Maintaining an organized and clutter-free M365 account is essential for optimal performance and efficiency. This guide outlines effective strategies for managing storage across M365 services, including Exchange (Outlook), OneDrive, and Teams, while providing tips to prevent data loss and maximize available storage.

Applicable to: Fort Collins, Pueblo, Spur, System

Affiliation: Students, Faculty, Staff, Guests, Community

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Prerequisites

• Ensure you have access to your M365 account and its storage-related features (Exchange, OneDrive, Teams, etc.).
• Understand your organization's storage quotas and retention policies.

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Instructions

1. Manage Exchange (Outlook) storage

• Review mailbox size by navigating to your account settings and checking the Storage Usage tab.
• Sort emails by date or size to prioritize large or older emails for removal.
• Use search filters to locate emails with large attachments or specific keywords.

Archive and delete emails:

• Move important emails to the Archive folder to free up primary inbox space while retaining access.
• Set up auto-archive rules to automate this process.
• Delete unnecessary emails by selecting them and clicking the delete button.
• Empty the Deleted Items folder periodically by right-clicking it and selecting Empty Folder.

Recover deleted emails:

• Check the Recoverable Items folder if an important email was deleted.
• Use the Recover Deleted Items tool to restore accidentally deleted messages.

Please see solution article for further guidance on this matter.

2. Manage OneDrive storage

• Review storage usage by opening OneDrive settings and navigating to the Manage Storage section.
• Organize files by grouping them into folders for better accessibility.
• Delete unnecessary files by right-clicking and selecting Delete.

Free up space using these strategies:

• Move large or infrequently used files to an external drive or cloud-based archival storage.
• Enable Files On-Demand to ensure only the files you use regularly are stored locally on your device.
• Compress large files to reduce their size before uploading.

Recover deleted files:

• Access the Recycle Bin to restore deleted files within the retention period (30 days by default).
• Important: Files purged from the Recycle Bin cannot be recovered.

Please see solution article for further guidance on this matter.

3. Manage Teams storage

• Review storage in Teams by accessing the Files tab in individual Teams or channels.
• Delete unnecessary files and recordings to free up space.

Best practices for Teams storage:

• Save important files to a dedicated folder in OneDrive or SharePoint for better organization.
• Clean up chats by deleting old conversations or removing unnecessary shared files.

Please see solution article for further guidance on this matter.

4. General M365 storage tips

• Regularly review shared documents, recordings, and other content stored in SharePoint.
• Back up critical data to external storage solutions for added security.
• Understand your organization's retention and quota policies to avoid data loss.

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Actions that make items unrecoverable

• Exceeding quotas: Storage limits for Exchange, OneDrive, and Teams can result in data being purged or inaccessible.
• Retention expirations: Data retained by policy rules (e.g., email retention, file retention) will be permanently deleted after the retention period ends.
• Manual deletions: Items purged from the Recoverable Items folder (Exchange) or Recycle Bin (OneDrive) cannot be recovered.
• Overwriting files: Saving new files with identical names may overwrite existing ones without recovery options.

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Separating personal and university information

It is crucial to maintain a clear boundary between personal and university-related data within your M365 account to ensure compliance with university policies, data security, and ease of management.

Why it’s important

• Data security: University accounts are subject to strict security policies. Mixing personal data with university information can increase the risk of unintentional data breaches.
• Ownership clarity: Information stored in your university account is considered property of the university and may be subject to auditing or other official uses. Personal files should not be included in this scope.
• Efficiency: Separating data helps you quickly locate university-related documents or emails without sifting through personal items.

Best practices for separation

• Store personal files in a separate personal OneDrive or cloud storage account, not in your university-provided OneDrive.
• Use a personal email account for non-university communication. Avoid mixing personal emails with university emails in your Exchange account.
• Create distinct folders in OneDrive, Teams, or SharePoint for university-related projects to maintain organization.
• Review shared documents to ensure no personal information is inadvertently shared through university platforms.

Potential risks of mixing personal and university data

• Loss of access: When you leave the university, your M365 account, along with all associated files, may be deactivated, resulting in loss of personal files if they are stored there.
• Policy violations: Storing personal information in university-provided accounts may violate IT usage policies and could result in restricted access or disciplinary action.

Please see solution article for further guidance on this matter

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Best practices

• Perform weekly reviews of your email, OneDrive, and Teams storage to identify unnecessary items.
• Conduct monthly deep cleans to delete outdated files, archive critical content, and optimize available storage.
• Carry out a quarterly audit to ensure compliance with organizational policies and that no important data is at risk of loss.
• Leverage shared storage solutions like SharePoint for team-based file management.
• Use data compression and external drives for archiving large files.

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Outcome

By following these steps, you can efficiently manage storage across your M365 account, prevent clutter, and ensure critical files and communications are secure and accessible. For additional support, contact the IT Service Desk.