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Outlook Storage

Juan Salazar 0 Reputation points
2026-03-31T11:08:52.67+00:00

Hi, I'm supposed to have 100GB in storage, I have used 5GB but outlook keeps saying I need to add more storage.

I can't receive or send emails atm because of that. How can we get this fixed please?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Email
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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 73,395 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-31T11:48:35.92+00:00

    Hi, I'm John!

    After purchasing additional storage (or freeing space), it can take up to 24 to 48 hours for everything to fully update across your account. I’d recommend waiting that time and then trying again to check emails or try to send.

    If the update is still pending after 24 hours, you can try unlinking and relinking your OneDrive account, or resetting it. "Unlink and re-link OneDrive" https://support.microsoft.com/office/unlink-and-re-link-onedrive-3c4680bf-cc36-4204-9ca5-e7b24cdd23ea

    If you're using Outlook Web, you can try resetting your browser cache and cookies. You can also try another browser, or test in incognito or InPrivate mode.

    If the issue still persists, please wait another 24 hours for everything to fully update across your account.

    I really hope this information is helpful! Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

    Regards,

    John J.D.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-03-31T11:09:10.32+00:00

    The error is caused by Microsoft cloud storage (unified storage/OneDrive), not by the mailbox itself.

    Even if email storage is only 5 GB of 100 GB, Outlook.com will block sending and receiving mail when the overall Microsoft storage quota is exceeded.

    When Microsoft storage is over quota:

    1. Outlook.com cannot send or receive email, even if the mailbox itself is under its email limit.
    2. Messages sent to the account are bounced and are not recoverable while storage is full.
    3. OneDrive becomes read‑only for new uploads/changes.

    To fix this:

    1. Check Microsoft storage status (not just email storage) using the storage page referenced in the Outlook.com help: this shows total Microsoft storage usage and what is consuming space.
    2. If using the free tier, either:
      • Buy a Microsoft 365 subscription to increase the mailbox quota and overall storage, or
      • Free up storage space by deleting files/emails as described in the storage help.
    3. If already a Microsoft 365 subscriber:
      • Consumer mailbox size is capped at 100 GB; if the mailbox is under that but unified storage is full, free up OneDrive/other Microsoft storage until total usage is below the quota.
    4. After going back under the quota, Outlook.com will resume sending/receiving mail. Any messages bounced while storage was full must be resent by the senders.

    If the storage page shows clearly incorrect values (for example, OneDrive reports plenty of free space but the unified storage banner still says full), unlinking and relinking OneDrive on the device and forcing a resync has resolved similar issues for other users.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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