Microsoft Backtracks (A Little) On OneDrive Free Storage Changes

A few weeks ago, Microsoft decided to downgrade its OneDrive online storage arrangements, which rubbed a number of its customers the wrong way. Since then, the vendor has backed down, just a tad bit. Existing OneDrive users can keep their 15GB storage limit. Here’s how it can be done.

Microsoft’s initial plan was to drop the unlimited OneDrive cloud storage option for Office 365 Home, Personal and University subscribers by 2016, citing that a small number of users were abusing the service by backing up numerous PCs and uploading a ton of media files. Well, tough titty, Microsoft. If you’re going to offer unlimited online storage, you’ve waived your rights to cry foul when people push the service to its limits. Another change Microsoft made was to reduce the free storage quota for all other OneDrive users from 15GB to 5GB with no additional 15GB camera roll storage bonus..

Needless to say, there was an outcry from OneDrive users with over 7000 people signing a petition for Microsoft to overturn the changes. In response, Microsoft has yielded a little. It has now offered existing OneDrive users the ability keep their free storage allowance of 15GB and the camera roll bonus. Existing users must let Microsoft know that they do not want to relinquish their current free storage limit on a specific webpage the vendor has set up.

Those who do not sign up to keep their 15GB OneDrive free storage will have their limit slashed to 5GB next year, but they will receive a one-year free subscription to Office 365 Personal that offers a 1TB OneDrive storage capacity. The unlimited OneDrive storage option for Office 365 subscribers is, unfortunately, gone forever.

If you’re an existing OneDrive customer who wants to keep your 15GB storage capacity with 15GB camera roll bonus, you can do so by visiting this webpage and following the prompts.

[Via Microsoft OneDrive]