Tenant sites are in read-only right now message.

Ross Mair 0 Reputation points
2026-11-10T14:01:20.5466667+00:00
  • OneDrive allocation: 1 TB
  • OneDrive usage: approximately 1 GB / 0.1%
  • Local PC free space: approximately 363 GB
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot subscription: Active
  • OneDrive client reset has been attempted without resolving the problem
  • The problem also occurs directly in OneDrive on the web
  • When attempting to create a new folder in OneDrive Web, I receive the message: “Tenant sites are in read-only right now.”
  • Tried numerous recos from Chat bots but nothing is working
Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint | For business | Other

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  1. Ross Mair 0 Reputation points
    2026-11-10T16:39:51.5366667+00:00

    Kristen,

    Thanks for the follow up. Much appreciated.

    I have run the Locked Status test and the Help Bot said no issues were detected on my ULR.

    Its a brand new 365 account with 1 TB of storage, no issues with licenses or billing. I am the only user.

    It worked fine for two weeks and the issue only started yesterday so I am not sure was caused the change either.

    I have raised a case with M365 so hopefully they can come back with a solution.

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  2. Kristen Tran 2,785 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-10T15:04:08.75+00:00

    Hi Ross,

    Thank you for providing the detailed information.

    The AI-generated answer is generally aligned with the correct troubleshooting direction. Since the issue also occurs directly in OneDrive on the web and you receive the message “Tenant sites are in read-only right now,” the problem does not appear to be caused by the OneDrive sync client or the available storage on your computer.

    This message usually indicates a SharePoint or OneDrive site lock, insufficient tenant-level SharePoint storage, tenant maintenance, or a subscription-level restriction.

    Please ask your IT administrator to try the following steps:

    1/ Run the Locked Site diagnostic

    The diagnostic checks whether the OneDrive site is locked or archived and may provide an appropriate corrective action. Please note that it is not available in GCC High, DoD, or Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet.

    The affected OneDrive URL can normally be found under: SharePoint admin center > Sites > Active sites.

    For more information, please refer to: Self-help diagnostics for SharePoint Online and OneDrive administrators

    2/ Determine whether the issue affects other users or sites

    Please check whether:

    • Another user can create a folder in OneDrive on the web.
    • Files can be created or edited on another SharePoint site.

    If only one OneDrive site is affected, a site-specific lock, archived state, or site-closure policy is more likely.

    If multiple OneDrive or SharePoint sites are affected, the administrator should prioritize checking tenant storage and subscription status.

    3/ Check the organization’s SharePoint storage

    The affected user’s OneDrive usage of approximately 1 GB out of 1 TB does not confirm that the organization’s separate SharePoint storage pool has sufficient capacity.

    In the SharePoint admin center, review the tenant storage usage under Sites > Active sites. The administrator should also run the following diagnostic:

    Microsoft 365 admin center > Help & support > SharePoint Tenant Storage

    If the tenant has exceeded its SharePoint storage allocation, SharePoint and OneDrive sites may be placed in read-only mode. The administrator must then reduce storage usage, archive or remove unneeded content, or purchase additional SharePoint storage.

    For your reference: SharePoint Online out of storage space

    I would not recommend running Set-SPOSite -LockState Unlock unless the Locked Site diagnostic or SharePoint admin center specifically confirms that the individual OneDrive site has a ReadOnly lock. If the tenant storage pool is full, manually unlocking an individual site will not resolve the underlying storage restriction.

    After completing the applicable action, please rerun the Locked Site diagnostic and test New > Folder in OneDrive on the web.

    If the tenant has sufficient storage and no site lock, service incident, or subscription issue is detected, please open a support request through: Microsoft 365 admin center > Help & support. Include the exact error message, the affected OneDrive URL, the time the problem occurred with the time zone, and the results of both diagnostics.

    For instructions on opening a support request, please refer to Get support – Microsoft 365 admin.

    I hope these steps help identify and resolve the restriction. If you have any concerns, please let me know.

