Delete Files from the Preservation Hold Library in Windows
If you have found a folder called Preservation Hold Library while working with Windows, OneDrive, or SharePoint, you may wonder why you cannot delete the files inside it like normal files. The important thing to understand is that the Preservation Hold Library is not a normal Windows folder. It is a hidden system location used by SharePoint and OneDrive to preserve copies of files when Microsoft 365 retention settings require them to be kept.
When a user edits or deletes content covered by a retention policy, SharePoint can place a copy of the original content in the Preservation Hold Library. This allows the original file to be changed or deleted while the retained copy remains available for compliance purposes. Microsoft specifically states that users should not manually edit, delete, or move automatically retained files in this library.
Therefore, if your goal is to delete files from the Preservation Hold Library, the correct approach is usually to identify the retention policy, retention label, or eDiscovery hold responsible for the files and allow Microsoft 365’s retention process to remove them when they become eligible.
Delete files from preservation hold library in Windows
The Preservation Hold Library cannot normally be cleaned up by manually deleting its files. It is a SharePoint or OneDrive compliance location, not a regular Windows folder. To remove its contents, first identify the retention policy, retention label, or eDiscovery hold protecting the files. If the retention period has expired, Microsoft 365’s scheduled cleanup process can move eligible content out of the Preservation Hold Library. If a policy no longer needs to apply, an authorized Microsoft 365 administrator can modify or remove the site’s coverage.
Microsoft says the cleanup process can take time and that retained content now goes through the second-stage Recycle Bin rather than being permanently deleted directly from the Preservation Hold Library.
Step 1: Understand where the Preservation Hold Library comes from
Before attempting to delete anything, determine whether the files are actually stored in SharePoint Online or OneDrive.
The Preservation Hold Library is created automatically when retention settings require SharePoint or OneDrive to preserve content. For example, suppose you have a document named Project Report.docx in a SharePoint document library. If the document is covered by a retention policy and you delete it, SharePoint can preserve a copy in the Preservation Hold Library.
This is why deleting the original file does not necessarily remove every copy of it.
The Preservation Hold Library is considered a hidden system location. Microsoft says it is not designed for interactive use and that automatically retained files should not be manually edited, deleted, or moved.
This distinction is important because trying to treat the library like an ordinary Windows folder can lead to confusing errors.
Step 2: Check whether you are dealing with SharePoint or OneDrive
The phrase Preservation Hold Library generally points to Microsoft’s cloud storage and compliance system rather than a standard Windows 11 or Windows 10 folder.
If you encountered it while using OneDrive, the files are associated with your OneDrive storage site. If you encountered it while working with a SharePoint site, the files belong to that site’s retention system.
Open the relevant SharePoint site or OneDrive account in your web browser and identify the location associated with the files.
Do not attempt to delete the folder through File Explorer simply because OneDrive synchronization is enabled. Synchronization does not turn the Preservation Hold Library into an ordinary local Windows folder. Its contents are governed by Microsoft 365 retention controls.
Step 3: Identify the retention policy affecting the files
The next step is to determine why the files are being preserved.
A retention policy can preserve content at the SharePoint site or OneDrive level. A retention label can also apply retention requirements to individual documents or other supported content.
Microsoft explains that retention policies and retention labels can both be used to retain or delete Microsoft 365 content. When SharePoint or OneDrive content is subject to retention and is changed or deleted, a retained copy can be placed in the Preservation Hold Library.
If you are an ordinary Windows or OneDrive user, you may not have permission to inspect or change these settings. In that situation, contact your Microsoft 365 administrator or the person responsible for compliance.
If you are the administrator, open the Microsoft Purview portal and review the retention policies that include the relevant SharePoint site or OneDrive location.
Step 4: Check whether an eDiscovery hold is also protecting the files
Do not assume that a retention policy is the only reason files remain in the Preservation Hold Library.
An eDiscovery hold can also preserve content for legal or investigative purposes. Microsoft notes that different hold mechanisms can independently preserve content, meaning removing one retention setting may not make the files immediately eligible for deletion.
Check the relevant eDiscovery case and its hold policies if your organization uses eDiscovery.
This step is especially important in business environments. Removing a retention policy without checking other holds can give the impression that the files should disappear when another compliance mechanism is still preserving them.
Step 5: Determine whether the retention period has expired
If the policy is still active, the safest option may simply be to wait for the retention period to finish.
Microsoft explains that a timer process periodically evaluates content in the Preservation Hold Library. Content that has been retained for more than the required minimum period and is no longer subject to applicable retention requirements can become eligible for cleanup. The timer job runs periodically, so deletion is not necessarily immediate when a retention period expires.
For example, if your organization’s policy says that certain files must be retained for several years, manually deleting them before that period ends is not the intended process.
