How to find deleted objects in Active Directory using RecoveryManager Plus

Problem

In Active Directory (AD), deleted objects pose a challenge, especially if the AD Recycle Bin feature is not enabled. Without Recycle Bin, tracking and restoring deleted AD users or other objects becomes difficult as AD does not natively provide an interface to view or recover these items. You can only find the deleted AD objects when it causes operational issues.

This guide outlines how to use RecoveryManager Plus to find deleted AD user objects and other objects and restore them, even when the AD Recycle Bin is not activated.

Solution

Using RecoveryManager Plus, you can find and restore deleted items using an intuitive interface. Follow these steps to undelete AD objects before the tombstone lifetime period elapses.

To find and restore deleted AD objects

Perform the following steps to identify and restore deleted objects.

1. Log in to RecoveryManager Plus as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Active Directory tab > Active Directory Objects > Quick Recovery > Deleted Objects.
3. Select the domain that contains the deleted objects you would like to restore from the drop-down in the top-left corner.
4. The list of all objects that have been deleted will be displayed.

   Note: If your tombstone lifetime is 60 days, only the objects that were deleted 60 days before the time at which RecoveryManager Plus backed up your AD environment will be displayed.

5. To filter objects, simply click on one of the tiles. The options include Total Deleted Objects, Deleted Users, Deleted Groups, and Deleted Group Policy Objects. To filter other objects, use the Object Type drop-down in the table below.
6. Click Restore Location to choose a location for the object to be restored to. If no location is selected, the object will be restored to its original location.
7. Click a link in the Backup Version field in the table to view the attributes and the value of the object that will be restored.
8. Check the box against the object(s) that you wish to restore and click Restore.

   

   Figure 1: Restoring deleted AD objects using RecoveryManager Plus

Note: If RecoveryManager Plus was not installed at the time of object deletion, only a limited number of default attributes will be restored. If you do not restore the object within the tombstone lifetime period, you’ll not be able to restore the objects even using RecoveryManager Plus.

RecoveryManager Plus simplifies finding and restoring deleted AD objects, even without the AD Recycle Bin.

In addition to restoring DNS nodes, RecoveryManager Plus can also:

• Restore domain controllers
• Restore AD groups
• Restore AD GPOs
• Restore OUs
• Restore AD computers
• Restore AD DNS zones
• Restore AD DNS nodes
• Restore AD contacts