This topic describes how long the files are retained on the disk. Synthetic full backups manage the retention of files.
If a file is not found in a backup because it was deleted, moved, or renamed, then the file is treated as a deleted item. Items that are moved from one location to another are also considered as deleted items.
Archiver Retention
The backup jobs within the plan that has a longer retention time in the plan are retained indefinitely in the storage media.
Backup Retention
The deleted items are retained for 2 years in the backup cycle. The time is calculated from the time when an incremental backup was performed after the file was deleted.