How to Free Up Space in Your OneDrive Storage

"To avoid file syncing issues and missed emails, keep your OneDrive storage in check. We'll show you how to free up space and keep things running smoothly."

1. Clear OneDrive's Recycle Bin

When you delete a file from your OneDrive account, it's temporarily moved to the recycle bin. This is a safety measure to prevent accidental deletions. However, the recycle bin can quickly accumulate files, consuming valuable storage space. To maintain optimal storage efficiency, it's essential to regularly empty your recycle bin.

OneDrive retains deleted files for a period of 30 days. If you need to permanently delete a file before this timeframe, you can manually remove it from the recycle bin. This will immediately free up the associated storage space.

To empty the recycle bin:

1. Desktop App: Right-click the OneDrive icon in the Windows taskbar and select "Recycle bin."

2. Web: Log in to OneDrive.com and click the "Recycle bin" icon in the left navigation pane.

Before proceeding, carefully review the items in your recycle bin. Ensure that there are no files you wish to retain. To delete all items, click the "Empty recycle bin" button located at the top. Alternatively, you can select specific files and click "Delete" to remove them individually.

You can also empty the recycle bin using the OneDrive mobile app:

• Android: Go to the "Me" tab and tap "Recycle Bin." Then, select "Delete ALL" to remove all items.

• iOS: Tap your profile icon, choose "Recycle Bin," select the desired files, and tap "Delete."

By regularly emptying your OneDrive recycle bin, you can optimize your storage space and prevent unnecessary data accumulation.

2. Delete Large and Unnecessary Files

To optimize your OneDrive storage, start by emptying the recycle bin. Next, use the Manage Storage feature to identify space-consuming files.

For desktop app users: Right-click the OneDrive icon in the taskbar and select Settings. Click Manage Storage in the bottom-left corner.

For web app users: Log into OneDrive.com. Click Settings (gear icon) in the top-right corner, then choose Options.

On the Storage summary page, review your file and Outlook attachment usage. Click the OneDrive link to view your files and folders.

By default, files are sorted by size, making it easy to identify large, less essential items for deletion or relocation.

Back Up Files to Your Local Drive

To avoid accidentally deleting files from both your OneDrive account and local devices, understand that changes made in one location are reflected in the other. If you want to keep a local copy but remove it from the cloud, move the file or folder out of the OneDrive folder before deleting it.

To create a backup:

1. Access OneDrive: Double-click the OneDrive icon in your taskbar.

2. Select Files: Locate and choose the files you want to keep.

3. Copy and Move: Press Ctrl+C to copy, then paste the files into a different folder on your device.

To delete files from OneDrive:

1. Open OneDrive Web: Go to your OneDrive account online.

2. Select Files: Choose the files you want to remove.

3. Delete Files: Click "Delete" in the top-left corner. Confirm by clicking "Delete" again.

4. Empty Recycle Bin: To permanently remove files and reclaim storage, empty your OneDrive recycle bin.

For photos:

1. Access Photos: Go to the "Photos" section in your OneDrive account.

2. Select Images: Choose the photos you no longer need.

3. Delete Photos: Click "Delete" to remove them.

Note: If you encounter issues deleting files, refer to our troubleshooting guide.

3. Optimize Your OneDrive Sync Settings

"OneDrive automatically backs up your Documents, Desktop, and Pictures folders. To optimize storage, use Selective Sync. Right-click the OneDrive icon in your taskbar, go to Settings > Sync and Backup > Manage Backup, and toggle off folders you don't need. Avoid saving large, non-critical files in these folders to prevent unnecessary cloud storage usage. Disciplined file management is essential for efficient cloud storage use."

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This revised paragraph provides a more direct and informative explanation of how to optimize OneDrive storage using Selective Sync.

4. Optimize Email Attachments

Outlook's shift to OneDrive for email attachment storage can quickly lead to storage limitations for working professionals. Given the average size of email attachments, it's easy to exhaust OneDrive's free 5GB quota. To prevent email delivery issues, it's essential to manage attachment storage proactively.

While deleting individual emails is inefficient, saving critical information and attachments to your local drive or another cloud service allows for a more strategic cleanup. To effectively manage Outlook attachments:

1. Access OneDrive settings: In the web version of OneDrive, navigate to Settings > Options.

2. Review attachment storage: Under "Manage storage," click "Outlook (Attachments)."

3. Identify and delete: Review emails with attachments, select those you can safely remove, and delete them.

4. Empty the recycle bin: In the "Deleted Items" tab, select all items and delete them permanently.

By following these steps, you can effectively manage your Outlook attachment storage and avoid storage-related email delivery problems.

5. Move Files to External Storage or Another Cloud Service

If your OneDrive storage is about to run out, you should back up your data to an external storage drive. External hard drives or USB flash drives are reliable ways to back up large amounts of data locally.

Another solution is to migrate your files to another cloud storage service, like Google Drive, which offers a generous 15GB of free storage. If you need more storage, you can subscribe to Google One, which starts at $1.99 per month for 100 GB of storage space along with other benefits.

6. Consider Upgrading Your Storage Plan

"If you're sticking with OneDrive, consider upgrading your storage plan. While Microsoft doesn't offer standalone premium OneDrive plans, you can get additional storage by subscribing to a Microsoft 365 plan. For instance, the basic Microsoft 365 plan provides 100GB of OneDrive storage, along with other benefits like ad-free Outlook, web and mobile Office apps, ransomware protection, and Microsoft support. If you require more storage, the Microsoft 365 Personal plan offers 1TB for a slightly higher monthly fee and includes premium desktop apps like Office, Clipchamp, Teams, and Microsoft Defender. By following best practices for storage management, you can hopefully avoid the need for a storage upgrade and optimize your OneDrive experience."

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• Clarity: The paragraph is more concise and easier to understand.

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This is how we come to the end of our guide on How to free up space in your OneDrive storage, so we hope we have been of great help to you in freeing up space in your cloud service.