Issue with my One Drive storage space

Mary Rose Tan 0 Reputation points
2026-09-16T13:03:19.4933333+00:00

I have received an email from Microsoft which says that:

my <personal account> is currently frozen because you’re 26.3 GB over your storage limit of 5 GB. Your files are still there. However, your cloud storage will be deleted on or after 10/2/2026 12:00:00 AM unless you remove files you don’t need or upgrade your account.

While your account is frozen, you will not be able to:

  • Save and back up new files, photos, or videos to OneDrive 
  • Sync files across your devices
  • Send and receive emails from Outlook.com

If your cloud storage is deleted, you won’t be able to retrieve any previously saved files or send any emails.

|| || However, I my MS account shows that I still have a lot of storage space left.

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What do I need to do?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

2 answers

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  1. EmilyS726 267.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-16T13:39:05.8033333+00:00

    Mary,

    Looks like the warning is about a different account.

    Looks like you have one account with a Microsoft 365 subscription, which gives you the 1TB storage. And the problematic account doesn't have any subscription, hence it is only at 5GB, and you have exceeded that allowance.

    And no, data will not be automatically transferred.

    On the account you currently use, can you go to https://account.live.com > subscriptions, and tell me, what's the plan you have? Is it Personal, Family or Premium? I need this information to determine what options you might have to transfer the files.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-16T13:03:36.7633333+00:00

    The most likely cause is that the frozen email was sent for a different Microsoft account than the one shown in the storage screenshot.

    Microsoft states that if an account appears frozen by mistake, there may be an extra Microsoft account, including one created for another service, and the fix is to sign in with the other account credentials. It also specifically advises ensuring that the sign-in is with the account that received the frozen message.

    What to do:

    1. Sign in to OneDrive with the exact account that received the frozen email.
    2. Open Manage your OneDrive storage and verify the storage usage for that same account.
    3. If that account is actually over quota, either:
      • delete files and then empty the Recycle Bin, or
      • buy more storage.
    4. Wait up to two hours for storage changes to apply.
    5. If the account is still frozen after four hours, contact support.

    Important details from Microsoft:

    • A OneDrive account can be frozen if storage is exceeded or if the account has not been signed in to for a long time.
    • While over quota, existing files remain but are read-only.
    • Outlook.com email can also stop working when Microsoft storage is exceeded.
    • After six months, Microsoft might delete the OneDrive and the files become non-recoverable.

    Since the screenshot shows 1 TB available, that screenshot does not match the email claiming a 5 GB limit. That strongly points to a different personal Microsoft account being involved.

    If the email itself is suspicious, Microsoft says genuine personal OneDrive emails relate to personal OneDrive and recommends not clicking links in the email; instead, sign in directly to OneDrive to review and reactivate the account.

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

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