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How to Expand Exchange Online Archive to 1.5 TB

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to know how to utilize the full 1.5 TB archive capacity in Exchange Online, as their account currently displays a 100 GB limit despite having the appropriate license.

Product: Microsoft Exchange Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing mailbox storage and expanding archive capacity for Microsoft 365 E5 or Exchange Online Plan 2.
Observed behavior: The Exchange Online archive currently shows a 100 GB limit instead of the expected 1.5 TB maximum capacity stated in Microsoft documentation.

Before you start

Ensure you have global administrator or Exchange administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 environment, as enabling this feature requires organizational-level permissions.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable Auto-Expanding Archiving via PowerShell

Turn on auto-expanding archiving so the storage quota automatically increases incrementally when the 100 GB limit is approached.

The archive storage does not increase to 1.5 TB all at once. Instead, when the initial 100 GB quota is nearly reached, Exchange Online automatically provisions additional storage space. This gradual process continues as needed up to the maximum limit of 1.5 TB.

Connect to Exchange Online

Open PowerShell as an administrator and connect to Exchange Online using your Microsoft 365 administrator credentials.

Enable Auto-Expanding Archiving

Run the appropriate command (such as 'Set-OrganizationConfig -AutoExpandingArchive') to enable the feature for your entire organization, or use specific commands to enable it for individual users.

Allow Time for Provisioning

Wait for the configuration to propagate. The archive will now automatically expand as the user approaches the initial 100 GB threshold without requiring further manual intervention.

Gradual Expansion Process: The storage quota expands incrementally based on usage. You will not see a 1.5 TB quota immediately upon enabling the feature; it will only increase as the current capacity is filled.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Exchange Online Plan 2 archive only show 100 GB?

By default, Exchange Online Plan 2 and Microsoft 365 E5 archives start with an initial 100 GB quota. The system will only expand beyond this limit if the auto-expanding archiving feature is explicitly enabled by an administrator.

Will my archive show 1.5 TB immediately after enabling auto-expansion?

No. The auto-expanding archive feature adds storage space gradually. As you approach your current limit, the system provisions more space incrementally, rather than displaying the maximum 1.5 TB all at once.

Who has the authority to enable auto-expanding archiving?

Only users with global administrator or Exchange administrator permissions in the Microsoft 365 tenant can enable the auto-expanding archiving feature using Exchange Online PowerShell.

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