How to free up space

Question

How to free up space

Muhammad Bima Yudha Sy 0

I have already deleted several file to free up my storage. it used to remove into recycle bin after deleting and cleaning the recycle bin to free up the space. but in my case when i deleted file it wasn't removed to recycle bin, so i cannot clear the file and my account storage is still running out. can you help me with that problem?

0 comments

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

It sounds like you're hitting a common wall with OneDrive storage. When your account is over its limit, OneDrive often prevents "regular" deletions because it can't even process the move to the Recycle Bin.

Here is the most effective way to clear that space:

Use the OneDrive Web Portal: Don't delete from the Finder/Sync folder on your Mac. Sign in directly to OneDrive.com. Web deletions are more reliable when storage is full.

The "Permanent Delete" Shortcut: Instead of just clicking delete, select a file and press Shift + Command + Delete. This attempts to bypass the Recycle Bin entirely, which often solves the "out of space" error.

Check the "Second-Stage" Bin: OneDrive has two Recycle Bins. Go to your Recycle Bin, scroll to the bottom, and click "Second-stage recycle bin". If this is full, your "deleted" files won't actually free up any quota until you empty it.

Outlook Attachment Cleanup: Since Microsoft 365 shares storage, your email attachments often count against your OneDrive limit. Check your Storage Summary to see if large emails are the hidden culprit.

Give the Shift + Command + Delete trick a try on the web version first—it's usually the fastest way to "unstick" a full account!

Answer 2

Hi Muhammad Bima Yudha Sy

You can try Ajas Saif’s solution first to see if it resolves your issue. In many cases, clearing items from the online recycle bins is what actually frees up storage.

If your OneDrive storage still shows as full after trying those steps, to better understand your situation, could you please share some information:

Are the deleted files still visible in either recycle bin online?
Does storage usage change after signing out and back into OneDrive.com?
Does this behavior remain the same on another device or browser?

If possible, could you also share a screenshot of what you see when checking your storage usage?

I look forward to your update!

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.