Removing a user safely in Microsoft 365
How to remove a Microsoft 365 user when someone leaves — including how to preserve their email and files before deleting the account.
When someone leaves your organization, you need to remove their Microsoft 365 account. Done carefully, this protects your data, secures your systems, and ensures their email and files are not lost.
Quick summary
Before deleting an account: save their email and files. In the admin center, go to Users → Active users, select the person, and choose Delete user. Before you confirm, you will be offered options to transfer their OneDrive files and assign their email to someone else. Do this before deleting — data recovery afterwards is much harder.
What you'll need
Admin access required 10–15 minutes- Admin access to the Microsoft 365 admin center
- A decision on what to do with their email and files
Before you delete the account
Do this first — data can't be recovered easily after deletion
Once you delete an account, you have a limited window (30 days by default) to restore it. After that, their email and files are gone permanently. Always complete these steps before deleting.
Step 1: Transfer their OneDrive files. If the person had files in OneDrive, you can transfer them to another user's OneDrive or download them. See Transferring files when someone leaves for a full guide.
Step 2: Decide what to do with their email. You can convert their mailbox to a shared mailbox so their email remains accessible. This does not require a paid license for the shared mailbox. You can also set an auto-reply to inform senders they've moved on.
Step 3: Remove them from shared resources. Take them off any distribution groups, shared mailboxes, and Teams channels they belong to.
Removing the user
Sign in to the admin center at admin.microsoft.com.
Go to Users → Active users.
Find the person and click their name to open their profile.
Click Delete user (you may find this under a More actions or ellipsis menu).
Review the options presented. Microsoft will offer to:
- Give their OneDrive files to another user
- Keep their email as a shared mailbox
- Remove their licenses so you stop paying for them
Fill in the relevant fields and make your choices.
Confirm the deletion. The account moves to Deleted users and remains there for 30 days before being permanently removed.
After removing the user
- Revoke their access immediately. As soon as you delete the account, they will no longer be able to sign in.
- Change any shared passwords they may have known (Wi-Fi, shared tools, etc.).
- Check your billing — the license will still be assigned until you explicitly remove it or it falls off your next billing cycle. See Microsoft 365 billing explained.
- Review any calendar events or meetings they owned, and reassign them if needed.
Consider blocking sign-in before deleting
If you want to remove access immediately but aren't ready to delete the account yet, you can block sign-in instead. Find the user in Active users, open their profile, and look for the option to block them from signing in. This prevents them from logging in without deleting their data.
Restoring a deleted account
If you deleted someone by mistake, you have up to 30 days to restore them. Go to Users → Deleted users in the admin center, find the person, and click Restore. You will need to reassign a license.
Common questions
Related guides
- Transferring files when someone leaves
- Shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365
- Adding a user in Microsoft 365
- The Microsoft 365 admin center, explained
- Security steps when someone leaves
Need a hand?
Learn more
Adding a user in Microsoft 365
Step-by-step guide to creating a new user account in Microsoft 365, assigning a license, and getting them set up with email and apps.
Resetting a user's password in Microsoft 365
How to reset a Microsoft 365 user's password from the admin center — whether they're locked out or just need a fresh start.