Forum Discussion
MicrosoftOneDrive for Business is showing I've used 700BG of space even though I've deleted everything.
Hi DarrylGittins ,
You’re likely seeing hidden data still taking up space even after deleting files. Try these steps:- Check Storage Metrics – In OneDrive > ⚙️ Settings > More Settings > Storage Metrics to see what’s using space.
- Empty Both Recycle Bins – Clear both the primary and second-stage recycle bins.
- Check Retention Policies – If your organization (like CrashPlan) has a retention or legal hold policy, deleted items may still exist in a hidden Preservation Hold Library. Ask your admin to review this.
- Clear Version History – Old file versions can still consume space.
- Wait a Few Hours – Storage usage sometimes takes time to refresh.
If the issue remains after these steps, contact Microsoft 365 Support — they can check for hidden site libraries that aren’t user-accessible.
Hi DarrylGittins ,
You’re likely seeing hidden data still taking up space even after deleting files. Try these steps:
- Check Storage Metrics – In OneDrive > ⚙️ Settings > More Settings > Storage Metrics to see what’s using space.
- Empty Both Recycle Bins – Clear both the primary and second-stage recycle bins.
- Check Retention Policies – If your organization (like CrashPlan) has a retention or legal hold policy, deleted items may still exist in a hidden Preservation Hold Library. Ask your admin to review this.
- Clear Version History – Old file versions can still consume space.
- Wait a Few Hours – Storage usage sometimes takes time to refresh.
If the issue remains after these steps, contact Microsoft 365 Support — they can check for hidden site libraries that aren’t user-accessible.
MicrosoftThank you, spawar401! This is an enormous help. I discovered that the Preservation Hold Library is indeed using 100% of the account's storage. It seems her IT department is not aware of this policy because they have been unable to identify the problem for several months. We can send them a screenshot and hopefully they can now resolve the issue.
Much appreciated!