Turn Off OneDrive in Windows 11 and 10: Stop Startup, Hide, Unlink or Uninstall (Without Losing Files)

To stop OneDrive starting with Windows, open Settings > Apps > Startup and switch Microsoft OneDrive off, or disable it on the Startup apps page of Task Manager. That stops it opening at sign-in but leaves it installed. To stop it syncing on this PC entirely, open OneDrive's Settings > Account and choose Unlink this PC; to remove it, uninstall Microsoft OneDrive from Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Before unlinking or uninstalling, make sure files you need are downloaded to the PC, and if OneDrive is backing up your Desktop, Documents and Pictures, turn off that folder backup first and move the files back, or they will appear to vanish. To hide the OneDrive entry from File Explorer's navigation pane, a registry value does it, and Pro users can block OneDrive with Group Policy. Your files stay safe in your OneDrive account online whichever option you choose.

Ethan's new laptop started OneDrive at every sign-in, filled his Desktop with cloud icons and warned that his storage was almost full. He wanted it gone. He was about to uninstall it when Jake asked where his Desktop files were. Ethan opened his Desktop folder and found it was inside OneDrive, along with Documents and Pictures, and half the files were online-only. Uninstalling first would have left him with an empty Desktop and a lot of panic. Instead, they turned off the folder backup, downloaded everything, moved the files back to the PC, unlinked OneDrive and switched it off at startup. Ethan kept his files and lost the pop-ups. This page explains every way to turn OneDrive off, in the safe order.

Your options, from lightest to strongest

"Turning off OneDrive" can mean several different things, and choosing the right one avoids losing files or fighting Windows. The lightest option is to pause syncing for a few hours, useful on a slow connection. Next is to stop OneDrive starting automatically, so it only runs when you open it. Then you can turn off folder backup, so your Desktop, Documents and Pictures live on the PC rather than in OneDrive. Stronger still is to unlink this PC, which stops all syncing while keeping the app. The strongest options are to uninstall OneDrive, or on Pro editions to block it with Group Policy, which stops it running for every user.

None of these options deletes files from your OneDrive account online. Files stored in OneDrive remain available at onedrive.com and on other devices signed in to the same account, unless you delete them there yourself.

Which option should you choose?

The right choice depends on what bothers you. If it is pop-ups and storage nags, turn off notifications and folder backup for large folders, and keep OneDrive for a few important documents. If it is OneDrive running in the background and using resources, disable it at startup and open it when needed. If you never want your files in the cloud, turn off folder backup, move files back, and unlink or uninstall. If you manage a PC for others and want OneDrive gone for everyone, use the Group Policy or registry block.

Whichever you choose, the order is the same: check folder backup, download what you need, move files back, then make the change. Following that order is what keeps the process safe, and it takes only a little longer than doing it in a hurry.

If you are unsure, start with the lightest option that solves your problem. Every step on this page can be reversed, but restoring files is easier when you have not removed anything yet.

Check folder backup first

Before turning OneDrive off, check whether it is backing up your main folders. Windows 11 and recent OneDrive versions often turn on folder backup, sometimes called Known Folder Move, during setup. When it is on, your Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders, and sometimes Music and Videos, actually live inside the OneDrive folder, and their contents sync to the cloud. If you unlink or uninstall OneDrive without changing this, the folders on your PC can appear empty, because the files are in OneDrive's folder or only online.

To check, select the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar's notification area, select the gear icon, choose Settings, then Sync and back up and Manage back up. Each folder shows whether it is backed up. Another quick check is to open File Explorer, right-click Desktop in the navigation pane, choose Properties and look at the Location tab; a path containing OneDrive means the folder is backed up. Our guide to where OneDrive is and how to open it shows the cloud icon and settings in detail.

OneDrive file status icons

If you cannot see these icons, switch File Explorer to the Details view, which adds a Status column showing the same information. Sorting by Status quickly groups online-only files so you can download them together.

