Get Access to User OneDrive as Admin With My DIY Tutorial
I still remember the day I had to access user OneDrive as admin, the employee took an emergency leave, and a critical presentation was locked inside their OneDrive account.
Situations like this happen constantly in IT management.
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Even in your own organization, you might have to get access to a user’s OneDrive as an admin for legal audits or otherwise. Sometimes the goal is simply to recover data for a user who has forgotten their login credentials.
I have plenty of experience handling these types of scenarios. Today, I will share the exact methods I use to gain entry into a user’s OneDrive. That too, without any passwords.
I will also explain how I handle deleted users & keep permissions secure, so let’s start.
Prerequisites for Admin Access to User OneDrive
Never attempt to access data without a valid business reason. It violates most corporate policies. Moreover, Microsoft takes data privacy seriously, and in the event of any complaint, you may face legal consequences.
Here is what I do and recommend that you follow.
Check the type of role your account has. In the M365 cloud, there are multiple admin roles. What you want is to have the Global Administrator; if that’s not possible, then at least the SharePoint Administrator role.
Standard user accounts cannot grant these high-level permissions. You must first verify your role assignment in the Microsoft Entra admin center.
Log in to M365 Admin Center > go to the Identity section > select Users > select account name > View the Assigned Roles tab.
Once you have high-level permissions, I recommend accessing the user’s OneDrive as a Global Admin in a responsible manner. This rule applies even if you get just the SharePoint admin role.
Now you can view, edit, and delete private content. So organizations must document every instance where an admin enters personal storage.
This maintains trust and adheres to strict data privacy laws. At the same time, ensure you understand the boundaries of M365 admin access to user OneDrive accounts. Dont access anything you aren’t supposed to.
Always keep the user informed about what is happening and why. If necessary, design a new company policy for facilitating it
Also, check storage limits. Here is a tip: I find it helpful to increase OneDrive storage before managing user files. You can do the same.
Steps for Granting Access via Admin Center
From my experience, I have found three reliable methods to enter these accounts correctly. Here are the steps for one of the approaches I use:
- Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
- Navigate to Users and select Active users.
- Search for and select the target user.
- Click the OneDrive tab in the slide-out pane.
- Look for the Get access to files section.
- Click the Create link to files.
Microsoft will make a unique link, keep it safe. This link lets me get access to users’ OneDrive as an admin instantly. However, this isn’t the only approach. You can achieve a similar result with the help of commands without opening your browser.
How to Access Another User’s OneDrive as Admin using PowerShell
I personally prefer PowerShell because it is speedier, especially for bulk operations. Trust me, once you get the hang of it, you won’t ever go back to the clumsy GUI to give O365 admin access to users’ OneDrive.
If you dont have the PowerShell module, install it first (or upgrade it to the latest stable release), then use the same commands I run on my machine:
Connect to the service:
Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourdomain-admin.sharepoint.com
Grant access:
Set-SPOUser -Site https://yourdomain-my.sharepoint.com/personal/user_domain_com -LoginName admin@yourdomain.com -IsSiteCollectionAdmin $true
This command forces the update immediately. I can now open the user’s specific OneDrive URL directly.
How to Give a Manager Access to a User’s OneDrive
I don’t always need the access myself. Sometimes a manager needs files from a former employee. Instead of fetching the files, what I do is I grant the manager access to that user’s OneDrive directly. It is just easier. Here is what you need to do to achieve the same result:
- Visit the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and log in.
- Go to the Users section and select Active users.
- Look for and select the target user.
- Click the OneDrive tab in the slide-out pane.
- Scroll to get access to files (This section contains the access settings).
- Instead of creating a link, add the manager’s account as a Site Collection Administrator.
Doing all this will delegate the OneDrive access to another user (who here is the manager). Moreover, the person who has access can directly see all the files from their own OneDrive interface; no credentials are ever shared. By doing this, I keep my global admin account free for other, more critical tasks.
How to Access Deleted Users’ OneDrive as Admin
When employees leave, their account is deleted, which also includes the OneDrive storage. If, by chance, it is later found that some important piece of data was deleted alongside that user, it is an admin’s responsibility to access the user’s OneDrive and restore it.
Steps I follow to access user OneDrive as admin in such situations:
- Go to the SharePoint admin center
- Click on More features > User Profile
- Manage User Profiles
- Search for Recently Deleted users
- Open the dropdown menu next to their name
- Manage site collection owners
Then I add my own account there so that I can view the files even if the account gets deleted.
Access the Recycle Bin as Admin to Restore and Move Data
Data loss is a common complaint that admins hear all the time. A user might delete a vital project, and can’t seem to get it back. In such scenarios, I must access users’ OneDrive recycle bin as an admin to restore it.
What I usually do first is to check the “My Files” section. If the content is not there, I go and look for it in the Recycle Bin. (present on the left-hand sidebar).
If the file is still not found, or I want to perform a deeper recovery. I check the Second-Stage Recycle Bin.
By then, I usually find the items I select and click Restore. What I have found is that relying on the cloud alone isn’t enough, so I suggest that you learn how to back up OneDrive to an external drive for extra safety.
The files automatically return to their original location. The entire process typically takes me a few minutes to complete, so expect a similar duration for yourself.
The main problem occurs when I have to move a set of files from one account to another. The manual method involves downloading files to my local machine. Then I have to reupload them to the destination drive. This consumes bandwidth and time.
However, moving data manually is risky for large datasets.
That is why I, along with many other IT admins, trust the SysTools OneDrive Migration Tool. This software automates the transfer directly between accounts. I can move data from a normal user to a manager without downloading a single file. It preserves metadata and folder structure perfectly.
The best part is that you can try a demo for free today.
How to Remove Admin Access from a User’s OneDrive
Security can never be compromised. To achieve a similar zero-tolerance stance at your organization, you can follow my policy to always remove admin access to users’ OneDrive once my task ends.
Steps I follow:
- Return to M365 Admin Center
- Select the User, go to the OneDrive Tab
- Click on Remove access.
Alternatively, sometimes I use the Set-SPOUser PowerShell command with the -IsSiteCollectionAdmin $false flag. This revokes my rights; you can use it too. It is my personal belief to only access users’ OneDrive as an admin when necessary.
My Verdict
Here, I covered the need to access user OneDrive as admin, and told you how to maintain the right balance between accessibility and security. I covered both the Admin center and the PowerShell cmdlets. Moreover, regardless of the method you use, you will be able to audit files, recover lost data, or delegate access to managers.
Upon getting these permissions, you must use them responsibly. Therefore, avoid violating your organization’s compliance policies when you get into a user’s personal storage space. Finally, make sure that you revoke all permissions and restore them to their original status once the task is complete. This keeps your O365 OneDrive environment secure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does a user know if an admin accesses their OneDrive?
A: Although Microsoft does not send any direct email alert to the user, all such activity is recorded in the audit logs. If a user checks the permissions, they can see your name/ user ID listed there.
Q: Can I access a user’s OneDrive without changing the password?
A: Yes, in this guide, I have given instructions on the methods that don’t require any passwords. Additionally, you grant access to view their site collection details (OneDrive is a SharePoint site in the backend)
Q: How long does the “Create link to files” remain active?
A: The link is just a URL; it does not have an expiration date. Moreover, permission remains active until you manually remove admin access to users’ OneDrive settings.
