Where Are Windows Backup Files Stored

TL;DR summary
Teams and Channels – where files are stored
Chat sessions – where files are stored
How to back upward files from Microsoft Teams

TL;DR summary

Information technology depends whether the files are shared in a chat session, or in a Teams Channel
Files in Teams and their Channels are stored in a dedicated SharePoint site and directory.
- Each Team has its own SharePoint site, and the default Certificate Library is used.
- A top level folder is created for each Channel
- Each zipper to posts / messages are stored in the root folder of the Channel'due south directory
- Subfolders and files map 1:1 betwixt Teams and SharePoint
Files in Chat sessions are stored in OneDrive for Concern.
- Each user of Teams has a subfolder called Microsoft Teams Chat Files, where all Conversation files are stored
- Files sent in Chat are stored in the sender's OneDrive for Business
- All files are placed in the same folder – it is not sorted by recipient.
To back upwards these files, merely back up the underlying SharePoint site and your users' OneDrive for Business accounts.

Let's wait into dissimilar parts of teams to gain a deeper understanding of how things work "under the hood".

Teams and Channels – where files are stored

When yous create a new Squad in Teams, a dedicated SharePoint site is also created backside the scenes. For example, we created a Team called "Projection Recovery Team" from within the Teams interface:

This automatically created a SharePoint site with the same name. Past default, your users won't normally access the SharePoint site, but you can find it in the SharePoint Admin console, nether the Active sites list.

You can click through to the SharePoint site past clicking on the URL listed, and so again on the popup window. Then you lot'll see the underlying SharePoint site. At that place'southward nothing special about the site, only under the default Certificate Library (which is simply called "Documents"), you'll see a directory for each channel.

When users drop files into the Posts section of the channel, these files are automatically uploaded to the underlying SharePoint site, and placed into the Channel's folder.

Here's the view in Microsoft Teams:

You tin view these files in the Files tab in Teams.

By default, all attachments uploaded to the Posts view in Teams will be uploaded to the root directory for the advisable channel.

Over time, this will lead to hundreds and thousands of files in the root directory, making it more difficult to locate files and manage them.

So under the Files tab, it's possible to manually create folders – much like you would when organizing information on a regular file system. The screenshot beneath shows what would happen afterward creating a subfolder chosen "Manually created binder".

If you examine the underlying SharePoint document library, y'all'll see that there's a 1:i lucifer between the view in Teams and the files and folders in SharePoint.

It is possible to manually add together files through the SharePoint interface, and the file will likewise prove up in Teams.

However, given that Teams is the chief interface for users, we exercise not recommend modifying the underlying file store in everyday practice.

Conversation sessions – where files are stored

Files in conversation sessions are stored in the sender's OneDrive for Business concern business relationship. OneDrive for Business is itself backed by SharePoint as an underlying file store, simply presented to the user equally "OneDrive for Business".

A special directory called "Microsoft Teams Chat Files" is automatically created past Teams, as shown here:

Now, let's say y'all're in a conversation session, and you drib a movie into the chat. That picture is automatically uploaded every bit a file, and displayed in the chat session, as shown below.

If you switch view to the Files tab, yous'll see that file listed. Hither, we named the file "Sent from Hermit to Wilson" so you lot can meet the sender (Hermit) and the recipient (Wilson) easily.

If you lot browse to Hermit's OneDrive for Business business relationship, then you'll see all files are saved into the special "Microsoft Teams Chat Files" folder.

Because this folder is managed by Microsoft Teams, we practice non recommend using that folder outside of Teams. The exception, of course, is when you're bankroll up these files.

And then how does the recipient get access to these shared files? It'due south done through the standard OneDrive for Concern sharing, except because it was shared through Teams, granting the appropriate access is done automatically.

In our experience, in that location are limitations in the Teams interface. It's not possible to create whatever subfolders in the Files window, then therefore, if you transport many attachments to many recipients, you tin look this binder to continually grow – sometimes quickly.

How to support files from Microsoft Teams

It's easy to get reliable backups of files shared in Microsoft Teams by using BackupAssist 365 to dorsum upward the underlying file stores.

To get started, download the free 30 day trial of BackupAssist 365.

Information technology's free forever to back up SharePoint sites – so that includes files in Teams Channels.

And to support files in user chats, there's a modest per-user subscription license available.

Bankroll upwardly files in Teams Channels

Step	Example screenshot
Create a new backup task, and select "SharePoint" equally your type of fill-in.
Go through the steps to set things upwards. Yous can choose which SharePoint site to back upward – choose the site that corresponds to the Team that you want to back up.
You can now select what to back upwardly. Nosotros recommend selecting the root binder, so that everything will exist backed up and no files will be missed.
Save and run the backup task. You lot'll encounter progress in the Active Backups screen. After it completes, you tin likewise view the backup study.
In the backup directory, you'll see your files. If yous selected Encryption, and then the file names and contents will be securely encrypted and obscured from user view. If you selected Versioning, then you'll notice additional Unicode characters appended to the file name, which include metadata containing version information.

Backing up files in user chat sessions

Step	Instance screenshot
Create a new backup task and select "OneDrive for Business" as your type of fill-in.
Get through the steps to prepare things upwards. You tin can cull which users to back up – in the case here, we are backing up a single user equally an case. We practise recommend bankroll upwardly all users, so no files will get missed.
Y'all tin choose what files to dorsum upward. If you are only interested in bankroll up files in Microsoft Teams Chat, then enter in '/Microsoft Teams Chat files' as a backup pick, and remove the default entry of '/'. If y'all want to support every user's unabridged OneDrive for Business, and then leave the default settings.
Save and run the fill-in task. You'll see progress in the Active Backups screen. After it completes, y'all tin besides view the backup report.
In the fill-in directory, y'all'll see your files. If you selected Encryption, then the file names and contents volition be securely encrypted and obscured from user view. If you lot selected Versioning, and then you lot'll detect boosted Unicode characters appended to the file proper noun, which include metadata containing version information.

All-time practice recommendations

Create a special fill-in user to log into Office 365 to practise the backups – this is documented in our BackupAssist 365 Guides page.
If security is of import, plow on Encryption.
To capture backup history, turn on Versioning. This volition enable you to back up by versions of files.
Of course, we recommend doing exam restores to brand sure you lot can restore your data on a periodic basis.