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How to Set Up Microsoft 365 Backup with NovaBACKUP

Learn how to activate and configure the NovaBACKUP M365 Backup and Archive add-on to automatically protect your Microsoft 365 data — including Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive.

Why Back Up Microsoft 365?

Microsoft does not provide a full backup of your Microsoft 365 data. Microsoft itself recommends using a third-party solution to close the documented gaps in data protection. Without a dedicated backup, your organization is exposed to risks such as accidental deletion, ransomware, and data loss due to departing employees.

The NovaBACKUP M365 Backup and Archive add-on automatically protects your Microsoft 365 environment in the cloud and lets you restore any item on demand — down to a single email, contact, or file.

What Gets Backed Up

NovaBACKUP M365 Backup and Archive protects the following Microsoft 365 data:

  • Exchange Online: Mailboxes, emails, attachments, calendars, contacts, and tasks — including Shared Mailboxes and Public Folders
  • Microsoft Teams: Chats, file sharing, and meeting data
  • SharePoint Online: Sites, files, and OneNote notebooks (for users and Teams)
  • OneDrive: All business files and folders
  • Microsoft 365 Groups: Group content and metadata

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  • An active NovaBACKUP M365 Backup and Archive license (purchased separately from your NovaBACKUP base license)
  • Microsoft 365 Global Administrator credentials for the tenant you want to protect
  • Access to the NovaBACKUP web-based management dashboard
  • A supported web browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge)

What You'll Learn

  • How to connect your M365 tenant to NovaBACKUP
  • How to configure which users and data sources are backed up
  • How to set a retention policy
  • How to verify that your first backup completed successfully
  • How to perform a granular restore

Step 1: Access the M365 Backup Dashboard

  1. Open a supported web browser and navigate to your NovaBACKUP M365 Backup dashboard URL (provided in your license confirmation email).
  2. Sign in using your NovaBACKUP credentials.
  3. Once logged in, you will see the main Dashboard view. From here you can manage users, configure backup settings, monitor backup jobs, and initiate restores.

Step 2: Connect Your Microsoft 365 Tenant

  1. In the dashboard, navigate to Settings > Microsoft 365 Connection (or Add Organization, depending on your dashboard version).
  2. Click Connect Microsoft 365 Tenant.
  3. You will be redirected to the Microsoft sign-in page. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 Global Administrator account.
  4. Review the list of permissions that NovaBACKUP requests. These permissions are required to access and back up your M365 data.
  5. Click Accept to grant the required permissions.
  6. You will be redirected back to the NovaBACKUP dashboard. Your tenant name and connection status should now show as Connected.

Important: The Microsoft 365 Global Administrator account used to connect the tenant does not need to be a licensed M365 user, but it must have permission to grant application-level access on behalf of the organization. If your organization uses Conditional Access policies, ensure that the NovaBACKUP application is not blocked.

Step 3: Select Users and Data Sources to Back Up

  1. In the dashboard, navigate to Users or Backup Configuration.
  2. You will see a list of all users discovered in your Microsoft 365 tenant.
  3. Select the users whose data you want to back up. You can select individual users or enable backup for all users at once.
  4. For each user (or globally), choose which data sources to include:
    • Mail (mailboxes, emails, attachments)
    • Calendar
    • Contacts
    • Tasks
    • OneDrive
    • SharePoint sites
    • Teams data
    • Shared Mailboxes
    • Public Folders
  5. Click Save to apply your selection.

Note: Shared Mailboxes and Public Folders are protected at the organization level, not per user. You will find these options under a separate section in the backup configuration.

Step 4: Configure Your Retention Policy

  1. Navigate to Settings > Retention Policy.
  2. Set your preferred retention period. NovaBACKUP M365 Backup supports flexible retention, allowing you to keep backup data for days, months, or years depending on your compliance requirements.
  3. You can configure retention policies per user or apply a single policy across the entire organization.
  4. Optionally, create compliance tags and audit logs for items that must be retained for legal or regulatory purposes.
  5. Click Save to apply your retention settings.

Important: Once a retention period expires, backup data for that period is permanently removed. Set your retention policy to meet the strictest compliance requirement in your organization before the first backup runs.

Step 5: Run and Verify the First Backup

Backups run automatically on a scheduled basis once users and data sources are configured. To trigger a manual backup for verification:

  1. Navigate to Backup Jobs or Dashboard.
  2. Select the organization or specific users you want to back up immediately.
  3. Click Run Backup Now.
  4. Monitor the backup progress from the Dashboard. You will see a status indicator for each data source (Mail, OneDrive, SharePoint, etc.).
  5. Once the backup completes, confirm that the job status shows Completed with no errors.

If any errors are reported, review the error details shown in the dashboard and consult the Troubleshooting section below.

Step 6: Test a Granular Restore

Before relying on your backups, verify that you can restore data correctly.

  1. Navigate to Restore in the dashboard.
  2. Select the user whose data you want to restore.
  3. Use the search field to locate a specific email, file, or calendar item. You can search by subject line, partial file name, date range, sender, or recipient.
  4. Select the item and choose one of the following restore options:
    • Restore to Original User — returns the item to the original mailbox or OneDrive location
    • Restore to Another User — redirects the restored item to a different account (useful for off-boarding scenarios)
    • Download — exports the item locally (emails can be exported as .PST)
  5. Confirm the restore and verify that the item appears in the target location.

Best Practices

Coverage: Enable backup for all licensed Microsoft 365 users, including Shared Mailboxes and Public Folders. Data left unprotected cannot be recovered.

Retention: Set your retention period before backups begin. Retroactively extending retention does not recover data that was already purged.

Testing: Run a test restore at least once per quarter to confirm that your backup data is recoverable and complete.

Audit Logs: Enable audit logging in the dashboard to maintain a record of who accessed, restored, or exported backup data. This is required for many compliance frameworks.

Off-boarding: When a Microsoft 365 user is removed from your tenant, their backup data is retained according to your retention policy. Do not delete the user from the NovaBACKUP dashboard until you have confirmed that no data recovery is needed.

Troubleshooting

Backup job shows "Authentication Error"

Cause: The Microsoft 365 connection has expired or the permissions were revoked.

Resolution:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Microsoft 365 Connection.
  2. Disconnect the tenant and reconnect it using a Global Administrator account.
  3. Re-accept the required permissions on the Microsoft consent screen.
  4. Trigger a manual backup to confirm the issue is resolved.

Users are missing from the user list

Cause: The dashboard may not have completed its initial sync with your Microsoft 365 tenant after connection.

Resolution:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Microsoft 365 Connection.
  2. Click Sync Users or Refresh.
  3. Wait a few minutes and reload the Users page.

Backup completes but specific items are missing

Cause: Certain items, such as OneNote notebooks embedded in SharePoint or Teams, may require specific data source selections to be enabled.

Resolution:

  1. Navigate to Backup Configuration and verify that all required data sources are checked for the affected users.
  2. If the issue persists, submit a support ticket with the affected user names and data sources.

Related Articles

  • Getting Started: Connecting to an Existing NovaBACKUP Cloud Storage Account
  • How to Add and Configure Backup Devices in NovaBACKUP
  • NovaBACKUP Managed Backup: Central Management Overview
  • How to Set Up Retention Policies in NovaBACKUP

Still Need Help?

Contact NovaBACKUP Support: