Self HelpBoise Computer Care

Data backup

OneDrive or iCloud filling up your drive

OneDrive or iCloud filling your drive or cloud? Use Files On-Demand and Optimize Storage, free up space safely, and avoid accidental deletes.

Difficulty
Easy
Time
10-20 min
Steps
6
Updated

Sounds like this?

  • Drive full after turning on OneDrive
  • iCloud storage full warnings
  • Files on Desktop moved to OneDrive

Step by step

  1. OneDrive: turn on Files On-Demand (OneDrive › Settings › Sync and back up › Advanced settings › Files On-Demand). Files stay in the cloud until opened.
  2. Right-click big folders in OneDrive › Free up space to remove the local copy and keep the cloud copy.
  3. Mac iCloud: System Settings › [your name] › iCloud › turn on Optimize Mac Storage.
  4. Check cloud storage use: OneDrive at onedrive.live.com › settings, iCloud in Settings › [your name] › iCloud.
  5. Remove old device backups from iCloud you don't need.
  6. If you're out of cloud space, delete large files you no longer need or upgrade the plan.

Related error codes & messages

Quick answers

When should I stop and get professional help with "OneDrive or iCloud filling up your drive"?

Stop and get help if: Files went missing after changing sync settings. Check the cloud Recycle Bin (OneDrive keeps deleted files for a limited time) before doing anything else. Sync shows errors that won't clear. Boise Computer Care can diagnose it for a $60 fee; call 208-996-3508.

How long does this fix take and how hard is it?

Plan on 10-20 min. Difficulty: Easy.

Is it safe to try this myself?

Mostly, if you follow these precautions: Deleting a file in a synced folder deletes it from the cloud and your other devices too. Don't 'unlink' OneDrive or turn off iCloud Drive without understanding where your files will end up.

Which error messages or codes does this guide cover?

OneDrive is full, iCloud Storage is Full, 0x8007016A.

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