Based on the information provided in the context, upgrading your Azure account to pay-as-you-go or monthly payment accounts is not necessary for uploading files or photos to Azure. However, if you use resources that are not free and your subscription gets disabled because you run out of credit, and then you upgrade your subscription, the resources get enabled after the upgrade, and you will be charged for the resources used.
If you are having trouble uploading files or photos to Azure, you may be experiencing performance issues. If this is the case, you can troubleshoot the issue by creating a support request or asking Azure community support.
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