Microsoft apologises, partly restores OneDrive cloud quotas

Microsoft has partly backed down on last month's decision to sharply cut the amount of free space available from its OneDrive cloud storage service, following a customer backlash.

Blaming users who backed up entire computers, DVD and movie collections to OneDrive, Microsoft said last month it would decrease free OneDrive storage from 15GB to just 5GB, and also remove the free 15GB camera roll offering for photographs, and the unlimited storage option.

The decision did not go down well, and over the weekend, Microsoft said it had introduced a new offer that allows OneDrive users to keep their existing 15GB of storage and camera roll bonus.

Users who wish to keep their free storage must, however, opt in at a special site and log in with their Microsoft accounts, otherwise capacity reductions will still go ahead in January.

New OneDrive users will be limited to just 5GB of storage with no 15GB camera roll bonus from next year. Microsoft will also not restore the unlimited storage option for OneDrive.

Microsoft group program manager Douglas Pearce said Office 365 Home, personal and university subscribers will continue to have 1TB of storage on OneDrive.

Pearce had to apologise to OneDrive users who protested against Microsoft's decision to change storage amounts in their thousands.

"We are all genuinely sorry for the frustration this decision has caused and for the way it was communicated," Pearce said.