Microsoft 365 Storage FAQ

Table of Contents

About The Project

General Information

Q: When did the changes to Microsoft 365 Education (M365) storage services take effect? 

A: The changes went into effect in fall 2024.

Q: Will I lose access to my OneDrive, M365 Teams, and SharePoint sites?

A: No, your access to these collaboration tools will remain in place.

Q: Do I need to move my files or purchase additional storage?

A: No. Campus members can continue using OneDrive, SharePoint, and other M365 services as they do today without moving files or purchasing additional storage.

OneDrive

Q: What are the new OneDrive storage quotas for different user groups?

A:       Faculty (current, retired, and emeritus): 100 gigabytes

Staff (current and retired): 50 gigabytes

Students (current undergrad and graduate): 25 gigabytes

Former Students: 5 gigabytes

Q: What happens to existing OneDrive accounts?

A: Existing accounts will receive a quota based on current use with a significant buffer to accommodate additional growth.

Q: What happens if I exceed my OneDrive quota?

A: Campus members will receive warning notifications when the OneDrive account reaches 90% capacity. At 100% capacity, the OneDrive will be limited to read-only access. Users won't be able to upload, edit or sync new files to OneDrive, and existing files will remain as read-only. However, users can still download files, delete files and empty recycle bins.

Q: How can I check my OneDrive storage usage?

A:  Log in to your M365 account

  1. Click on the gear icon on the top right of your screen.
  2. Click on OneDrive Settings.
  3. Click More Settings.
  4. Click Storage Metrics.

Q: How can I manage my storage in OneDrive?

A: To manage your OneDrive storage, you can:

  • Delete unnecessary files
  • Empty your recycle bin
  • Move less frequently used files to personal storage
  • Use the Storage Sense feature to automatically free up space

SharePoint and Teams

Q: What are the storage quotas for new Teams & SharePoint sites?

A: New sites will have a 10 GB quota, which can be expanded with additional storage purchases.

Q: How can I check storage use in Teams?

A: You can check storage use in Teams by going to the Files tab in a channel and clicking on "Manage Files" to see the storage usage for that team.

Q: How can I manage storage in Teams?

A: To manage storage in Teams:

Delete unnecessary files and old conversations

Archive inactive teams

Use SharePoint for long-term file storage instead of keeping everything in Teams

Q: How do I check storage use in SharePoint?

A: Site owners can check storage use by going to the SharePoint admin center, selecting "Active sites," and viewing the "Storage used" column.

Q: How can I manage storage in SharePoint?

A: To manage SharePoint storage:

Empty the recycle bin.
  Site Settings > Site Collection Administration > Recycle bin > Empty recycle bin

 

Decrease the number of file versions in Version settings.
  Library settings > Versioning settings > modify "Keep the following number of major versions" and "Keep drafts for the following number of major versions" value

 

Delete previous versions of files.
  Site Settings > Site Collection Administration > Storage Metrics > click library > Version History > Version History or Delete Draft Versions

Microsoft 365 Groups

Q: What are Microsoft 365 Groups at TAMU?

A: Microsoft 365 Groups are the foundation for collaboration in M365. They provide a single identity for teams to share resources like a SharePoint site, OneNote notebook, and Teams channel.

Q: How do Groups affect storage?

A: Each Group created generates a SharePoint site, which contributes to the overall storage usage.
It's important to manage Groups effectively to avoid unnecessary storage consumption.

Timeline and Preparation

Q: When will the OneDrive quotas take effect?

A: The campus OneDrive quotas will take effect on May 18, 2025.

Q: How can I prepare for these changes?

A: You can check your storage usage in OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint, practice responsible data storage, and actively reduce digital clutter.

Support and Additional Information

Q: Where can I get help or more information about these changes?

A: You can review FAQs, read help documentation, email the helpdesk for technical assistance, or send questions to the Storage Sustainability Project.

Data Retention

Q: What happens to my OneDrive data when I leave the university?

A: Data in a M365 OneDrive is tied to the campus member and is deleted when they leave the university.

Q: What happens to SharePoint and Teams data when the owner leaves the university?

A: SharePoint use is tied to TAMU and is not deleted when owner(s) leave the university.

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