Microsoft offers its users a lot of practical services and very useful tools. One of these services is the one that gives us the possibility of saving information and all kinds of files in the cloud. In this post we are going to analyze how Microsoft storage works, in its two modalities: in the mailbox and in the cloud.
Both are equally valid, although Microsoft OneDrive (cloud storage) is undoubtedly the best. Thanks to this storage system, any Microsoft user can save documents and photos for free up to a certain limit. We explain everything in more detail below:
Two storage options: Outlook and OneDrive
Outlook, as everyone knows, is a personal information manager developed by Microsoft, which is part of the suite Microsoft 365. Most users only associate this service with the use of email, which in itself offers interesting storage space. Here's what it includes:
- All emails associated with our Microsoft account (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live or MSN).
- Online email attachments and images.
- Calendar elements.
- Contacts.
- Deleted messages.
In addition to this, it offers the advantage of being able to easily synchronize with OneDrive, which is Microsoft's great storage platform, as well as with others such as Dropbox or similar.
However Microsoft also allows us to store files in the cloud. The fee applies to our personal account and includes the following: Microsoft and includes:
- Storing files and photos in OneDrive.
- Items in the OneDrive Recycle Bin.
- Outlook online email attachments and images.
- Message attachments and recordings Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft OneDrive: cloud storage
Microsoft's cloud storage service is OneDrive. Using it provides us with great advantages, especially being able to access it from anywhere and any device, through mobile applications and from the PC browser. All we need to do is log into our Microsoft account.
In addition to that, with OneDrive we will be able to do backup copies of all our files and a backup which can be our salvation if one bad day our cell phone is stolen or our computer breaks. It is also possible share all or part of our files with other users. This has very interesting practical applications, both in our private lives (for example, sharing photos with other family members) and in the professional field (for example, sharing documents with clients, colleagues, etc.).
There are other advantages of Microsoft cloud storage that we should highlight. One of them is full integration with other Microsoft products, such as the Windows operating system or the Microsoft Office suite.
How to upload and download files from OneDrive
These are the steps to follow to upload files to OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage service:
- Firstly, we open OneDrive in our web browser and We access our account.
- Then we click the button "New", or in that of "Upload files".
- We select the files we want to upload and click "Open".
On the other hand, for download files from OneDrive, you have to do the following:
- Again we open OneDrive in our web browser and access the account.
- Next we look for the file we want to download and we click on it to select it.
- Finally, click on the button "Download".
Available free storage capacity
In the beginning, Microsoft offered OneDrive with unlimited storage. Taking advantage of this generosity, many users abused this feature, accumulating hundreds of TB of files in a single account. Understandably, this was not a profitable situation for Microsoft, leading the brand to put limits on available storage.
Today, The free storage that OneDrive makes available to its users is limited. And that limit, which ranges from 5 GB to 40 GB, can vary in each case:
- new users (as of 2023): 5 GB.
- Old users or that 20 new users have contributed with the referral program: 15 GB.
Although now it is no longer possible, some old users have 40 GB free. This is because at the time they activated the camera album and brought in new users through the referral program, thus accumulating various rewards in the form of more available memory. Unfortunately, the old plans that offered 100GB of space to new OneDrive users are no longer available.
In addition to free storage space, users of Microsoft 365 they have 1 TB of additional space. Although the difference is abysmal (we are talking about almost unlimited storage), each user must assess whether or not it is convenient to pay for this subscription. In this link You can check the current plans available and their prices. It is also possible to try Microsoft 365 for free during a limited trial period and, once this is over, make the decision.
If we decide to keep the free storage available, we may run out of space at some point. To free it, it is advisable to empty the OneDrive recycle bin.
How to get more free storage
Those 5 GB or 15 GB of free storage may fall short, which will force us to increase the capacity by paying for it, or join a Microsoft 365 plan. However, as of November 2023, there are other ways of get more storage capacity without having to pay anything:
- Referral program– For every new customer who signs into OneDrive using a referral link from us (via the “Invite Friends” option), we will earn Additional 0,5 GB of free space. The maximum we can achieve with this method is 10 GB.
- Microsoft rewards: is the rewards program with which Microsoft users can earn prizes in exchange for promoting or using some of its services. You must always be on the lookout for new promotions, as in some of them you can get additional free storage space.