Outlook says no remaining storage despite having almost 1GB storage remaining

Question

I ran out of storage on my Microsoft account earlier today (5.2GB/5.0GB) which has left me unable to send emails and an impending block on receiving emails. I deleted items from my OneDrive including clearing the recycle bin. I am now down to 4.1GB/5.0GB - so my storage is not full. However, Outlook still insists that I have run out of storage and cannot send emails at the moment. There is a red underlined statement saying that I am still using 5.2GB/5.0GB, however when I tap/click on it or click on the 'manage storage' button it says I actually have 4.1GB/5.0GB hence storage is not full.

I have tried accessing emails on 3 devices (2 laptops, one mobile) including both in app and in web browser. However it still will not let me send emails. I have waited several hours for the server to sync and that hasn't worked. I even deleted cache, all data, signed out of my account (all on the app) and uninstalled the app - nothing is working. I am in the process of applying for a new job and urgently need to be able to send and receive emails. How can I resolve this / how can Microsoft resolve this?

Answer 1

As soon as I posted this the issue suddenly resolved. It still says I am out of storage space but I am now able to send emails so at least that is fixed. I recommend not contacting Microsoft via phone call as the automated response will just hang up on you after telling you to go to Microsoft's help page.

Answer 2

It seems like you're experiencing a common issue where Outlook is not accurately reflecting your available storage after you've deleted items. Here are some steps you can take to try and resolve this issue:

1. Check the Recoverable Items Folder: Sometimes, deleted items are moved to the Recoverable Items folder, which can still count against your storage quota. You can check this folder and permanently delete items from it.
2. Wait for Sync: Although you've mentioned waiting several hours, sometimes it can take longer for the changes to reflect across all devices. Ensure that your internet connection is stable and try again later.
3. Manual Mailbox Processing: If you are using a Microsoft 365 account, you can manually trigger mailbox processing by using PowerShell commands. This can help in applying any retention policies that may be affecting your mailbox.
4. Contact Microsoft Support: If the issue persists, it may be best to reach out to Microsoft Support for further assistance. They can provide more specific guidance based on your account status.
5. Check Retention Policies: Ensure that there are no retention policies applied to your mailbox that might be affecting your ability to send or receive emails. You can verify this by checking the retention policy settings in your account.

These steps should help you troubleshoot the issue. If you continue to face problems, contacting support is the best course of action.

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References:

• "Mailbox is full" warning even if the mailbox hasn't reached the storage limit
• "Mailbox is full" warning even if the mailbox hasn't reached the storage limit