Recover Deleted Items from Active Directory

Created by Brett Gilbert


With the introduction of Server 2008 R2, Microsoft introduced an easier solution to recover Active Directory Objects without having to restore from backups.  With this initial deployment, you could only recovered deleted objects from the server which had the Recycle Bin on, which is the server the hosts the Schema Master and Domain Naming Master FSMO Roles.  Since 2012, you can recover deleted objects from any server, providing you have the Active Directory Management tools installed,

The Active Directory Recycle Bin gives you the ability to restore an object back to its original location if it has been deleted by accident.  This works for every Object, from User Objects to Computer Objects. Use the below process to perform the recover actions:

  1. Connect to a management server, PR-GB-MGMT-03, open up the Administrative Tools window and select the Active Directory Administrative Centre option.
  2. When the Active Directory Administrative Center has opened, from the left menu, select the Stanleybet (Local) option. This will bring up the current Active Directory structure in the middle pane.
  3. in the Middle Pane, search for the new OU called Deleted Objects and double click on it.
  4. Once you are inside the Deleted Objects OU, select the object you want to restore with either the Restore, which places it back into it's original location, or Restore To, which will allow you to restore the object to an OU of your choice.