Squirrel Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Welcome to the Squirrel FAQ page. This section addresses the most common questions from both administrators and end users about how the Squirrel Archiving platform works, what to expect, and how to resolve common issues.

Admin FAQs

Q: What happens when a file is archived by Squirrel?
A: The file is moved from SharePoint to Azure Blob Storage. A small stub file is left behind in its place, allowing users to restore it later.

Q: Can I archive an entire SharePoint site?
A: Yes. Squirrel allows full-site archiving. Files will be replaced with stub files, and data is securely stored in your configured Azure storage.

Q: Where do restored files go?
A: Restored files return to their original SharePoint location with original metadata and version history preserved.

Q: What if a file’s original location no longer exists?
A: The file is restored to your configured "Orphaned Restore Path," which is typically a designated SharePoint site for orphaned content.

Q: Can stub files be customised?
A: Yes. Stub files can include your organisation’s logo and brand colours. This is managed during the setup process.

Q: Are audit logs available?
A: Yes. Squirrel provides logging and reporting on both archive and restore actions via the Log Viewer and Reports section.

Q: Why hasn't a particular file been archived?
A: Work through the eligibility conditions in order. Is the site included? Is the file older than both day thresholds - and bear in mind last-accessed history only exists from the date Squirrel was installed, so a file can be old without having enough observed history. Is its library or path excluded, its file type excluded, or its sensitivity label excluded? Is it under the minimum size (10 KB by default)? Has it already failed three times - the errors table will show it? Eligibility is also evaluated once nightly, so same-day archiving is not expected behaviour.

Q: Is archived data ever deleted automatically?
A: Only by an explicit policy, and there are three. The retention policy (10 years by default, with "never" supported both globally and per label); the optional orphan aging policy, which is off by default; and a successful restore, where the content is back in SharePoint. Under default settings, deleting a site or a stub does not delete the archived data. Every policy-driven deletion is recorded in an audit trail. See retention settings.

Q: Who can read the archived data in Azure?
A: Files are individually encrypted before upload and stay encrypted at rest in your own storage account. Decryption happens only inside your environment, during a restore. Access to the storage account alone does not expose file contents.

Q: Does restoring cost anything?
A: Restores are recorded and reported but not billed by Squirrel. The one economic caveat is Azure-side: files that have aged into the Azure Archive tier incur Azure's own rehydration and early-deletion fees, which is why enabling that tier requires an explicit acknowledgement. The default tiers restore with no retrieval charge and no waiting.

Q: How does Cost Allocation work out a department's cost?
A: For every site in the department's group, it takes the site's current SharePoint size times the group's live rate, plus the site's archived data times the group's archive rate. Rates are per TB per month, and 1 TB is 1,000 GB. The group's cost is the sum over its sites. See Cost Allocation.

Q: What does "Saved by Archiving" mean on Cost Allocation?
A: What the group's archived data would cost each month if it were still in SharePoint at the live rate, minus what it costs in the archive. It is 0 when the archive rate is not lower than the live rate.

Q: A site shows "not calculated" for archived data. Is something wrong?
A: No. Archived totals per site are calculated once a day, and a site shows "not calculated" until the first calculation covers it. Its live size and costs are still shown.

Q: Why can't I add a site to a cost allocation group?
A: A site can belong to only one cost allocation group. If it is already in another group it is skipped and named in the warning, so remove it from that group first. Cost allocation groups are separate from archive policy groups, and being in one does not affect the other.

Q: Why don't Unassigned sites have a cost?
A: Costs come from a group's rates, and unassigned sites have no group. Their storage is still shown so you can see what is not being charged back yet.

End User FAQs

Q: What is a stub file?
A: It’s a small file left behind in SharePoint after a document is archived. It has the same name and appears in the same place, but the actual content is stored securely in Azure.

Q: How do I get my file back?
A: Just click the Restore button in the stub file. Squirrel will rehydrate the file and place it back where it was originally.

Q: How long does it take to restore a file?
A: Most restores happen within seconds, but large files or high traffic may result in short delays.

Q: Can I restore a file from OneDrive or Teams?
A: Yes. Stub files work in SharePoint, OneDrive (if synced), and Microsoft Teams.

Q: I clicked Restore and nothing happened - what should I do?
A: Try refreshing the page or checking back in a few minutes. If it still hasn’t restored, contact your IT team or support@smikar.com.

Q: Why can't SharePoint search find text inside a document any more?
A: The stub keeps the original file's name, owner and dates in search, but its content is the restore page - so full-text body search no longer matches the original document's words. Where Nutshell AI is licensed, it embeds a summary into the stub, which brings content-relevant search results and Copilot answers back.

Q: Why did my restore take a day?
A: The file had aged into the Azure Archive tier, where rehydration can take up to 24 hours. The progress page shows Rehydrating; it is safe to close the page, and you are emailed when the file lands. Files in the standard tiers restore in minutes. See restore process.

Can't find your question here? Let us know - email support@smikar.com, and we’ll be happy to help.