OneDrive File Issues

How to Increase OneDrive for Business A3 Storage When Over 90% Full

Phi Hung Vo Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to know how to increase the storage limit for an educational OneDrive for Business A3 account that is nearing its 5 TB capacity.

How to Increase OneDrive for Business A3 Storage When It's Over 90% Full

Product: OneDrive for Business
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An educational user with an A3 license has utilized nearly 5 TB of their cloud storage capacity and needs additional space to continue saving files.
Observed behavior: The OneDrive for Business storage usage is over 90% full, prompting the need for a storage limit expansion.

Before you start

Before requesting a storage increase, log into your OneDrive account on the web to review your storage metrics and empty your Recycle Bin, which might immediately free up substantial space.

Solution 1Recommended

Request a Storage Limit Increase via Your Microsoft 365 Administrator

If you are on an educational A3 plan and using nearly 5 TB, your IT administrator can verify your eligibility and request a limit increase on your behalf.

Microsoft allows eligible educational tenants to increase OneDrive storage limits beyond the standard 5 TB. However, end-users cannot perform this action themselves. The organization's Microsoft 365 administrator must initiate the process after verifying that your specific account has reached at least 90% of its current capacity.

Verify your current usage

Ensure your OneDrive account is actually utilizing at least 90% of the 5 TB limit, as Microsoft requires this threshold to be met before granting additional space.

Contact your IT department

Reach out to your school or university's IT helpdesk or Microsoft 365 administrator, explaining that your OneDrive A3 storage is over 90% full and requesting a limit increase.

Admin runs the storage diagnostic (For Admins)

The administrator must log into the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to the Support section, and run the 'OneDrive Storage Limit' diagnostic tool to apply the increase.

Open a support ticket (For Admins)

If the automated diagnostic does not grant the storage increase despite meeting eligibility, the administrator should open a support ticket directly with Microsoft through the admin center.

Request a Storage Limit Increase via Your Microsoft 365 Administrator

Eligibility Requirements: Additional storage is subject to tenant and user eligibility rules set by Microsoft. Administrators can review the full requirements at the official Microsoft SharePoint/OneDrive troubleshooting documentation.

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Manage Cloud Files Efficiently with WPS Office

While waiting for your IT admin to increase your OneDrive storage, you can use WPS Office to optimize and manage your documents. As a free, lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office, WPS Office seamlessly connects to OneDrive and includes built-in file compression tools to help you save valuable cloud storage space.

1. Download and install WPS Office: Get the free application from the official WPS website and install it on your device.
2. Connect your OneDrive account: Open WPS Office, go to the 'Open' menu, click on 'Add Cloud Storage', and sign in with your Microsoft credentials.
3. Optimize your documents: Open large documents or PDFs and use the built-in compression features before saving them back to OneDrive to conserve space.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the default storage limit for OneDrive for Business A3?

Depending on the number of users in your educational institution's tenant, the default storage limit for an A3 account is typically 1 TB or 5 TB.

Can I increase my OneDrive storage limit myself?

No. Only a designated Microsoft 365 tenant administrator can modify user storage limits or request an expansion from Microsoft.

Why was my storage increase request denied by Microsoft?

Requests are usually denied if the user has not yet reached the 90% capacity threshold of their current 5 TB limit, or if the educational tenant does not meet the necessary licensing requirements.

How can I quickly free up space on my OneDrive?

You can free up space by emptying the OneDrive Recycle Bin (which counts against your quota), deleting large media files, and managing the version history of frequently edited documents.

Document & File Issues