Forget Windows 10’s death; Microsoft will automatically archive unlicensed OneDrive Business accounts effective January 2025 and charge a ‘small’ reactivation fee

Forget Windows 10's death; Microsoft will automatically archive unlicensed OneDrive Business accounts effective January 2025 and charge a 'small' reactivation fee

What you need to know

  • Microsoft will start archiving unlicensed OneDrive Business accounts for over 90 days from January 2025.
  • Archived unlicensed accounts will attract a monthly fee of $0.05 per GB for storage in the Microsoft 365 Archive.
  • Affected users will pay $0.60/GB to reactivate archived accounts, which can take up to 24 hours.

As a seasoned researcher with years of experience navigating the complex landscape of tech giants like Microsoft, I must say this latest announcement regarding OneDrive storage policies is a game-changer.


Effective from January 2025, Microsoft has planned to implement an archival process for OneDrive accounts that have not been licensed for more than 90 days. This information is based on a report by Petri.

As a passionate user, I want to share some important information about my OneDrive account. If my account hasn’t been licensed, it will be archived and I won’t be able to access it anymore. However, there’s a way out! The only solution is by reaching out to the admin team who have the authority to activate billing for unlicensed accounts in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

As a devoted user, I’d like to bring your attention to an important detail: if your archived, unlicensed accounts remain inactive within Microsoft 365 Archive, they will incur a monthly charge of $0.05 per GB for storage. Moreover, should you choose to reactivate these archived accounts, there’s an additional fee of $0.60/GB, and the process might take up to 24 hours.

A new monthly archive fee

Forget Windows 10's death; Microsoft will automatically archive unlicensed OneDrive Business accounts effective January 2025 and charge a 'small' reactivation fee

In business settings, Microsoft warns that unauthorized OneDrive accounts could potentially lead to significant security risks.

As a researcher, I’ve observed that unauthorized accounts might inadvertently create confusion and, at times, lead to unnecessary duplication. It’s important to note that such unlicensed accounts may persist within a tenant’s system if they adhere to the retention policy, which either prohibits deletion or lacks a valid license.

As a tech-savvy individual, I’d like to share some crucial information regarding OneDrive accounts from Microsoft. If you want to review the list of unlicensed accounts, simply navigate to the SharePoint admin center, then select ‘Reports’, and finally ‘OneDrive accounts’. It’s essential for users with unlicensed OneDrive accounts to take appropriate steps to prevent potential issues down the line.

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2024-08-13 13:40