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. 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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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. Anonymous
    2023-03-22T18:55:17+00:00

    Hello again.

    Hope it goes well for you.

    It is annoying after 20 years like myself and others.

    Someone else in this thread mentioned Yahoo gave 1TB.

    On the phone yesterday when I mentioned this, Microsoft seemed to not agree which is clearly not true.

    They told me in the 40 mins conversation that people somehow were racking up TB worth of data.

    An example given was students sending books back and forth repeatedly.

    Don't know if it is true or not but the principle is the important thing.

    Of course people can pay £20 or $20 per year for 100GB and there are other options.

    I am sick of explaining to them and others that deleting thousands of emails as an option to get below 5GB is monumental task and quite frankly I will not do it.

    Some only have a couple of MB in attachments and runs as you said in to thousands.

    I will keep on at them until they put this back.

    I wish more people would get on to them.

    I contacted the CEO then had email threads with a escalations person.

    All very nice but this is a cheek.

    The CEO email which got me through is easy to find -

    Satyan at microsoft dot com.

    A general email which I had a thread with, all one word no spaces -

    microsoft escalation support at microsoft support dot com

    Maybe others should give them a go.

    Mike.

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