Microsoft OneDrive, previously known as SkyDrive , is a complete cloud storage solution for Windows users. Back in time, Microsoft used to offer 15GB of free storage for all the new users. The company also ran a campaign to reward another 15GB OneDrive storage to those who enable camera upload to the cloud storage. Back in 2016, Microsoft downgraded the free OneDrive storage from 15GB to only 5GB. The practice makes it easy to fill-up the OneDrive space and you might get the “disk full” error from the cloud service.
Unlike Google Drive, the storage quota on OneDrive works differently. Google Photos offers unlimited photos backup at a high-quality resolution that doesn’t count against Google Drive’s 15GB base storage. Refer to our Google Drive storage guide that talks about what counts and what doesn’t.
OneDrive doesn’t offer such a service. Every photo and video that you upload to OneDrive will count against the basic 5GB of storage.
OneDrive integration on Windows 10 makes it quite easy for users to fill up the base space. On top of that, Microsoft is only offering one storage option, and after that, it’s forcing users to opt for the Microsoft 365 subscription .
In this post, we will discuss what counts in the OneDrive storage and what steps you can take to avoid the disk full error on OneDrive. Let’s get started.
What Counts In OneDrive Storage
OneDrive is a centralized solution to sync data from all the Microsoft 365 apps. Software like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote uses OneDrive to store and sync the files and notebook. The documents from Word, PowerPoint, and Excel might not require huge storage but over time, it will fill-up a considerable amount of storage.
OneNote, Microsoft’s note-taking software also uses OneDrive service to store and sync the notebooks across platforms. If you load a lot of images and videos on the OneNote app, it bumps the notebook size and consumes more storage on OneDrive.
OneDrive also offers the ability to auto-upload photos and videos from iOS or Android phone. If you, by any chance, enabled the OneDrive mobile app option, then it will take a good amount of storage in the 5GB quota.
As expected, OneDrive works closely with Windows 10 Operating System. The service integrates with the File Manager on Windows 10. You can use OneDrive as a full disk on Windows 10 and save files to it. Using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge , if you select your download location as OneDrive folder, all the downloaded files will be saved and synced to the cloud service.
How to Fix Storage Full Error in OneDrive
As you can see from the list above, it’s quite easy to fill up the free storage space on OneDrive. If you want to use that 5GB free storage effectively, go through the steps below to make some changes to OneDrive.
1. Save Office Files Offline or in Other Cloud Storage
One of the advantages of using OneDrive with Office apps is that you get to access all the files and documents on every platform. You can start a document on PC, save it to OneDrive and continue to edit the same file on Phone with OneDrive syncing.
Thankfully, Microsoft recognizes and supports other cloud storage solutions too. You can ditch OneDrive and use services such as Dropbox and Box to store and sync Office files.
If you don’t use any cloud storage solution, then save the Office documents offline on PC or Mac. After finishing work, just go to File > Save As and select the file manager as a location to save Office documents. As expected, you won’t be able to access these files on other PC or Phones. You will have to transfer them using Pen Drive or Hard Drive manually.
2. Ditch OneNote
As mentioned above, OneNote uses OneDrive to sync and store notebooks. Unlike Office files, you can’t opt for other cloud storage solutions to store notes data. Besides, the software like OneNote isn’t meant to be used offline as you need to access the stored notes on other platforms as well. In such cases, you have no option but to ditch OneNote and use other note-taking apps.
Speaking of OneNote rivals, you can opt for the age-old rival Evernote or Google Keep. You can also try out modular software like Notion. Apple users can check out iOS/macOS exclusive Bear Notes , Apple Notes , or Ulysses.
3. Disable Camera Upload on OneDrive
If you are worried about OneDrive storage getting full, then you should disable the camera’s auto upload option in OneDrive mobile apps. Follow the steps below.
Note: The screenshots below are from the iOS OneDrive app. You can follow the same steps on the Android device as the interface is identical on both the platforms.
Step 1: Open the OneDrive app on your iOS or Android device.
Step 2: Tap on the profile menu and go to Settings.
Step 3: Navigate to Camera Upload and turn off the option for your account.
As for OneDrive camera alternatives, I would suggest going with Google Photos as the default high-quality unlimited backup option is enough for most users.
4. Change Download Location on Browser
If you are saving all the downloaded files from the Internet to OneDrive, then it’s time to change the default download location on the browser.
Go to browser Settings and navigate to the Download tab. From the Downloads menu, change the default download location on your PC or Mac.
5. Empty Recycle Bin
If you manually delete files from the OneDrive, it doesn’t get permanently deleted. The remove files stay in the Recycle Bin and take up space. To remove them, open the OneDrive Web, and go to Storage. Tap on the Empty Recycle Bin option and delete the unnecessary files.
Free up Storage on OneDrive
Go through the mentioned steps above and avoid disk full error on OneDrive. You can always delete the files from the OneDrive web and make some space. If you want to use OneDrive as your primary cloud storage solution, you can always purchase the Microsoft 365 subscription that unlocks 1TB of OneDrive storage with Office apps.
Next up: Looking to master OneDrive? Read the post below to find top tips and tricks for OneDrive.
