Deletion syncs too
Delete a file on a laptop and it is deleted in the cloud, because that is what sync means. It is one file in two places, not two copies.
Backup and recovery
Backup and Disaster Recovery: OneDrive Is Not a Backup
OneDrive sync keeps a file the same in two places. It is not a backup. A backup keeps a copy that does not change when the original does, which is why your Microsoft 365 should be backed up independently of Microsoft: so anything deleted by mistake is still there to get back.
The misconception
OneDrive Is Not a Backup
This is the most common and most expensive misunderstanding we find. The files are in the cloud, so they feel safe. But OneDrive and SharePoint synchronize, and synchronization copies every change, including the ones you did not want.
Ransomware syncs too
Encrypted files are changed files. Sync pushes the encrypted versions up, and the cloud copy is now encrypted as well.
The Recycle Bin empties on a timer
Deleted items pass through the Recycle Bin, then a second-stage bin users cannot see, and are gone for good at 93 days. Nobody notices on day 94.
Version history has limits
Versioning helps against one bad edit. Against ransomware rewriting every file again and again, it runs out.
Whose job it is
Microsoft Says So Too
Microsoft is responsible for the platform: the infrastructure, the availability, and the security of the service itself. The data in it, who can reach it, and whether it can be recovered are yours. That line is drawn in Microsoft's own agreement rather than by us:
We recommend that you regularly backup Your Content and Data that you store on the Services or store using Third-Party Apps and Services.
Microsoft 365 backup
A Real Backup of Your Microsoft 365
An independent copy of your mail, files, and sites, taken daily and held outside Microsoft, so a deletion, a ransomware attack, or a retention window running out is something you recover from rather than live with.
What it covers
Exchange Online mail, calendar and contacts, OneDrive, and SharePoint sites, backed up daily and independently of Microsoft. Teams files stored in SharePoint and OneDrive are covered; Teams chat is not.
How it runs
Unlimited storage. Every job checked daily, and a failed or incomplete job chased and fixed rather than logged.
What you can restore
One mailbox item, one folder, or an entire user, without depending on the Recycle Bin still holding it.
Microsoft 365 backup is an add-on to any plan, priced per user. The rate is on the pricing page.
Servers and workstations
The Machines You Still Run
Not everything lives in Microsoft 365. A server in the office and the workstations that hold real work need the same independent copy, held offsite where ransomware on the machine cannot reach it.
Server backup
A full image for bare-metal restore where the hardware supports it, plus file-level backup for pulling back one folder without rebuilding the machine. 1 TB of offsite storage included.
Workstation backup
The same full image plus file-level backup for the laptops and desktops that matter, so a failed machine is an inconvenience rather than a week of reconstruction. 1 TB of offsite storage included.
Frequently asked
Backup and Recovery: FAQs
Is OneDrive a backup?
No. OneDrive is synchronization, which keeps a file the same in two places. A backup keeps an independent copy that does not change when the original does. If a file is deleted or encrypted on the device, sync applies the same change to the cloud copy, as designed. Microsoft says the same in its Services Agreement: it recommends customers regularly back up the content they store on the service.
How long does Microsoft keep deleted files?
For SharePoint and OneDrive, deleted items move to the Recycle Bin and then to a second-stage Recycle Bin that ordinary users cannot see, and are permanently removed 93 days after deletion. That is retention, not backup: a fixed window that runs whether or not anybody noticed the deletion.
What does backup cost?
Backup is an add-on on top of your plan, priced per unit, so a business with nothing but Microsoft 365 to protect pays for Microsoft 365 backup and nothing more. Microsoft 365 backup is per user with unlimited storage; workstation backup is per device and server backup per server, each with 1 TB of offsite storage included. Recovery work is quoted separately. Every plan rate and the add-ons most businesses need are on the pricing page.
How do we know the backups actually work?
Every job is checked daily rather than assumed, and a failure is chased and fixed rather than logged. The copy is held offsite and independent of the machine it protects, so ransomware on a device cannot reach it. Proving a specific restore is separate work, and we scope it with you rather than let you assume it happens by default.
Start With an IT Assessment
A thirty-minute call where we go through what you run and what is not working. We reply within one business day, and there is no obligation.
Schedule an IT assessment