    Best regards,

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  3. AI answer

    2026-11-10T14:02:56.7566667+00:00

    A Microsoft 365 administrator should run the Locked Site diagnostic first, because the web error indicates a SharePoint/OneDrive site-level or tenant-level restriction rather than a local OneDrive sync or PC-storage problem.^1^

    1. Diagnose the affected OneDrive site

    Since resetting the client did not help and folder creation also fails on the web, do not repeat client resets, reinstalls, cache clearing, or disk-space troubleshooting.

    1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center using a Microsoft 365 administrator account.
    2. Open Help & support.
    3. Search for Locked Site and run the diagnostic against the affected user's OneDrive URL.
    4. Review whether it reports:
      • A ReadOnly or archived lock.
      • Tenant maintenance.
      • A tenant-storage restriction.
      • Another condition requiring support.

    The diagnostic validates whether the OneDrive or SharePoint site is locked or archived and may offer a corrective action. It requires an administrator and is unavailable in GCC High, DoD, and Microsoft 365 operated by 21Vianet.^2^

    To locate the OneDrive URL, open SharePoint admin center → Sites → Active sites, filter for the user's OneDrive site, and copy its URL.^3^

    2. Unlock it only if a lock is confirmed

    A SharePoint Administrator can clear a confirmed ReadOnly lock with SharePoint Online PowerShell. Do not change the lock state unless the diagnostic or admin-center inspection confirms that this site is locked.

    Install-Module Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell -Scope CurrentUser
Import-Module Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell

$AdminUrl = Read-Host "SharePoint admin center URL"
$SiteUrl  = Read-Host "Affected OneDrive site URL"
Connect-SPOService -Url $AdminUrl
Set-SPOSite -Identity $SiteUrl -LockState Unlock

    Microsoft documents Unlock, ReadOnly, and NoAccess as the valid lock states. The operation requires SharePoint Administrator permissions; a site made read-only by a site-closure policy cannot be unlocked with this command and must instead have that policy addressed.^4^

    Afterward, rerun the Locked Site diagnostic and test New → Folder in OneDrive Web.

    3. Check the tenant storage pool separately

    Your 1 GB used out of a 1 TB personal OneDrive quota rules out the individual quota as the obvious issue, but it does not establish that the organization’s separate SharePoint storage pool has capacity.

    The administrator should:

    1. Open SharePoint admin center → Active sites and review total storage.
    2. Run Help & support → SharePoint Tenant Storage.
    3. If the tenant pool is actually over quota, identify the largest sites and then either archive/delete unneeded content or add capacity.^5^

    Deletion is irreversible after recycle-bin removal, so storage cleanup should occur only after confirming that the tenant pool is exhausted and reviewing what must be retained.

    4. Check maintenance and tenant subscription state

    If no lock is present:

    • Check Microsoft 365 admin center → Health → Service health and Health → Message center. The same read-only message can appear during tenant maintenance.^1^
    • Check Billing → Your products → Subscription status, even though the user-facing subscription appears active.
    • If that page reports expiration, cancellation, or a disabled state, correct the listed licensing or billing issue. Check Billing → Bills & payments for an unpaid invoice or outdated payment method.

    Microsoft documents that payment, expiration, cancellation, license-assignment, security, or compliance conditions can place SharePoint and OneDrive into read-only mode.^6^

    If the restriction is attributed to security/compliance review, requires account verification, or remains after correcting the detected lock, storage, billing, or service issue, open Microsoft 365 admin center → Help & support and request a Microsoft support agent. Include the OneDrive URL, exact error, failure timestamp and time zone, diagnostic result, tenant-storage status, subscription status, and whether other users or SharePoint sites are affected.

    References

    1. SharePoint or OneDrive read-only error messages - SharePoint
    2. Self-help diagnostics for SharePoint Online and OneDrive administrators
    3. OneDrive for Business storage quota not updating for licensed users - Microsoft Q&A
    4. Lock and unlock sites
    5. SharePoint Online out of storage space
    6. SharePoint service access affected by Microsoft 365 subscription issues
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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