[UPDATE 2015-12-12] Microsoft kills OneDrive unlimited storage, free options also downgraded

[Fabri91]

Today, Microsoft announced that they would be making some changes to OneDrive by discontinuing unlimited storage and also reducing free storage capacity from 15GB to 5GB for all users.

The changes arrive due to Microsoft discovering that some users were abusing the online storage service. Microsoft disclosed that in some extreme cases, users were storing in excess of 75TB (75,000GB) of data on a single account.

Microsoft has outlined the following changes that will go into effect:

• We’re no longer planning to offer unlimited storage to Office 365 Home, Personal, or University subscribers. Starting now, those subscriptions will include 1 TB of OneDrive storage.
• 100 GB and 200 GB paid plans are going away as an option for new users and will be replaced with a 50 GB plan for $1.99 per month in early 2016.
• Free OneDrive storage will decrease from 15 GB to 5 GB for all users, current and new. The 15 GB camera roll storage bonus will also be discontinued. These changes will start rolling out in early 2016.

Original article by Neowin.net.

 

This is unfortunate: the relatively large free storage was what set OneDrive apart, and the new storage plan is also much less compelling, coming in at 50GB for 1.99 a month, the same price that for now gets you 100GB.

 

This seems more of a price hike made with the excuse of some users abusing the "unlimited" nature of current Office 365 plans, which is hard to believe wasn't an issue anticipated by Microsoft when unlimited storage was first launched.

EDIT: as pointed out by QueenDemetria, here's the link to the official FAQ on the changes.

 

EDIT2: the issue has reached the top of OneDrive's requested feature list on MS's official Uservoice.com site: https://onedrive.uservoice.com/forums/262982-onedrive

 

Since MS has had a history of actually listening to this official channel, concerned users might want to add their votes (maximum of 3) to the request if desired.

 

UPDATE: as reported by @dalekphalm, Microsoft decided to address the issue in the following manner:

 

UPDATE INCOMING:

@Fabri91 Can you please update the OP with this new information?

 

Microsoft has responded to the request to undo their changes. See below for the full details:

Important details:

 

1. For users who already have the free 15GB base package, plus the additional 15GB Camera Roll bonus - There is a link to follow, if you do, you will keep your storage amount for the foreseeable future.

 

2. For users with Free Storage, who are using over 5GB of their storage, they will be getting a free 12 Month Subscription to Microsoft Office 356 Personal, including the 1TB of Storage. These users will receive an email with the offer early next year.

 

Well. It's not exactly what we wanted, but they are definitely dishing out some sweet compensation.

Here the entire Microsoft press release, again as cited by dalekphalm:

In November we made a business decision to reduce storage limits for OneDrive. Since then, we’ve heard clearly from our Windows and OneDrive fans about the frustration and disappointment we have caused. We realize the announcement came across as blaming customers for using our product. For this, we are truly sorry and would like to apologize to the community.

While we are not changing our overall plans, we’d like to clarify what we are doing for customers impacted by the changes and share a new offer which we hope will go a long way in making the situation better for our biggest fans.

Office 365 Home, Personal, and University subscriptions will continue to include 1 TB of storage. Any subscriber who received additional storage as part of our unlimited offer will keep it for at least 12 months. For anyone unhappy with the decision to not offer unlimited storage, we will offer a full refund.

For customers of our free service who have over 5 GB of content and who are directly impacted by the storage change, we will offer one free year of Office 365 Personal, which includes 1 TB of storage. These customers will receive an email with redemption information early next year.

In addition, for our biggest fans who have been loyal advocates for OneDrive, we are adding a new offer that lets you keep your existing 15 GB of free storage when the changes happen next year. If you also have the 15 GB camera roll bonus, you’ll be able to keep that as well. From now until the end of January, you can sign up to keep your storage at the link below.

http://aka.ms/onedrivestorage

We are all genuinely sorry for the frustration this decision has caused and for the way it was communicated. Thank you for sticking with us.

Douglas Pearce

Douglas Pearce

Group Program Manager, Microsoft

[,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,]

75TB!

[QueenDemetria]

For those who want to read it in full: https://blog.onedrive.com/onedrive_changes_FAQ/

[comicsansms]

75TB!

That is a lot of porn!

[UnknownEngineer]

RIP that one guy who stored 75TB of porn in there.

Going to take him some time to download all that to local media.

[ShadowCaptain]

"abusing"

Well they said unlimited, there was no abuse

[SansVarnic]

I so called that, that's why I use a NAS. Cheaper in the long run and more for the money.

[AlTech]

Sorry Microsoft but I can longer recommend OneDrive to ANYONE! And even worse, I no longer have faith in Cloud Storage taking off unless it is by my hands after I'm done with Uni and after i talk to Banks (Around 5 years probably) or just put on kickstarter when I'm 18.

 

Why did the 100Gb and 200GB have to go? And also why from 15GB to 5Gb.

 

Now Onedrive is practically useless now.  You know what MS! You taught me a valuable lesson. Don't use Cloud Storage. And you know what I'll think twice when Buying Office 365 Home.

 

"abusing" Well they said unlimited, there was no abuse

 

They actually had an asterix which did reference the bottom of the page which did say something along the lines of "Within reasonable usage". I know around 10TB would be "reasonable usage". 

[Fabri91]

For those who want to read it in full: https://blog.onedrive.com/onedrive_changes_FAQ/

Added to the post, thanks!

[ShadowCaptain]

They actually had an asterix which did reference the bottom of the page which did say something along the lines of "Within reasonable usage". I know around 10TB would be "reasonable usage". 

