Have you heard? Microsoft will be making significant changes to all free personal OneDrive accounts by 13 July 2016 – just a few weeks away from today. By then all new free accounts will strictly be limited to a maximum of 5 GB storage, and the previous perks of additional storage (e.g. free 15 GB for camera roll) will be discontinued.
This is a rather significant change which we all should be aware of, most especially if you’re currently relying on free personal OneDrive accounts for any of your personal or professional endeavours. If you’re currently using up more than 5 GB of storage – just like myself – we are all advised to either move our files elsewhere, or, to simply delete some before the said date to avoid any inconvenience, whatsoever.
Checking your storage consumption
In resolving any possible excessive storage concerns, checking our current consumption is the best way to begin. When logged in to your personal OneDrive account, simply look at the lower left hand corner and you should see there your current consumption.
If you’re looking at moving or deleting some files, you can click the consumption numbers to be redirected to your Manage Storage page. From there, I would personally suggest clicking the What’s taking up space link to help you find the biggest files in your account so that you can prioritize moving or deleting them.
Missing the deadline
What if you still exceed the maximum 5 GB storage after 13 July? Don’t worry! Microsoft will offer you a free 1-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, which provides up to 1 TB of storage. Not interested? If so, then you would need to remove files to meet the new maximum storage limit, otherwise, there will be some changes made which can include your account becoming read-only, inability to upload new files, and even account closure and data loss.
For a guided process, please do review Microsoft’s FAQ page on the OneDrive changes. You can access that here >>
Alternative cloud storages
Would you need more than 5 GB? Not to worry, we have got you covered! If your organization is already registered and qualified under TechSoup, we can help you easily acquire these cloud storage alternatives:
- Office 365 for Nonprofits
Among a plethora of other useful apps and functions, Office 365 for Nonprofits plans can provide your organization with over 1 TB (equivalent to 1,000 GB) per user, wherein you also have the freedom to create accounts for an unlimited number of users.
Sounds good? You can start applying for free or discounted subscriptions of Office 365 by signing up for its free 30-day trial here: https://products.office.com/en/nonprofit/office-365-nonprofit-plans-and-pricing
- Google for Nonprofits
Oh no he didn’t! Kidding aside, Google is also providing nonprofit organizations access to free cloud services such as free use of Google Apps for Work, $10,000 monthly grant in AdWords, and of course, you’ve guessed it, free Google Drive storage. The free storage available via the Google for Nonprofits program is worth 30 GB per user for an unlimited number of users as well.
Want to try out the Google for Nonprofits program? It’s free for all qualified nonprofits and you can learn how to apply for it here: https://www.techsoup.asia/en-AU/help-and-support/google-for-nonprofits-program
- Box Starter Edition
Lastly, we have Box Starter Editions, which are available to all qualified nonprofits as well via TechSoup. Box Starter Editions come with 10 perpetual licenses which all share a 100 GB cloud storage. You can learn more about the product here: https://www.techsoup.asia/en-AU/donations/box-starter-kits
Alternatively, you can also access Box Starter Editions entirely for free if you subscribe to TechSoup Boost. Along with Box, you also get a slew of other free products which include a free Adobe Premiere & Photoshop Elements v.13 Bundle, Skype for Business and a $25 voucher. If you’re interested in getting a Boost, you can learn more about it here: https://www.techsoup.asia/en-AU/get-boost
So, don't worry! Though the changes maybe drastic, most especially if you're using the Camera Roll bonus, we still got you covered! Just remember to find an alternative as soon as possible so you can start migrating your files.
- Jed Dominic Adao's blog
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