SharePoint Online

Introduction When you start using retention policies in Microsoft 365, one of the first surprises many admins encounter is the sudden appearance of a mysterious Preservation Hold Library in SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts. This hidden library sparks immediate questions and concerns—especially around unexpected storage spikes or frustrating attempts to delete files that just won’t go away. A Preservation Hold Library is automatically created in SharePoint and OneDrive whenever retention policies or legal holds are applied to content there. It works by silently preserving copies of deleted or edited files, protecting your data from accidental or intentional removal to ensure compliance during audits or investigations. When items are changed or removed, SharePoint uses a copy‑on‑write process to store earlier versions in the Preservation Hold Library—behavior that can noticeably increase storage consumption over time. ...

Introduction Microsoft 365 Copilot is one of the most talked-about innovations from Microsoft, capturing the attention of both users and corporate clients. As organizations worldwide search for ways to improve productivity, this AI-powered assistant has positioned itself at the forefront of the workplace revolution. M365 Copilot represents Microsoft’s strategic commitment to embedding AI capabilities into everyday work tools. Rather than introducing a standalone app, Copilot seamlessly integrates with familiar applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. ...

Introduction Artificial intelligence has become a central focus in the evolution of Microsoft 365 products — and SharePoint is no exception. Today, SharePoint AI is transforming the way organizations collaborate, and automate everyday workflows. Built-in AI capabilities already help users find information faster and process documents intelligently. This article will explore how AI works within SharePoint, what smart features are already available to users, what new possibilities Microsoft Copilot opens up, and how those capabilities can be extended even further with additional solutions from Virtosoftware. ...

Creating SharePoint workspaces one item at a time sounds simple—until you have to do it at scale. In medium-sized and large organizations, teams need new collaboration spaces constantly: project sites, client workspaces, department hubs, and ad-hoc areas for initiatives. Manually building each site, library, and list is slow, inconsistent, and easy to get wrong. Naming drifts. Permissions vary from team to team. Required columns get missed. A month later, you’re fixing broken navigation and cleaning up oversharing. Multiply that by dozens or hundreds of workspaces and the cost becomes obvious. ...

SharePoint is best known as a place to store files and collaborate on pages, lists, and libraries. But one of its most useful—and often overlooked—capabilities is creating and using forms. Forms turn a site from a simple repository into a system that captures requests, routes approvals, and centralizes data for reporting. In SharePoint, forms let you collect, structure, and process information of many kinds—requests, surveys, questionnaires, incident reports, sign-offs, you name it. Submissions can create items in a list, attach files into a library, and trigger automated steps like notifications or approvals. ...

PowerShell is Microsoft’s universal command-line shell and scripting language. It gives administrators a single, consistent way to automate tasks and manage systems across the Microsoft ecosystem: Windows servers and clients, Azure resources, Microsoft 365 services, and SharePoint. Instead of clicking through multiple admin portals, you can express the same work as commands and scripts that are repeatable, auditable, and easy to share with your team. Within that universe, the SharePoint Online Management Shell is a specialized PowerShell module built specifically for administering SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365. You load the module into PowerShell and gain access to SharePoint-focused cmdlets (commands) that let you create sites, set policies, manage users and permissions, tune sharing and storage settings, and handle day-to-day operations at tenant and site levels. ...

If you’ve ever worked with Microsoft 365, you’ve already brushed shoulders with SharePoint — one of its most powerful yet often misunderstood components. As one of the core pillars of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, Microsoft SharePoint (or MS SharePoint) is used by millions of companies worldwide to manage content, streamline collaboration, and build secure digital workplaces. (You can dive deeper into the basics here: SharePoint Overview: Your Ultimate Guide to Collaboration and Document Management) ...

Deleting the wrong file in SharePoint shouldn’t turn into a fire drill. The recycle bin is your first—and often fastest—line of defense for everyday mistakes, bulk edits that went sideways, or even suspicious activity. Yet many teams still treat it as a mystery: what actually gets kept, who can see what, how it differs from version history or Microsoft Purview retention, and where Teams channel files end up when someone hits delete. ...

Many users assume that data in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint is inherently safe and always available. It’s a comforting thought—but the truth is more nuanced. Built-in protection is limited and doesn’t replace a proper SharePoint backup strategy. If you want to explore the principles of Microsoft SharePoint backup, check out our previous article here. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about SharePoint backup solutions and SharePoint backup and restore processes. From SharePoint Online backup to SharePoint cloud backup, we’ll walk you through backing up SharePoint, including how to backup SharePoint Online, how to backup SharePoint site, and even how to backup SharePoint document library. You’ll also get a practical look at SharePoint backup tools and SharePoint backup software that make backup SharePoint Online simple and reliable. ...

Most teams assume Microsoft 365 “backs up everything.” It doesn’t. Microsoft guarantees platform availability and gives you short-term recovery tools like recycle bins, version history, and mailbox item recovery. For anything beyond that—longer retention, point-in-time restores, cross-tenant resilience—you need a true backup. The good news: there’s now a first-party option. Microsoft 365 Backup covers Exchange Online, SharePoint, and OneDrive with frequent restore points and admin-led recovery. It’s opt-in and billed on consumption. Teams chats aren’t included, and many organizations still pair it with a third-party service for longer retention or broader coverage. ...