Desktop icons with small cloud or check marks on them are another sign that the Desktop is inside OneDrive.

Turn off folder backup safely

1. Open OneDrive Settings > Sync and back up > Manage back up.
2. Turn off the toggle for each folder you want back on the PC, such as Desktop, Documents and Pictures.
3. Confirm when OneDrive asks; it explains that new files will save on the PC.
4. Open the OneDrive folder in File Explorer and find the Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders inside it.
5. Select their contents, right-click and choose Always keep on this device so everything downloads.
6. When downloads finish, move the files to the matching folders on your PC, such as C:\Users\YourName\Documents.
7. Check the PC folders contain everything before going further.

When you stop backup, OneDrive does not move files back automatically; it leaves them in OneDrive and gives you a link to find them. Moving them yourself, as in the steps above, is what puts them back on the PC. Take your time with large folders, and keep OneDrive running until all downloads finish.

If a folder's files are very large, move them in smaller groups and check each group arrived before deleting anything from the OneDrive folder.

Fix folder locations that still point to OneDrive

Occasionally, after folder backup is turned off or OneDrive is removed, a folder such as Documents still points to a location inside the OneDrive folder, so programs keep saving there. To fix it, open File Explorer, right-click Documents in the navigation pane or under This PC, choose Properties, and open the Location tab. If the path includes OneDrive, select Restore Default, then Apply.

Windows asks whether to move the files to the new location; choose Yes to move them, which is usually what you want. Repeat for Desktop, Pictures, Music and Videos. After this, every folder points to its normal location under your user folder, such as C:\Users\YourName\Documents, and programs save files there.

If Restore Default is grayed out or the move fails, a program may be holding a file open; close open apps, restart, and try again before moving any files by hand.

Stop OneDrive starting with Windows

If you still want OneDrive available but do not want it running all the time, stop it starting automatically. In Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Startup and switch Microsoft OneDrive off. In Task Manager, open with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to Startup apps, select Microsoft OneDrive and choose Disable. Our guide to opening Task Manager every way covers the shortcuts.

OneDrive's own settings have an equivalent option, Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows; its location varies between OneDrive versions, so the Windows startup settings are the most reliable route. After the next restart, OneDrive does not open, and its cloud icon is absent from the taskbar. Open it from Start whenever you want to sync. Bear in mind that while OneDrive is closed, files set to online-only cannot be opened, and changes are not backed up until you start it again.

Disabling startup also saves a little memory and processor time at sign-in, which is noticeable on older PCs. OneDrive is not usually heavy, but on a PC with many startup apps, each one removed helps it reach a usable desktop faster.

Pause syncing instead

For short breaks, such as on a metered connection, during a video call or while gaming, pausing is simpler. Select the OneDrive cloud icon, select the gear icon, choose Pause syncing and pick 2 hours, 8 hours or 24 hours. Syncing resumes automatically afterward, or select Resume syncing sooner. OneDrive also pauses automatically when Windows is in battery saver mode or on a metered network, if those options are on.

Our guide to stopping or pausing OneDrive sync covers pausing, choosing which folders sync and limiting upload speed in more detail.

Pausing never removes files, so it is always safe to try first.

Just turn off OneDrive notifications

If the pop-ups are what bother you, you can silence them and keep OneDrive working. In OneDrive Settings, open Notifications and turn off the types you do not want, such as notices when many files are deleted, when others edit shared files, or memories from photos. In Windows, open Settings > System > Notifications, find OneDrive in the list, and turn its notifications off entirely or limit them to the notification center.

Storage warnings are harder to silence because they reflect a real problem: sync has stopped. Fix the storage issue, or turn off backup for the largest folders, and the warnings stop on their own.

Many people find that with notifications off and backup limited to one folder, OneDrive fades into the background and stops being a problem at all.

