'%3e%3cpath%20d='M8%200C12.4183%200%2016%203.58172%2016%208C16%2012.4183%2012.4183%2016%208%2016C3.58172%2016%200%2012.4183%200%208C0%203.58172%203.58172%200%208%200ZM11.6162%204.38379C11.2257%203.99337%2010.5927%203.99338%2010.2021%204.38379L8%206.58594L5.79785%204.38379C5.40732%203.99334%204.77429%203.99329%204.38379%204.38379C3.99331%204.77429%203.99335%205.40733%204.38379%205.79785L6.58594%208L4.38379%2010.2021C3.99348%2010.5927%203.99341%2011.2257%204.38379%2011.6162C4.77426%2012.0066%205.40734%2012.0065%205.79785%2011.6162L8%209.41406L10.2021%2011.6162C10.5927%2012.0066%2011.2257%2012.0067%2011.6162%2011.6162C12.0067%2011.2257%2012.0066%2010.5927%2011.6162%2010.2021L9.41406%208L11.6162%205.79785C12.0066%205.40735%2012.0066%204.77429%2011.6162%204.38379Z'%20fill='%23080E17'%20fill-opacity='0.46'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_3761_713'%3e%3crect%20width='16'%20height='16'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
How to Restore OneDrive Files When Storage Limit is Exceeded
Question details
The user needs to restore a deleted OneDrive folder, but the restoration is blocked because the folder size exceeds the account's current active storage capacity.
- Product
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to restore a deleted folder from the recycle bin after an education license storage quota reduction (e.g., to 100 GB).
- Observed behavior
- The restoration from the recycle bin fails and is prevented because the deleted folder is larger than the account's current storage limit.
Verify your current Microsoft 365 subscription and storage quota by checking the Microsoft 365 Subscriptions page before proceeding with recovery steps.
Request a Temporary License Upgrade from Your IT Administrator
Since the 100 GB limit often applies to Office 365 A1 education licenses, you can bypass the restriction by having your IT admin temporarily upgrade your license to A3 or A5.
When an education license is changed to an Office 365 A1 plan, the OneDrive storage quota is reduced to 100 GB. If your deleted files exceed this capacity, Microsoft's system will not allow you to pull them out of the recycle bin. The only way to retrieve this data is to temporarily expand the account's storage limit.
Log into your Microsoft account and navigate to the Microsoft 365 Subscriptions page to confirm if you are currently assigned an Office 365 A1 education license.
Reach out to your school or institution's IT administrator and ask if your account license can be temporarily upgraded to Office 365 A3 or A5 to increase the storage quota.
Once the IT administrator confirms the temporary upgrade is active, open OneDrive, go to the Recycle Bin, select your deleted folder, and click 'Restore'.
Immediately download the recovered files locally to your computer's hard drive so you have a safe offline copy.
Notify your IT administrator that the files are safe so they can change the license back if appropriate, and discuss your future storage needs.
Manage Files and Avoid Storage Hassles with WPS Office
If you are struggling with restrictive Microsoft 365 education account storage limitations, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free alternative that offers seamless local file management alongside its own cloud solutions.
- 1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS Office website to download and install the free suite on your computer.
- 2. Open your recovered files: Launch WPS Office and open the files you successfully downloaded to your local drive to seamlessly resume your work.
- 3. Set up WPS Cloud: Sign in to activate your free WPS Cloud storage for an additional layer of file backup and easy accessibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my OneDrive storage limit suddenly drop to 100 GB?
Microsoft recently updated the storage limits for specific education accounts. If your institution uses an Office 365 A1 license, the standard storage quota was automatically reduced to 100 GB.
Can I recover a deleted file if my OneDrive storage is completely full?
No. If restoring a deleted file or folder pushes your account over its current active storage limit, the recovery process will fail. You must either free up space by permanently deleting other non-essential files or increase your storage limit.
How do I check my current OneDrive storage quota?
You can check your storage quota by logging into OneDrive on the web, clicking the Settings gear icon, selecting 'OneDrive settings', and then navigating to 'More Settings' followed by 'Storage Metrics'.
Is there a time limit for restoring files from the OneDrive recycle bin?
Yes, for work or school accounts, deleted items are typically kept in the recycle bin for 93 days before they are permanently deleted, provided the recycle bin itself does not exceed its own storage limits.
