Many organizations assume that large SharePoint libraries take up space because of big files. But in a recent client project, we discovered something unexpected, version history was quietly consuming 1.5TB of storage.
The Problem
This client had a SharePoint library storing CAD/CAM documents. Naturally, they assumed the size issue was due to the large file sizes. But when we dug deeper, the reality was different: it wasn’t the files themselves, it was version history.
The Hidden Culprit: Unlimited Version History
SharePoint allows unlimited version history for libraries, and while this is great for Office documents, it behaves differently for non-Office files like CAD/CAM documents.
- Each version is stored as a full copy of the file
- Even small files (50–100MB) can balloon to 1+GB per version
In this case, version history caused the library to grow from a manageable size to 1.5TB over time.
The First Attempt: Adjusting Settings
The natural first step was to limit version history to 30 days. We applied the change and waited, but the storage didn’t shrink.
This is an important SharePoint nuance: changing version history settings does not automatically remove old versions.
The Fix: PowerShell Cleanup
After additional research, we discovered that a PowerShell cleanup job is required to remove old versions and reclaim storage.
Once we ran the script and waited an hour, the library size dropped from 1.5TB to 400GB, a huge improvement and significant cost savings.
The Takeaway
Many organizations are overpaying for M365 storage without realizing why. Document Libraries with unlimited versioning can silently consume large amounts of space.
If you’re noticing unexpected storage usage, it’s worth checking:
- Version history settings on large libraries
- Whether a cleanup job has been run
- Your overall M365 storage allocation
For more technical details about version history limits in SharePoint, check out this article by Nikki Chapple: SharePoint Version History Limits
Optimize Your SharePoint Storage Today
Hidden storage costs and inefficient versioning can quietly drive up your Microsoft 365 expenses. Procise Solutions helps organizations identify these issues, reclaim space, and optimize adoption and governance.
Take control of your SharePoint storage today, contact our team to get started.
Jim Burns
Jim Burns : Apr 13, 2025 7:39:52 PM