Discovering that the OneDrive “Free up space" option is not available can be frustrating. This post explores the reasons behind the greyed-out feature and provides solutions. Additionally, learn the best method for seamlessly transferring your OneDrive files to another cloud.
I recently began using OneDrive. While transferring files from my old HDD to the OneDrive folder and syncing them, I consistently opted for the "Free Up Space" feature to delete the files locally while preserving them in my OneDrive cloud.
However, now that I have completed the file migration to OneDrive and have freed up every folder, I've noticed a new issue. When I add new files to the subfolders, I no longer have the option to free up space. The "Free Up Space" feature is greyed out on every folder, even on those containing new files marked with a "green circle" status, as opposed to the "empty cloud" status.
The term "Free up space" generally refers to the process of freeing up storage space on a device, such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet. This action is typically taken to remove device files, including temporary files, cached data, and unnecessary application data, aiming at optimizing the available storage on the device.
After you use the “Free up space” demand, the files or folders will not be deleted on OneDrive but from your device to free up your device storage. So, you can also access these files and folders online but not offline.
To use the demand, you can follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open the OneDrive folder on File Explorer.
Step 2: Right-click on the file or folder that you want to access online and choose “Free up space” in the dropdown menu.
The "Free Up Space" option in OneDrive may be greyed out for several reasons. Here are some common reasons and potential solutions:
If you're experiencing issues with OneDrive's "Free Up Space" feature, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve the issue. Here are some potential solutions:
Ensure that you have enough storage space on both your local device and your OneDrive account. If you're running out of OneDrive space, the "Free Up Space" option may not work correctly.
Step 1: Click the OneDrive icon and select the settings button.
Step 2: Choose “Pause syncing” in the dropdown menu and then choose “Quit OneDrive”. Then confirm to quit OneDrive in the pop-up window.
Step 3: Restart OneDrive to see the OneDrive “Free up space” greyed out still.
Step 1: Tap on the OneDrive icon and select the settings icon.
Step 2: Choose “Settings” in the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Navigate to the “Account” page and click “Unlink this PC”. Then choose “Unlink account” in the pop-up window to remove OneDrive from your PC.
Step 4: Click on the OneDrive icon again and reconfigure the settings.
If there are file conflicts or syncing issues, resolve them manually. Check for any error messages related to specific files and address them.
Step 1: Tap on the OneDrive icon on your desktop.
Step 2: Choose the gear-shaped icon and choose “Settings” in the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Navigate to the “Sync and backup” page and click “Advanced settings”.
Step 4: Find “Files On-demand” and check the settings here.
Make sure you are using the latest version of the OneDrive client. Updates may include bug fixes and improvements that could address the problem.
Except for giving the reasons and solutions to the OneDrive “Free up space” greyed out issue, we will introduce a new way for OneDrive file transfer. You can use this way to move some of your OneDrive files to another place so that you can safely free up both the OneDrive and your device storage.
The new way is using MultCloud, a free but professional cloud management service. With its “Cloud Transfer” function, you can easily migrate OneDrive files to another account or cloud without manually downloading and uploading files. Then, we will show you how to use Cloud Transfer to transfer files from OneDrive to Dropbox.
Step 1: Enter the MultCloud website and click “Get started for free” to sign up.
Step 2: Add OneDrive and Dropbox to MultCloud. To add a cloud, click “Add Cloud” and the cloud icon. Then log in to the cloud account and allow MultCloud to access your cloud files.
Step 3: Select “Cloud Transfer” and choose OneDrive as the source cloud and Dropbox as the target cloud. Finally, tap “Transfer Now” to start transferring the files.
Note: If you want to schedule this transfer task, filter the files, or adjust the transfer settings, you can open “Options”, “Filter”, or “Schedule” to set.
This post shows 7 reasons and 6 solutions to the OneDrive “Free up space” greyed out issue. You can check the reasons and try the solutions to see if they can handle your problem. Besides, if you have a need to transfer OneDrive files from one account to another account or cloud, give MultCloud Cloud Transfer a chance and you may be surprised by its power.