Do not delete and recreate a File Sync server endpoint as a sync repair

Source facts

Microsoft explicitly warns against deprovisioning an endpoint to resolve sync problems. Deletion is destructive: recreating the endpoint does not reconnect tiered files to their cloud locations. Tiered files outside the endpoint namespace can be permanently lost, and tiered files can exist even if cloud tiering was never enabled.

The deprovisioning guide separates preserving the latest data in the cloud from preserving a complete local copy. For local recall, sufficient free space is required; Microsoft estimates the cloud share size minus the data already cached on the server. Microsoft Learn.

Applicability

Determine whether the actual objective is repair or retirement and where the authoritative complete copy must remain. Do not infer that a server contains full file content from its visible namespace or its remembered tiering setting.

DSE recommendation

DSE recommends keeping the endpoint intact during ordinary sync diagnosis. For an authorized retirement, have the data owner choose the preservation destination and follow the matching deprovisioning scenario. Resolve outstanding synchronization and recall requirements before the destructive step. Include tiered files moved outside the original namespace in the impact review.

Verification

Preserve the relevant sync status, item errors, completed final sessions and file-availability checks required by the chosen scenario. If retaining local data, verify capacity and successful recall before approval. Test that the retained copy actually opens through its intended path. Do not use endpoint recreation as the recovery plan or consider the absence of a portal error proof that every file survived.

Official references

Microsoft Learn: Deprovision an Azure File Sync Server Endpoint. Source retrieved September 9, 2026.