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I can't delete my files and free up space on my OneDrive

Anonymous
2025-05-22T14:21:44+00:00

About a year ago, I had a 1TB Microsoft license through my university, but at some point, it expired and reverted to the regular 100GB plan. The problem is that I had used up 200GB of storage. Now, every time I try to delete files to free up space, it doesn't let me, showing an error. How can I fix this?
Is there a way to permanently delete files without having to go through the Recycle Bin?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For education | Other

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-05-22T15:05:43+00:00

    Dear CHRISTIAN FELIX LEITE, 

    Thank you for reaching out to us. First of all, we would like to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused you while using OneDrive. 

    Below are detailed instructions to help you resolve the issue of being unable to delete files and free up storage space after your Microsoft 1TB license expired and your account reverted to the 100GB plan. 

    Recommended Steps to Resolve the Issue:

    1. Access OneDrive via a web browser 
    Go to: https://onedrive.live.com 
    Sign in with your Microsoft account. 

    2. Permanently delete files (bypass the Recycle Bin) 
    Select the files you want to delete. 
    Press Shift + Delete to permanently delete them without sending them to the Recycle Bin. 
    If the shortcut doesn’t work, you can: 
    Delete the files normally → go to Recycle Bin → select Delete permanently. 

    3. Empty the Recycle Bin 
    Go to the Recycle Bin in OneDrive. 
    Click Empty recycle bin to permanently remove all deleted files and free up space. 

    4. Download and delete files 
    Download important files to your computer. 
    Then delete them from OneDrive and empty the Recycle Bin as described above. 

    If the above steps do not resolve the issue, I would recommend reaching out to Microsoft’s advanced support team by submitting a request through their official support portal:   
    https://support.microsoft.com/contactus   
    Thank you for your understanding, and please don’t hesitate to reach out again if you need further assistance.   

    Best regards,   
    Dustin-TP-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-05-26T21:23:21+00:00

    Hi CHRISTIAN FELIX LEITE,

    I hope the information I shared earlier was somewhat helpful in addressing your issue. If you have any further questions or updates, please don’t hesitate to share—I’m always happy to assist further if needed.

    If you feel the response was helpful, you’re welcome to mark it as an answer so others in the community can benefit from it as well. That would be greatly appreciated!

    Thank you very much, and I wish you a great day!

    Best regards,

    Dustin - TP - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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