Regularly monitoring your storage usage helps you stay within your limits. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your OneDrive account.

2. Click the Settings icon (gear icon) in the upper-right corner and select OneDrive Settings.
   
   

3. Select More Settings and then click Storage Metrics.
   
   

4. Identify areas where you can free up space.
   
   

Large files often take up the most space in your OneDrive. Follow these steps to identify and delete large files:

1. Log in to your OneDrive account.

2. Navigate to My files on the left hand side.
   
    

3. Use the Sort or Filter options to sort files by size.
   
   

4. Review the largest files in your storage.

5. Delete any files you no longer need, and don’t forget to empty the Recycling Bin afterward.

Over time, old or unused files can take up significant storage space. Follow these steps to remove files you no longer need:

1. Log in to your OneDrive account.

2. Select My Files on the left hand side, and navigate to the folder where the files are that you want to delete. 
   
   

3. Select the files or folders you no longer need by clicking the checkbox next to them.

4. Click the Delete button (trash can icon) at the top of the page.
   
   

5. Confirm the deletion if prompted.
   
   

Deleted files are moved to the OneDrive Recycling Bin, where they continue to consume storage space until permanently removed. Here's how to clear your Recycling Bin:

1. Open your OneDrive account.

2. In the left navigation pane, select Recycling Bin.
   
   

3. Review the files in the Recycling Bin to ensure you no longer need them.

4. Click the Empty Recycling Bin button at the top of the page.
   
   

5. Confirm the action when prompted.
   
   

Note: Files in the Recycling Bin are automatically deleted after 30 days, but clearing them manually can free up storage immediately.

If you are close to your quota but don’t want to delete important files, consider moving them to another storage solution:

• Transfer files to an external hard drive or USB drive.

• Use a cloud storage alternative such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or another account with more available space.

For files you don’t frequently access but want to keep, consider archiving them. Archiving compresses files into a smaller format, reducing the amount of storage they consume. Use these steps:

1. Select the files or folders to archive.

2. Right-click and choose Download to save them to your computer.

3. Use file compression software (e.g., WinRAR, 7-Zip) to compress the files.

4. Store the compressed files on your computer or another storage solution.