Unlink this PC to stop all syncing

Unlinking disconnects this PC from your OneDrive account. OneDrive stops syncing, the cloud icon shows that you are not signed in, and files already downloaded to the PC stay in the OneDrive folder as ordinary files. Files that were online-only, shown with a cloud icon in File Explorer, are not on the PC and become unavailable here, though they remain in your account online.

Before unlinking, select the OneDrive folder in File Explorer, right-click the files and folders you need, and choose Always keep on this device, then wait for downloads to finish. To unlink, open OneDrive Settings > Account, select Unlink this PC and confirm with Unlink account. A sign-in screen appears; close it if you do not want to sign in again. You can link the PC again later by signing in.

After unlinking, the OneDrive cloud icon may stay in the notification area with a prompt to sign in. Quit OneDrive from its menu and disable it at startup if you do not want to see it.

Download everything before removing OneDrive

1. Make sure you have enough free space on the PC for all the files you want to keep; check the OneDrive folder's size online and compare.
2. Open the OneDrive folder in File Explorer.
3. Select all folders and files you need, right-click and choose Always keep on this device.
4. Watch the cloud icon in the taskbar until it shows that OneDrive is up to date.
5. Switch to Details view and check the Status column: everything should show a solid green circle.
6. Copy the folder to another location or drive as an extra safety copy if the files are important.

Large libraries can take hours to download, especially photos and videos. Leave the PC on, plugged in and connected, and do not unlink until the downloads finish. If the PC lacks space for everything, download in batches to an external drive using onedrive.com in a browser instead.

Photos stored in OneDrive's Pictures folder can be numerous; downloading them from onedrive.com as a zip by selecting folders and choosing Download is often quicker for very large libraries.

Uninstall OneDrive

To remove OneDrive completely, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft OneDrive, select the three-dot menu and choose Uninstall. In Windows 10, use Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Uninstalling removes the app and its startup entry; files already downloaded stay in the OneDrive folder on the PC, and everything stays in your account online. Our guide to uninstalling programs in Windows covers the general steps.

Follow the same order as before: turn off folder backup and move files back, download anything you need, then uninstall. If you later want OneDrive back, download it from Microsoft's OneDrive page and sign in; your files sync down again. Some Windows updates or Microsoft 365 installations can reinstall OneDrive; if it reappears, uninstall it again or use the policy described below.

Uninstalling takes a minute and needs no restart in most cases.

Avoid OneDrive backup on a new PC

Windows 11 setup often offers to back up your files with OneDrive while you set up a new PC, and accepting turns on folder backup from the first day. If you do not want that, look for the option to skip or to save files only to this PC on that screen. If you accepted without noticing, the steps in the folder backup section above undo it, and it is much easier to do on a new PC before many files accumulate.

New PCs may also come with OneDrive pinned to the taskbar or showing reminders about storage. Turning off startup and notifications early, or uninstalling OneDrive if you will not use it, keeps a new PC tidy from the start.

Signing in with a local account during setup avoids OneDrive setup prompts entirely, though Windows 11 makes local accounts harder to choose on Home editions and many people prefer a Microsoft account for other benefits.

Whatever you choose at setup can be changed later in OneDrive's settings, so no decision there is permanent.

What changes in Office

Microsoft Office's AutoSave feature, the switch at the top left of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, works only for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. After moving files to your PC, AutoSave is off for them, so save with Ctrl + S or turn on AutoRecover, which saves recovery copies every few minutes. Real-time co-authoring with others also requires files in OneDrive or SharePoint.

Office may also suggest saving new files to OneDrive by default. In any Office app, go to File > Options > Save and check Save to Computer by default so new files go to your PC folders instead.

If you rely on version history, which OneDrive keeps for files stored there, note that local files do not have it; File History on an external drive provides a similar safety net.

