Online Outlook email account storage limit change ?

Anonymous
2023-03-04T11:04:19+00:00

Hello,

As from 3rd March 2023, on my 20 year old online outlook email account, I now receive need more storage messages.

It says I am using around 6GB when there is only 5Gb available.

I thought the limit was more than 5GB, I vaguely remember some indicator in the past that showed I was nowhere near the limit.

After checking the available info I find the following - *"You have 5 GB of free cloud storage with your Microsoft account shared across your files and photos in OneDrive, attachments in Outlook.com and your Microsoft 365 apps.You also get 15 GB of free Outlook.com email storage which is separate from your Microsoft cloud storage."*I do not use cloud storage just the email account admittedly with thousands of email stored.This info suggests I have a limit of 15Gb in Outlook yet when using around 6Gb it says I need more as I'm over 5Gb The message on the outlook account states this was taking place from 1st Feb 2023 as well, yet this comes up from 3rd March.

I do not know if something has changed, or is wrong, or if I have misunderstood this.

It seems to me that contacting Microsoft is almost impossible ?

Thanks. Mike. UK

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Settings

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-03-22T16:44:20+00:00

    Thanks Mike

    I have opened a yahoo account today and will slowly be migrating my emails

    I don't understand why Yahoo can offer 1TB and Microsoft is having trouble with 15GB.

    You are right. Why not target those who are above the 15GB? I am sure they can target by IP address etc.

    It's kind of sad to leave Hotmail after over 20 years and 13000 emails.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-03-22T16:32:20+00:00

    Hello, thankyou for the reply.

    I always assumed many would be annoyed as it is effectively being applied retrospectively after years of letting people think they had a certain amount etc.

    For what it is worth I myself have exported the emails to a PST file which can be brought up in apps so they are there if the worst happens.

    I do not know if they can be put in to other accounts.

    I actually had a lengthy email thread with the escalations team over the last few weeks and received the explanation as in the online info.

    Yesterday I had a phone call with a person for 40 mins from Microsoft.

    They explained the same in verbal form and I challenged them at every opportunity.

    There are many complicated reasons for this change effectively making the limit 5GB instead of 15GB as was.

    Clearly it is the cost of servers etc.

    I was even told on the phone yesterday that it was in part down to some using many hundreds of GB or even TB in some ways.

    My reply to that was target them then instead of annoying most for just 15GB

    All have been helpful however at Microsoft, my position is that Microsoft are putting people in the position retrospectively.

    Thanks.

    Mike.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-03-22T14:56:16+00:00

    After reading all the same issues with so many people - I am also considering moving to Yahoo with 1TB of storage.

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  4. Ron-6928 4,991 Reputation points
    2023-03-08T22:49:23+00:00

    There are a few free apps (for PCs) you can use to open PST file format. Google it. I'm an Outlook 2016 user so I have no problem opening PST files.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-03-08T22:36:43+00:00

    Thanks again, I have started the export process which says it will take some time before I can download.

    However I have realised the app thing for phones, which I don't use.

    So what I download as exported when I get the option, looks like I can't bring up on PC.

    Thanks anyway.

    Mike.

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