OneDrive Business Plan 2 (25TB) discontinued — 12TB of data lost after missed payment (no warning, no recovery)

Question

Hi, I’m posting this because I want to share a serious issue and warn other users.

I had OneDrive Business Plan 2 (25TB) for years, with around 12 TB stored on it (personal archives + professional work). In July 2025, my bank card was renewed, and I forgot to update it in my Microsoft account. Because of that, my subscription payment failed. Shortly after, my OneDrive access became blocked. I could still see my OneDrive folder on my PC, but only as placeholders (cloud icon), and I had no access through the web interface.

Timeline:

End of June 2025: last successful payment

July 2025: my bank card was renewed, I forgot to update it

September 2025: I noticed the subscription had stopped and immediately subscribed again (Plan 1)

Since then, my OneDrive data has been completely inaccessible.

I contacted Microsoft support, and after about a week I was told that my OneDrive data was permanently deleted and not recoverable, and that there was nothing they could do.

I have no access to my OneDrive through the web interface

On my PC, I only see the folder structure and file names with the cloud icon (placeholders). Nothing is physically stored locally.

• I received no warning emails about expiration / retention / deletion

I understand that services have retention policies, but losing 12 TB of data after a missed payment, especially on a plan that Microsoft discontinued, is extremely concerning.

I’m sharing this because I’ve already seen other users reporting similar situations, and I want people to be aware of the risk.

If anyone from Microsoft can escalate this case, I can provide the account / tenant details.

Answer 1

Dear @Thomas Ribier, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.   

I understand how inconvenient it is to lose access to important personal and professional data, especially at the scale you described. I appreciate the detail and clarity you provided, as this helps highlight a significant concern that many users may not be aware of. 

Your OneDrive became unlicensed when the payment failed in July 2025. According to Microsoft’s service assurance guidelines, data stays available in a limited‑function state for about ninety days and is permanently deleted no later than one hundred eighty days if the subscription is not reactivated. Since January 2025, unlicensed OneDrive accounts are also automatically archived after ninety‑three days and then follow the normal deletion process if no license or retention policy is applied. This policy does not shorten retention timelines. 

The placeholders you see on your PC are Files On‑Demand entries and do not contain real file content. They unfortunately cannot be used to recover deleted cloud data. 

Additional information is available in the following resources: 

Data retention, deletion, and destruction in Microsoft 365 - Microsoft Service Assurance | Microsof… 

Manage unlicensed OneDrive user accounts - SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn 

I understand this situation can feel very challenging, especially when it involves valuable personal and professional data collected over many years. An unexpected loss of access can certainly interrupt your workflow and create uncertainty, I truly value the thoughtful way you’ve outlined your situation. 

As a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly.  

However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the OneDrive · Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.  

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility. If you prefer, I can also submit this great idea on your behalf. Just let me know, and I’ll post it for you and share the link once it’s published. I’m here to help ensure your feedback gets the attention it deserves. 

Additionally, as other users have raised similar concerns and may not be aware of where to share their feedback, I hope this response helps clarify the situation and suggests a potential next step. Highlighting this information can make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same issue, making it easier for them to find guidance and contribute their feedback as well. 

Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern. 

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