Was this helpful?
Have you been told to take a screenshot using the Print Screen key on your Windows 10 computer? And now you are left wondering where the Print Screen button is? Even if you found the button and pressed it, nothing would have happened. So you are more confused now. Don’t worry. We are here to help. By the end of the post, you will be a champ in using the Print Screen button to take screenshots on Windows 10.
Questions like where is the Print Screen button, how to enable Print screen, and how to use the Print screen button are answered in this post. We have also covered how to take a screenshot in Windows 10 without the Print screen button.
Let’s get started on discovering the superpowers of the Print Screen button in Windows 10.
Where Is the Print Screen Button
The Print Screen button is usually present at the upper right side of your keyboard. You will see one of the text labels on the key:
- Prt sc
- PrtSc
- PrtScn
- PrntScrn
If something else is mentioned along with the print screen button, then you will have to trigger it with the function key (fn) on your keyboard. That is, hold the fn key and the Print screen buttons together to take a screenshot.
Tip : If your keyboard doesn’t have the Print Screen button , use the Function (fn) + Windows key + Spacebar to take a screenshot. In case the Print screen isn’t working , check out various ways to fix it.
How to Use Print Screen Button to Take Screenshot in Windows
There are several ways to take a screenshot using the Print screen button on Windows 10. Let’s check them out.
Method 1: Capture Entire Screen With Print Screen
This is the simplest method to take a screenshot on Windows 10. Pressing the Print Screen key on your keyboard copies the entire (active) screen to your clipboard . Even though a screenshot is technically captured, it’s not saved anywhere on your computer.
The screenshot resides in your computer’s clipboard for a temporary period till you copy something else. You need to paste the copied content (the screenshot) in a supported app such as MS Paint, Paint 3D, etc. Use Ctrl+V keyboard shortcut to paste the image. Once pasted, save the image using the app’s save button. It’s not necessary to paste the screenshot in photo-editing apps, you can even paste it in Microsoft Word or Google Docs .
Note: Use fn + Print screen combination if nothing is copied to the clipboard.
Typically, when you take a screenshot on your mobile phone, the screen will dim for a second, which indicates that a screenshot is taken. However, nothing will happen to the screen using this method. The screen won’t dim when you simply press the Print Screen button. So don’t get scared, just open any supported app and paste the copied screenshot.
Tip: If you use OneDrive, your captured screenshots will automatically be saved in your OneDrive folder. In case you are notified that screenshots are saved in OneDrive, find out how to turn off that notification and how to disable storing of screenshots in OneDrive .
Method 2: Capture and Save Entire Screen Using Print Screen
The above method doesn’t save the screenshot directly to your computer. To save screenshots on your PC without pasting them first, press the Windows key + Print screen button simultaneously. The screen will dim for a second, indicating that a screenshot has been taken. In this method, the entire screen is captured.
You will find the captured screenshots in the Pictures > Screenshots folder. If you don’t find that, follow this path C:\Users\username\Pictures\Screenshots.
Method 3: Capture Active Window With Print Screen
Instead of capturing the entire screen, this method will help you take a screenshot of an active window. Let’s say you want to take a screenshot of the minimized Word screen. You can do it by using the Alt + Print screen keyboard shortcut. Press both buttons simultaneously to take a screenshot of your active window.
Similar to method 1, the screenshot will not be saved directly. You will need to paste it into a supported app such as MS Paint and then save it.
Method 4: Assign the Snipping Tool to Print Screen Key
If the above methods do not meet your requirements, you can assign the Windows 10 Snipping tool to the Print screen key. When you do so, the Snipping tool will get activated when you press the Print screen key on your keyboard.
With the Snipping tool, you can take custom screenshots. You can choose the area whose screenshot you want to take, capture the selected window, and perform other advanced tricks. The screenshots will open in the Snipping Tool where you can annotate and draw on them. Finally, save the screenshot. Check out various tips and tricks related to the Windows 10 Snipping Tool .
To assign the Snipping tool to the Print screen key, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Settings on your Windows 10 PC from Start Menu. Alternatively, use Windows + I keyboard shortcut to open settings. Go to Ease of Access.
Step 2: From the left sidebar in Ease of access, scroll down and click on Keyboard. On the right side, you will find Keyboard settings. Scroll down and enable the toggle for Print Screen shortcut.
Bonus: How to Take Screenshot Without Print Screen on Windows 10
If you don’t want to remap the Print screen key to the Snipping tool or use Print screen to take a screenshot, you can still open the Snipping tool using the Windows key + Shift + S keyboard shortcut. Alternatively, open the Snipping tool from the Start Menu. You can also use the Snip and Sketch tool of Windows to take a screenshot without the Print screen button. Find out what’s the difference between the Snipping Tool and Snip and Sketch on Windows 10.
The Best Method
Methods 2 and 4 are convenient for taking and saving screenshots both. I mostly settle for Method 4 on my computer where I use the Snipping tool with the help of the Print screen button. It lets me take a screenshot with the ability to draw on them.
Next up: If for some reason, you are unable to take screenshots on your Windows 10 PC, check out 4 ways to fix it from the next link.
