An unlicensed OneDrive account occurs when your account no longer has a valid license assigned to it. This can happen if your organization's IT administrator has not assigned or renewed a license for your account. As a result, you may experience limitations, such as being moved into OneDrive read-only mode or OneDrive archive mode, which may affect your ability to edit or access files. After 60 days without a valid license, you may lose access to your files. In this article, we'll explain what happens when your OneDrive account becomes unlicensed, the impact on your files, and how you can regain full access by renewing your OneDrive license.
Understanding OneDrive read-only mode and archive mode
When your account is unlicensed, the following changes will occur:
1. Read-only mode (after 60 days)
After 60 days of having no valid license, your OneDrive will enter read-only mode. In read-only mode, you can still view and download your files, but you won’t be able to upload new files or make changes to existing ones.
Read-only notification on OneDrive desktop:
Read-only notification on OneDrive web:
2. Archive mode (after 93 days)
If your account remains unlicensed for 93 days, your OneDrive will move into archive mode. In archive mode:
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You will no longer be able to view, download, or edit your files.
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Your account will effectively be frozen, and you won’t be able to access your OneDrive data.
When your OneDrive is in archive mode, you'll get an error message when trying to access the OneDrive:
How to restore access to your OneDrive files after 60 days
If your account is unlicensed, you’ll need to contact your IT administratorto have a valid license assigned to your account.
Once your IT admin assigns the license, your OneDrive account will be restored, and you will regain full access to your files.
If you need further assistance, please reach out to your organization’s IT support team.
Learn more
How does Microsoft storage work?
Manage unlicensed OneDrive user accounts (IT admins)​​​​​​​
