running cases and exports needs a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 or E5 license.
• Microsoft's two pages on ending a subscription disagree on when deletion can start: the cancellation page says data might be deleted after 30 days, the subscription-end page says after 90. Both say no later than 180 days.