Why is it still saying I've used all my storage quota, when I haven't???

Question

A few months ago I received notification explaining that I had gone over the 5mb of free storage. I then deleted or moved thousands of photos, videos and documents to free up more than 2mb of space. After 24hours the quota updated and I was able to use my account again. A few weeks after this, my Onedrive storage, without me using my account at all except for emails, jumped back up over 5mb and again I received notification that I was over. I could not understand why, as I had not saved anything else there, but just so I could use the account again I deleted/moved yet more files, getting down to around 3mb of stored items. This week the same thing has happened again, I'm being blocked out of my account because I am over the 5mb, despite adding nothing to the Onedrive. There is hardly anything left in Onedrive, I estimate less than 2mb in total. I have emptied the recycle bin, but don't know what else to try? Why does it keep saying I'm over when I'm not. It's beginning to feel like a con to get me to pay for more storage!

I'd be grateful for any help or advice.

Answer 1

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

I assume that your files on Windows are automatically syncing to the OneDrive desktop app.

To turn off sync:

1. Right-click the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.
2. Select Settings > Backup and Sync > Manage backup folders.
3. Turn off sync for all the folders (if you do not want those files to be backed up to OneDrive).

Alternatively:

You can open the OneDrive desktop app, go to Settings > Account, and unlink your account from this device.

Once this is done, your OneDrive storage will no longer become full because of files syncing from this device, unless you set up OneDrive sync again.

Note that you get 5 GB of OneDrive cloud storage and 15 GB of Outlook email storage. If either of these storage limits is reached, you will not be able to send or receive emails online.

Let me know if you still need more help.

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Answer 2

The storage warning is not a con; it is almost certainly coming from the way Microsoft “unified” storage works and what counts against the quota, not just the visible OneDrive files.

Key points based on the described behavior:

1. OneDrive storage includes more than visible files The quota is not only the files seen in OneDrive. It also includes:
   • OneDrive files and photos
   • Items in the OneDrive Recycle Bin
   • Outlook.com attachments and inline images
   • Microsoft Teams message attachments & recordings
   • Loop meeting notes and ideas files
   • Images in Designer projects All of these count toward the same Microsoft storage quota.
   This means that even if almost everything is deleted from OneDrive itself, large email attachments, Teams attachments, or other items can push the account back over the limit without adding any new OneDrive files.
2. Being over Microsoft storage, not just OneDrive When the unified cloud storage quota is exceeded:
   • New files cannot be uploaded, edited, or synced to OneDrive (existing files become read‑only).
   • Email in Outlook.com cannot be sent or received, even if the email-only quota is not exceeded.
   • Teams messages with attachments cannot be sent or received.
   • After 6 months over quota, OneDrive and its files may be deleted and are then non‑recoverable.
   The notifications may therefore say OneDrive is full or that Microsoft Unified Storage is full, but the root cause can be Outlook.com or other services consuming the space.
3. Why usage “jumps back up” after cleaning OneDrive Typical reasons for the storage going back over the limit even after deleting OneDrive files:
   • Outlook.com mailbox continues to grow (especially with large attachments or many messages in Deleted Items and Junk Email).
   • OneDrive Recycle Bin or Outlook Deleted Items not fully emptied.
   • Teams or other services adding attachments or content in the background.
   Because all of this is counted together, deleting OneDrive files alone may temporarily bring the total under 5 GB, but as email or other data grows, the total can cross the limit again.
4. What to do next To get and stay under the quota without paying for more storage:
   • Sign in and check overall Microsoft storage usage: see what’s taking up space across OneDrive and Outlook.com.
   • In OneDrive:
     • Confirm the Recycle Bin is empty.
     • Use the “Storage used” or “Manage your OneDrive storage” view to list the largest items and remove anything still unnecessary.
   • In Outlook.com:
     • Delete emails with large attachments (especially in Inbox, Sent Items, and any custom folders).
     • Empty Deleted Items and Junk Email folders.
   • If using Teams or Designer/Loop, remove unneeded attachments, recordings, or projects.
   If, after cleaning, the account is still close to the 5 GB limit, the only way to avoid repeated lockouts is to either:
   • Regularly clean up email and OneDrive content, or
   • Purchase additional storage or a subscription that increases the quota.

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References:

• My OneDrive says it's full
• Microsoft storage quotas
• Microsoft storage FAQs
• Storage limits in Outlook.com
• Why did I get a message saying my files will be erased?