You may see an "account frozen" message and icon if you have exceeded your storage allowance and/or haven't signed in for a long time. You just need to get back under your Microsoft storage quota to get access to your files again.
How do I get my OneDrive account back under its storage quota?
You'll need to delete some files or buy more storage. It can take up to 2 hours for your changes to be applied. If your account is still frozen after 4 hours, contact support.
In OneDrive
Sign in to Manage your OneDrive storage to see what's taking up space and see what plans and offers are available to you.
Tip
- Ensure you sign in with the account that received the frozen message.
- If you are already a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium subscription holder, you can add even more file storage to the 1 TB already included with your Microsoft 365 subscription. Only the subscription account holder can extend their storage. Learn more.
In Outlook.com
- If you are a free user, you can buy a subscription, to increase your mailbox quota or free up storage space.
- If you are already a Microsoft 365 subscriber, consumer mailbox limits are capped at 100 GB. To get back under your storage quota, you need to free up storage space. If you need more than 100 GB mailbox, see our Enterprise plans.
Why did I receive a OneDrive account frozen message or alert?
If you think you received an account frozen notification by mistake, it could be that you have an additional Microsoft account, for example one that was created for use with Samsung Gallery.
Sign in with your other account credentials to unfreeze it.
Tip
If you cannot remember your other sign in details, you can recover your account.
If you think you received an account deletion notification by mistake, read Why did I get an email saying my account will be deleted?
What happens if I do nothing after my OneDrive is frozen?
If you exceed your Microsoft storage:
- You won't be able to upload, edit, or sync new files (such as Camera Roll) to your OneDrive. Your existing files will remain but will be read-only.
- You will not be able to send or receive email in Outlook.com, even if you have not exceeded your email storage quota.
- You will not be able to send or receive any Microsoft Teams messages which contain attachments.
- After 6 months, we may delete your OneDrive and all files within it. Once deleted, these files are non-recoverable.
If you exceed your email storage:
- You will not be able to send or receive email in Outlook.com.
Learn more
How does Microsoft storage work?
If you cannot remember account sign in details, you can recover your account.
Need more help?
Account support. For help with your Microsoft account and subscriptions, visit Account & Billing Help.
Technical support. For technical support, select Contact Microsoft Support below, enter your problem and select Get Help.
Mobile users can contact Support by opening the OneDrive app and gently shaking your device.
Community support. Communities help you ask questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge. Ask the Microsoft Community. Do not disclose personal or sensitive information in public forums.