Technology Services

Deleting Files in Microsoft Teams

What happens to files after they are deleted from Microsoft Teams?

The answer might surprise you. Although there is no visible trash can or recycling bin in Teams, it does exist. To access this recycling bin, you must open the Sharepoint Document Library that corresponds to your Microsoft Teams’ site. To do this, click on the “Files” tab in any channel, and then click the “Open in Sharepoint” icon in the upper-right-hand corner of your page.

Once the Sharepoint site has loaded in your browser, click “Recycle bin” from the left-hand navigation menu to access it. Here you will find a list of files that have been recently deleted from your team. For each file in the recycle bin, you will have the option to delete or restore it.

Delete will send the file to a second-stage recycle bin accessible by team owners and Microsoft365 admins only. Restore will restore a file to its original location in your Microsoft Teams’ site.

Files that are not restored or deleted from the recycle bin page will be permanently deleted after 93 days*. This is also true of files that are deleted and sent to the Second-stage recycle bin. Unless a team owner or Microsoft365 admin acts to restore those files within 93 days of the original deletion from Microsoft Teams, they will be permanently deleted. This is one of many reasons why it is important to keep your list of team owners up-to-date!

Q: What should I do if a file must be deleted immediately, and I don’t want it to be retained for 93 days?

A: If you are a team owner, first delete the file from Teams, and then from the Recycle bin. Next, scroll down to the very bottom of the Recycle bin page, and click on the link for the Second-stage recycle bin. Deleting the file from this page will permanently delete the file.

If you are not a team owner, you do not have the power to permanently delete files, and must contact the team owner for assistance.

* 93 days is the time frame that was selected by Microsoft365 administrators at George Mason University. Other institutions may utilize a different time frame.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Most of us know how to cut, copy and paste clipboard content using keyboard shortcuts. Did you know that there is a quick keyboard shortcut for clearing the cache on your web browser? Just type Ctrl+Shift+Delete on your PC, or Opt+Cmd+E on a Mac.

Type the Windows Key +L to quickly lock your PC screen, or Control+Command+Q on a Mac. You should do this whenever you step away from your computer, even for a short time. When you leave your screen unlocked, others can quickly gain unauthorized access to your Teams chats, e-mail and MESA shares. Get in the habit of locking your screen regularly!

Windows + M minimizes all open windows

ALT + F4 closes the active app

CTRL + W closes all desktop applications

When browsing the web, click Ctrl+Left and Right Arrow Keys to go back and forward in your browsing history. Tap your spacebar to scroll down a web page. Type Shift+Spacebar to scroll back up.

Tap F5 to refresh a browser webpage, and Control+D to bookmark a webpage.

Interested in learning more? See a list of Windows keyboard shortcuts on the Microsoft website, or Mac keyboard shortcuts on the Apple webpage.

Microsoft Bookings

Would you like to share an appointment calendar with others, both inside and outside of Mason? Consider the Bookings app, which makes self-service appointment bookings and cancellations possible.

Using Bookings, you can easily create a customized and branded webpage and mobile app where customers can learn about your service offerings, and then schedule appointments with your service providers. Use a business-facing webpage to configure all your available service offerings and manage your staff availability using rosters and schedules that integrate with their Outlook calendars.

To access the Bookings app, login to Microsoft365, and then click on the “waffle” icon in the upper-left-corner. Click on the icon for Bookings, or click on “All apps” and then search for it by name if you don’t see it.

The Bookings mobile app is an ideal choice for offices that interface with the public, although it can be configured to allow access to Mason constituents only. Want to give it a try? Check out this video tutorial from Microsoft to learn more!

Known limitations of the Bookings app:

1) It is not possible for customers to book recurring appointments, however it is possible to book continuous, multi-day appointments (such as might be used for a hotel or conference stay).

2) While it is not possible to link multiple staff members to a single appointment, you can get around this obstacle by creating a staff grouping or position type that is linked to a generic, shared e-mail account.

Microsoft EDGE – Full Page Capture

Need to take a quick screenshot of an entire webpage, and not just the portion that fits on your screen? Use Windows’ EDGE browser to create one and annotate it in seconds!

Here’s how: Open Microsoft EDGE and navigate to the website that you would like a screenshot of. Next, click the three dots in the upper-right-hand corner of your screen, and select Web capture from the menu.

You will then see the option to capture a portion of your screen, or to capture the full webpage. Select “Capture full page.”

Your full-page screenshot will appear in a separate window, where you may annotate it, save it as an image, or add it to a Microsoft EDGE “Collection.”