Frequently asked questions
Can my administrator read my email through Restow?
Section titled “Can my administrator read my email through Restow?”An administrator can restore data on your behalf (for example if you leave the organization or lose access), but every such action needs a stated reason and is written to a tamper-evident audit log (a hash chain with daily anchors, so a change is detected, not prevented): who, when, what, for whom, and from which IP address. Restoring your data is not the same as browsing it silently.
Will a restore delete or overwrite what’s currently in my mailbox?
Section titled “Will a restore delete or overwrite what’s currently in my mailbox?”By default, no: restore in Restow is built to write restored items alongside what is already there, not over it. There is no mode that overwrites: an existing item is either kept next to the restored one or skipped. See First steps → Restore for exactly where a restored item ends up.
Can I see the content of a mail or file before I restore it?
Section titled “Can I see the content of a mail or file before I restore it?”For a mail, yes: selecting it shows the message (its headers, body and attachments) in a reading pane, and you can print it. Some mail cannot be shown (rights-protected, S/MIME-encrypted, too large or in an unsupported format); download it or restore it instead. For a file, Restow shows details only (size, type, dates and path), not its content; a file preview is planned but not available yet. See First steps → Preview and print.
Can I sign in with my Microsoft 365 account?
Section titled “Can I sign in with my Microsoft 365 account?”Not yet. Restow has this built, but it is not enabled in the current beta. Sign in with a passkey, if your organization offers one, or with the emergency email-and-password sign-in and an authenticator app. See Get started → Signing in.
Why can’t I search old email right now?
Section titled “Why can’t I search old email right now?”Because that feature, searching your own long-term archive separate from ordinary backup, is still being built. See Usage → Search your archive for older mail for the current status.
Does Restow back up Microsoft Teams messages?
Section titled “Does Restow back up Microsoft Teams messages?”No, not in this version. Restow covers Exchange Online mail, calendar, contacts and OneDrive, IMAP mailboxes and, where your administrator installs its agent, the files of servers and computers. Ask your administrator if you need something outside that scope.
Who do I contact if something looks wrong?
Section titled “Who do I contact if something looks wrong?”Your organization’s Restow administrator. They can see backup status and restore history for your account, and the audit log if your organization has the Business or Service Provider edition.