Forum Discussion
OneDrive Shows 6.5 GB Used Despite Empty Storage | Storage Management Issues
Hello,
My Microsoft account appears to have a problem with OneDrive storage management.
OneDrive continuously shows 6.5 GB used out of 5 GB (130%), even though:
- My Files is empty
- The Recycle Bin is empty
- Personal Vault is empty
- Searches do not find any large files
In addition, the "Manage Storage" page fails to load and displays an "Unknown Rendering Error".
The issue persists after:
- Signing out and back in
- Using Incognito/Private mode
- Testing on different pages and services
There are also related Outlook issues:
- Outlook on the web reports that there is not enough storage available
- I can no longer send emails
- The Outlook desktop app fails when trying to add or configure the account
At this point, neither OneDrive nor Outlook shows what is actually using the reported 6.5 GB of storage.
Has anyone experienced this issue before, or does anyone know how I can get the storage usage or account data checked when the storage management page itself is broken?
Thank you for any help.
1 Reply
An empty OneDrive file list does not necessarily mean your Microsoft cloud-storage usage is zero. Microsoft includes Outlook.com pictures and attachments, plus other personal Microsoft-app content, in that allowance. Exceeding either cloud or mailbox storage can stop Outlook.com sending and receiving, so rebuilding the desktop Outlook profile will not correct a server-side quota problem. Since Manage Storage fails even in private browsing, try the Microsoft account dashboard’s Microsoft storage breakdown and Outlook’s Email storage view; the Outlook mobile app can also refresh storage information under Settings > your account > Storage. Check large attachments, including Sent Items, before removing anything. If you recently deleted content, Microsoft says quota updates can take up to 24 hours. If usage remains unexplained or those views also fail, use Get Help > Contact Support for OneDrive/account storage. Provide the 6.5-GB figure, rendering error, deletion time and screenshots privately, and request an account-specific storage investigation.