 

 

I hate that "UNLIMITED" (as long as you only use 10TB) ... then its not unlimited.. its got a specific limit

 

big pet peeve of mine

[QueenDemetria]

I hate that "UNLIMITED" (as long as you only use 10TB) ... then its not unlimited.. its got a specific limit

 

big pet peeve of mine

"We want you to think its unlimited, you know its a good feeling, but the reality is that we will limit you just slightly higher than what out competitors offer."

[ShadowCaptain]

"We want you to think its unlimited, you know its a good feeling, but the reality is that we will limit you just slightly higher than what out competitors offer."

ITS FREE AND UNLIMITED

 

(as long as you dont use it, then its $10 per TB)

[Itereus]

While using Unlimited as sales pitch, I understand why they do it. 75TB is a lot of usage, in terms of bandwith, storage mediums, as well as redundancy.

 

That said, I wish companies would stop using "Unlimited", even with an asterix, as feels like false advertising.

[GoodBytes]

This is very shameful.

Personally I don't care about the unlimited down to 1TB. Unlimited was clearly way too much, Google didn't even match it when both where competing.

And 1TB is huge amount of space for many. Personally, I expected that they put a file size limit on certain file extensions, to be honest, to try and avoid copyrighted content being put and distributed with the unlimited plan. I won't be surprised if some people used their unlimited OneDrive as a web hosting file storage for illegal content in their website. Unlimited was just too much. So I am fine with that, especially, like I said, probably ~95%+ users aren't affected.

 

 

But the free storage size change, that is is just shameful. Microsoft needs everything it can have for people to use their services, passing from an interesting service (especially that they added multi-user live edit features on Office documents like Google), down to just "meh, I'll use dropbox now".

Its been a while since I hear people mentioning 'DropBox'. It was always Google Drive or OneDrive in the recent years. But it looks like DropBox might do a return after this news.

[Fabri91]

The problem is not so much with them doing something to somehow address the large usage of some users, but with the fact that the users who do not have an unlimited plan are getting shafted, either by a much lower free space offer or by what amounts to a doubling of prices for those who do have a stand-alone storage plan.

And surely MS cannot possibly have been so naive as to not imagine that some users would go all-out on their unlimited plan: it really seems like an excuse to hike prices.

[That Norwegian Guy]

This is why I would never use a service based in America for anything like this. Corporations can lie or backpedal almost all they want.

[Pesmerga]

I use Onedrive constantly and I'm quite annoyed by the space reduction for free users, come on 5 gb is ridicolous! I dropped using dropbox 'cause it only gave 5 gb and now they are going to pull the same shit? I use it as a backup for my phone pictures and videos, I've already 12 gb used and it was convenient to have windows 8/10 nicely tied to it. -.-

 

Guess google drive it is or just local storage >_>

[GoodBytes]

I use Onedrive constantly and I'm quite annoyed by the space reduction for free users, come on 5 gb is ridicolous! I dropped using dropbox 'cause it only gave 5 gb and now they are going to pull the same shit? I use it as a backup for my phone pictures and videos, I've already 12 gb used and it was convenient to have windows 8/10 nicely tied to it. -.-

 

Guess google drive it is or just local storage >_>

I think it was a move to boost either Grove Music subscription (as you get 100GB OneDrive free), or Office 365 (1TB free)

[Nexxus]

I really like onedrive too samn it im pretty sure im already over 5gb...bleh

im not but with my new SLR if I need to transfer any RAW photos 5gb will be gone in a flash =/

[AlTech]

ITS FREE AND UNLIMITED

 

(as long as you dont use it, then its $10 per TB)

Per month yeah.

 

But you know what really bothers me?

 

The fact that you and everyone else was naive enough to think we were getting unlimited amount of storage from microsoft.  It really concerns me. It also concerns me that we're going full circle and we're back to like 2012 and 2013 in terms of storage. We're supposed to be making progress and not digging holes.

[Guest]

I so called that, that's why I use a NAS. Cheaper in the long run and more for the money.

My NAS is pretty much being replaced by Onedrive: have a QNAP 4 bay (4 x 5TB) for media which I'm getting Thursday which replaces a 16 bay Supermicro E3 server. Bundle that with a 1TB Onedrive cloud storage space which comes bundled with my Office 365 subscription. On premise storage for home users is also becoming a thing of the past.

[AlTech]

I think it was a move to boost either Grove Music subscription (as you get 100GB OneDrive free), or Office 365 (1TB free)

You know what! One of the reasons  I started using OneDrive in 2014 was because I could get 30Gb for free. 15Gb for using it normally at the time and 15Gb for allowing camera uploads. 

 

Otherwise I would never have used it. I really loved it until now. I want to love OneDrive but I can't really. It's a love/hate relationship. I'm currently using Office 365 but I'm really considering stopping my subscription just because of this BS. I have defended microsoft enough where sometimes  they deserved it. But this time I cannot forgive them and I'm questioning why I still pay for Office 365. If it weren't for school I probably wouldn't renew my subscription when it comes to the expiration date. 

 

Well this was a wakeup call. Need to make a private 4TB NAS that I can access anywhere or find a way to fund and create a competitor to Onedrive.

 

It might also be cos i think they use Amazon AWS cloud storage and that price might have gone up or it might just be their in house Data Center and them getting greedy.

 

FYI - I will never buy Groove music because of this.

[Sauron]

The free space nerf.... good luck pulling anyone from google drive now...

[Bouzoo]

75TB? Won't even ask how he managed to do that. I personally use Dropbox and Google Drive, but just yesterday got 1TB from MS via my Uni. I may even try it, although I'm sure I won't be using even 10% of it. 

[AlTech]

LOL if you buy a subscription now they still have 100GB for 1.99 USD a month

200GB for $3.99 month and 1TB for $6.99  per month. 

So buy now and then keep it for 12 months before switching to the new convoluted system.