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My email says I can't send or receive messages as it is almost 80% full but my storage is practically empty on one drive and outlook

Freddie Bell 0 Reputation points
2026-03-20T20:59:11.3966667+00:00

I have an email saying Your [Moderation note: PII removed]@outlook.com Microsoft storage is almost full. If your storage is full, you can’t back up, sync edits, or add files and photos to OneDrive, and you won’t be able to send or receive emails from your Outlook/Microsoft email accounts.

To avoid interruption, remove files in OneDrive, delete emails with large attachments in Outlook, or upgrade your storage. however my storage is empty like 0.1% on one drive and on outlook why can't I access it

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | iOS
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  1. Kai-H 14,570 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-22T07:18:13.7333333+00:00

    Hi, Freddie Bell

    Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data. 

    If Outlook says the mailbox is full, the first thing to check is whether the user only deleted mail from the Inbox. The Deleted Items folder still counts toward storage until it is emptied, and the Storage/Cleanup page can show which folders or messages are actually using the space.

    It is also recommended to clear Sent, Junk, and Deleted Items, and permanently remove old emails with large attachments, not just move them around. Saving attachments first, then deleting the original email, can help too.

    If the account already looks under the limit but still shows the warning, you should check Outlook on the web, confirm the subscription is still active, and if you use Microsoft 365/Family, toggle auto-renew once to refresh the mailbox quota. If it still stays stuck, contacting Outlook.com support from inside the web version is the next step.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment."    

    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. 

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