Understanding Exchange Online Plan 1 Mailbox and Archive Storage Limits
Question details
The user is seeking detailed information regarding the storage capacity of the primary and archive mailboxes provided under Exchange Online Plan 1.
- Product
- Exchange Online Plan 1
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Determining available email storage capacity and archive limits for accounts using Microsoft 365 Business Basic.
- Observed behavior
- Understanding the goal state to ensure the organization's email storage is optimized and to verify the exact allowances for active and archived emails.
Ensure you have administrator access to the Microsoft 365 Exchange admin center, as you will need administrative privileges to check and enable archive mailboxes.
Enable the Archive Mailbox in the Exchange Admin Center
Activate the archive mailbox feature to access an additional 50 GB of storage space on top of the primary 50 GB mailbox.
Exchange Online Plan 1 provides a 50 GB primary mailbox and an additional 50 GB for the archive mailbox, allowing up to 100 GB in total storage.
The archive mailbox is not active by default. To utilize the extra 50 GB, an administrator must manually enable the archive feature for the user.
Navigate to the Microsoft 365 admin center and open the Exchange admin center using your global or Exchange administrator credentials.
In the left-hand navigation pane, go to 'Recipients' and then select 'Mailboxes'. Find and click on the specific user account you want to configure.
In the user's mailbox properties pane, select the 'Others' tab. Scroll to the 'Mailbox archive' section and click 'Manage mailbox archive' to toggle the status to 'Enabled'.
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While Exchange Online handles your email communication, you need a reliable office suite to view and edit document attachments. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and fully compatible alternative to Microsoft Office for your daily tasks.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free version for your operating system.
- 2. Install and Launch: Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to set up WPS Office as your default document handler.
- 3. Open Email Attachments Easily: Click on any Word, Excel, or PowerPoint attachment in your Exchange mailbox to open it directly in WPS Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Microsoft 365 Business Basic include Exchange Online Plan 1?
Yes, Microsoft 365 Business Basic includes an Exchange Online Plan 1 license, which provides a 50 GB primary mailbox and a separate 50 GB archive mailbox.
What happens when my primary Exchange mailbox reaches the 50 GB limit?
Once the primary mailbox reaches its 50 GB capacity, you will not be able to send or receive new emails. You must delete older items or move them to the archive mailbox to free up space.
Is the 50 GB archive mailbox turned on automatically?
No, the 50 GB archive mailbox is not enabled by default. A Microsoft 365 administrator must manually enable it through the Exchange admin center.
Can I increase the Exchange Online Plan 1 storage limit?
To obtain more storage beyond the 100 GB total (50 GB primary + 50 GB archive), you need to upgrade the user's license to Exchange Online Plan 2, which provides a 100 GB primary mailbox and auto-expanding archiving.
