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Manage Your SharePoint Storage

Managing the amount of data you have in your SharePoint site will prevent unexpected problems.

This article applies to: File Storage at Cornell , SharePoint

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As a result of pricing changes from vendors who supply Cornell with cloud document and file storage services, Cornell added storage quotas to Microsoft SharePoint sites in 2024. The maximum storage quota for SharePoint is 50 GB.

Check Your Current Storage

Starting in February 2024, most Microsoft SharePoint sites have a maximum of 50 GB of storage allotted. When your account reaches its storage limit, you won't allow you to upload or create files. To check your storage:

  1. Open your SharePoint site.
  2. Click the gear icon in the top right of the screen, next to your profile icon.
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  3. Select Site Information.
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    If you do not see Site Information on the list, you do not have administration privileges and cannot continue further.
  4. Select View all site settings.
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  5. Under Site Collection Administration click Storage Metrics.
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  6. Here you can view each folder and navigate into each one for more details showing a percentage of total storage used.

How to Clear Space

If you need to free up some space, you'll need to remove files from your SharePoint site.

Start with the oldest. 
If a folder hasn’t had an update in years, it might be a good candidate for cleanup. 
  • You can delete files or folders, pages, and entire sites or subsites. Once deleted, files will move to the recycle bin. Items in the recycle bin do not count toward your storage limit, and will automatically be removed permanently after 30 days.
  • If you still need quick access to these files, and you also need additional space, review Cornell's File Storage options. Alternative file storage options are available depending on your needs.
Files in the recycle bin are automatically deleted after 30 days. Before the time window closes, you can restore your files. After the 30-day window, you may lose those files permanently.

How to Get More Storage Space

The 50 GB quota applied to SharePoint sites is usually sufficient for most sites. If you need additional space for your studies, work, or research, you can request more.

Also explore the options at File Storage at Cornell. If you work with sensitive, or high risk, data, refer to the information about Regulated Data.

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