The retention period can also depend on whether the policy measures time from the file’s creation date or last modification date, so check the actual policy rather than assuming that an old-looking file is ready for deletion.
Step 6: Exclude the SharePoint site from a retention policy when appropriate
If the organization has decided that a particular SharePoint site should no longer be covered by a retention policy, an authorized administrator can modify the policy.
Microsoft provides an option to exclude a SharePoint site when a retention policy applies broadly to SharePoint locations. In the Microsoft Purview compliance portal, an administrator can go to Data lifecycle management, open the relevant retention policy, edit its locations, and use the SharePoint site exclusion settings.
The administrator must have the necessary permissions to make this change.
Be careful here. Removing a site from a retention policy is not simply a storage-cleanup operation. It changes the compliance scope of the organization. You should therefore make this change only when the organization’s retention requirements allow it.
Microsoft also notes that policy changes can take up to 24 hours to take effect.
Step 7: Remove the site from a policy when it is specifically included
There is another situation where the administrator may need to remove the site from the retention policy rather than exclude it.
If the policy is configured to apply to selected SharePoint sites, the administrator can edit the policy and remove the relevant site from the selected locations.
The exact option depends on how the retention policy was configured. Microsoft explains that a policy applying broadly to SharePoint sites can use exclusions, while a policy configured for specific sites can have a site removed from its selected locations.
Do not change the policy simply because the Preservation Hold Library is consuming storage. First confirm that the site’s content is no longer required to be retained.
Step 8: Allow Microsoft 365 to perform the cleanup
After the applicable retention requirements have ended or the site is legitimately removed from the policy, do not expect the Preservation Hold Library to disappear immediately.
Microsoft’s current SharePoint retention documentation says that the Preservation Hold Library is cleaned up by a scheduled process. For content that has passed the applicable retention requirements, the cleanup process can take additional time. Microsoft states that the timer job runs every seven days and that, together with the minimum 30-day period for certain content, cleanup can take up to 37 days in the described retention scenario.
This means that seeing files remain in the library shortly after changing a policy does not necessarily mean that the policy change failed.
Step 9: Check the Recycle Bin after eligible content is removed
There is an important change in Microsoft’s current retention behavior.
Microsoft states that content is no longer permanently deleted directly from the Preservation Hold Library. Instead, eligible content goes through the Recycle Bin, including the second-stage Recycle Bin, before permanent deletion.
Therefore, if you are trying to completely remove old retained data, checking the Recycle Bin may be necessary after the Preservation Hold cleanup has occurred.
Permanent deletion can still be suspended when another retention policy, retention label, or eDiscovery hold requires the same content to remain preserved.
Step 10: Do not force-delete the Preservation Hold Library
You may find instructions online suggesting that you should change the URL, use special SharePoint commands, or directly delete files from the Preservation Hold Library.
Avoid treating these methods as the normal supported procedure.
Microsoft’s official documentation specifically says that the Preservation Hold Library is a system location and that automatically retained files are not supported for manual editing, deletion, or moving.
If your organization needs a particular item removed immediately for a legitimate compliance reason, the appropriate route is to involve the Microsoft 365 administrator, compliance administrator, records manager, or eDiscovery administrator, depending on how the content is protected.
Faqs
Is the Preservation Hold Library a Windows folder?
No. The Preservation Hold Library is associated with SharePoint and OneDrive, not with the normal Windows file system. You may encounter it while using Windows because OneDrive can synchronize Microsoft 365 content, but its retention behavior is controlled by Microsoft 365.
Can I delete files from the Preservation Hold Library manually?
Microsoft does not support manually editing, deleting, or moving automatically retained files in the Preservation Hold Library. The supported approach is to manage the retention settings or compliance hold responsible for the content and allow the system’s cleanup process to handle eligible files.
Why did my deleted file appear in the Preservation Hold Library?
If the original file was covered by a retention policy or applicable retention label, SharePoint may preserve a copy when the file is deleted. This allows the original file to be removed while maintaining the retained copy required by the retention configuration.
Why are files still there after I removed the retention policy?
Retention changes are not necessarily processed instantly. Microsoft explains that SharePoint uses a scheduled cleanup process, and some released content can remain during a retention grace period. The timing also depends on how the policy was changed and whether another retention requirement still applies.
Can I delete the files if they are taking too much storage?
The Preservation Hold Library contributes to the site’s storage usage. However, deleting its contents manually is not the recommended solution. First determine which retention policy or hold is causing the content to remain. If the retention requirement has legitimately ended, the administrator can make the appropriate policy change and allow Microsoft 365 to process the cleanup.
What if another retention policy is still active?
The files may continue to be preserved. Microsoft explains that permanent deletion is suspended when the same content must still be retained by another applicable retention policy, retention label, or eDiscovery hold.