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.
The Windows Explorer contextual menu's "Free up space" option is grayed out on parent directories when the "File On-Demand" settings are enabled. It is accessible for individual files, though.
My entire team is experiencing this, OneDrive is syncing to the F: drive on Windows. Because there are too many individual files to locate and "free up" manually, we must be able to "Free Up Space" on the main directory folders.
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. Therefore, 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:
1. Sync in Progress: If OneDrive is currently syncing files, the "Free Up Space" option might be greyed out. Wait until the sync is complete before attempting to free up space.
2. Files in Use: If any files in your OneDrive are currently in use or open, you may find the OneDrive "Free up space" option not available. Make sure all files are closed, and no applications are actively using files from your OneDrive.
3. Files Marked for Offline Use: If you have marked files for offline use, OneDrive may not allow you to free up space for those files. Check if you have any files set to be available offline.
4. Permissions Issue: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to manage files in your OneDrive. If you're part of a shared folder or if there are restrictions imposed by an administrator, it might lead to OneDrive files on demand free up space greyed out.
5. Corrupted OneDrive Cache: The OneDrive cache might be corrupted. Try resetting the OneDrive cache by unlinking and then relinking your OneDrive account.
6. File Size Limitations: OneDrive has limitations on the size of individual files you can upload. If the files you are trying to free up space for are too large, it may be the reason.
7. Storage Quota Exceeded: Ensure that you have not exceeded your OneDrive storage quota. If your storage is full, you might not be able to free up space.
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.
Notes:
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.
If your OneDrive files are greyed out, it typically means they're not downloaded to your device. To fix this, ensure you're connected to the Internet, then open the OneDrive app and select the files to download. Alternatively, enable "Always keep on this device" for offline access.
To free up space with OneDrive Files On-Demand, follow these steps:
1. Open File Explorer and go to your OneDrive folder.
2. Right-click the file or folder you want to free up.
3. Select Free up space.
OneDrive may appear grey if syncing is paused, it's in offline mode, or if there's a storage issue. It can also indicate permission problems or sync errors. You can try restarting OneDrive, checking your Internet connection, or ensuring sufficient storage space to address the issue.