My storage was full and it's not but still not getting emails

Question

Hi,

I got a message that my storage exceeded the limit of 5 GB and I won't get any emails unless I'm not clearing up any space. Now it's 84% full (4.3 GB) and the message changed to: you are running low on storage (84%). You won't get messages and can write emails if you run out of storage.

This is clearly blackmailing as I don't get a single email. The only option is to pay 2 quid otherwise you are not getting messages because.... well, i don't understand.

I have Outlook storage as well (15gb), 0.1% used. So this can't be the problem.

I was a 365 subscriber in the past but i realised i don't need it as i barely use my own account. Only for emails.

It's kind o sinister way to forcing me to pay for storage. At this point i really don't care if i delete everything.

Answer 1

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your question. I completely understand how upsetting and confusing this situation feels. When you’ve cleaned your mailbox, your Outlook storage shows almost empty, and you still aren’t receiving emails, it’s natural to feel like something unfair is happening. You’re not alone this exact issue has affected many users, and Microsoft has documented what’s going on.

Reaching or exceeding that 5 GB quota triggers a system‑wide block on receiving mail. Even after you delete items, Microsoft notes that delivery only resumes once the account is fully under the threshold, and in some cases senders must re‑send emails that bounced during the over‑quota period because they were never queued for later delivery.

Since you have now reduced your usage to 84%, your account is technically back under the limit, meaning new email delivery should resume. It’s important to know that mail sent while you were over quota will not automatically arrive  those senders must send messages again. This is standard behavior and not tied to any subscription status.

To prevent this from happening again without paying

Delete large files from OneDrive, including items in the OneDrive Recycle Bin, because they still count toward storage until emptied.

Reduce old Outlook.com emails with large attachments (they count toward Microsoft storage now).

Avoid storing photos, videos, or bulk files in OneDrive unless needed.

May I ask whether you’ve already emptied the OneDrive recycle bin and checked for large attachments? Once I know that, I can guide you step‑by‑step to make sure your account stays safely under the limit and your email delivery fully restores. I'm here to help you through this.

 

Best Regards,

Noel

Answer 2

Exceeding the Microsoft cloud storage quota (the 5 GB “Microsoft storage”, not the 15 GB Outlook.com mailbox) stops email delivery, even if the mailbox itself is almost empty. This is by design and applies whether or not there is an active Microsoft 365 subscription.

Key points from the storage rules:

• Microsoft storage (the 5 GB quota) covers:
  • OneDrive files and photos
  • Items in the OneDrive recycle bin
  • Outlook.com attachments and inline images
  • Some other Microsoft 365 content
• Outlook.com mailbox storage (15 GB for free accounts) is separate and only covers mail, calendar, contacts, etc.
• If the Microsoft storage quota is exceeded:
  • Outlook.com will not send or receive email, even if the email storage quota is not exceeded.
  • Any emails sent during this period are returned to the sender and must be resent after storage is freed or more storage is purchased.
• The warning “Microsoft Unified Storage is full” or “you are running low on storage” is tied to this Microsoft storage quota, not just the mailbox size.

Because the account recently exceeded the 5 GB Microsoft storage limit, email delivery was blocked. After reducing usage to 84% (4.3 GB), delivery should resume, but any messages sent while over quota were already bounced and must be resent by the senders.

To stay under the limit without paying:

1. Free up Microsoft storage (not just mailbox space):
   • Delete large or unneeded files from OneDrive.
   • Empty the OneDrive recycle bin.
   • Reduce Outlook.com attachment usage (for example, delete old messages with large attachments) because attachments count toward Microsoft storage as well.
2. Verify storage status:
   • Use the Microsoft storage view to see what is consuming space across OneDrive and Outlook.com attachments and confirm the total is below the quota.

If more space is needed without constant cleanup, a Microsoft 365 subscription increases mailbox storage to 100 GB and provides larger OneDrive storage, but it is optional; staying under the free quota by deleting content is fully supported.

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References:

• Storage limits in Outlook.com
• Microsoft storage quotas
• Microsoft storage FAQs
• My OneDrive says it's full