Personal Vault and shared files

If you use OneDrive's Personal Vault, a protected area that needs extra verification to open, unlock it and copy out anything you want on the PC before unlinking, since its contents are not left on the PC when OneDrive is disconnected. Files that others shared with you appear under Shared at onedrive.com rather than in your folder, unless you added them to your OneDrive; download any you need from the website.

Also check files you shared with others. Unlinking or uninstalling on your PC does not stop sharing, because files stay in your account. To stop sharing a file, manage its sharing at onedrive.com.

OneDrive on phones and other devices

Turning OneDrive off on your PC does not affect your phone. If the OneDrive app on your phone has Camera upload turned on, it keeps uploading photos to your account, which continues to use storage. To stop that, open the OneDrive app on the phone, go to its settings and turn off Camera upload, or uninstall the app if you do not use it.

The same applies to other PCs and Macs signed in to the same account. Each device has its own OneDrive app and settings, so repeat the steps on any device where you want OneDrive off. On a Mac, quit OneDrive from its menu bar icon and remove it from System Settings > General > Login Items to stop it starting.

On iPhones and Android phones, the operating system's own photo backup, iCloud Photos or Google Photos, may already cover what OneDrive camera upload does, so turning one of them off avoids paying for the same photos twice.

Hide OneDrive from File Explorer

Even with OneDrive unlinked, its entry often remains in File Explorer's navigation pane. To hide it, use the registry. Press Windows key + R, type regedit and press Enter. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}, double-click System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree, change its value from 1 to 0 and select OK. If the key does not exist, OneDrive is not registered for your account, and the entry likely comes from a work or school OneDrive with a different identifier.

Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager, or sign out and back in, for the change to show; our guide to restarting explorer.exe explains how. Set the value back to 1 to bring the entry back. Back up the registry before editing, and if Windows refuses to save the value, our guide to the registry error writing values helps.

On 64-bit Windows, some older 32-bit programs show their own Open and Save dialogs, which read a matching value under the Wow6432Node branch of the same key; set it to 0 there too if OneDrive still appears in those dialogs.

Block OneDrive with Group Policy

On Windows 11 and 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education, Group Policy can stop OneDrive for every user on the PC. Run gpedit.msc, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive, open Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage, set it to Enabled, and restart. OneDrive cannot be opened, does not sync and does not appear in File Explorer.

On Home editions, the same policy can be set in the registry: under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive, create a DWORD named DisableFileSyncNGSC set to 1, creating the OneDrive key if needed, then restart. Delete the value to undo it. Policies like this sometimes cause Windows to show that some settings are managed by your organization; our guide to removing Managed by your organization explains that message.

OneDrive prompts in File Explorer and Settings

Even with OneDrive off, Windows may suggest it in places: a banner in File Explorer suggesting backup, a reminder in Settings on the Accounts page, or a prompt during feature updates. These come from Windows' suggestion and tips settings rather than OneDrive itself. In File Explorer, select the three-dot menu, choose Options, open the View tab and clear Show sync provider notifications. In Settings, open Privacy & security > General and turn off suggested content options, and in System > Notifications, open additional settings and turn off suggestions for finishing setup.

These switches reduce prompts across Windows, not just for OneDrive. Our guide to turning off ads in File Explorer lists the full set.

Feature updates sometimes turn some of these back on, so check them again after a major Windows update.

Reset OneDrive instead

If OneDrive is misbehaving, such as stuck syncing, high CPU use or repeated errors, a reset can fix it without turning it off. Press Windows key + R and run %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset. If Windows cannot find it, try C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset. OneDrive closes, resets its settings and restarts, then resyncs your files. Files are not deleted, though you may need to choose your folder backup and sync options again.

A reset is worth trying before uninstalling if your real goal is a OneDrive that works properly rather than one that is gone.

After a reset, give OneDrive time to finish checking files before judging whether the problem is fixed.

OneDrive will not uninstall

If OneDrive is missing from Installed apps or the uninstall fails, try uninstalling with the Windows package manager. Open Terminal and run winget uninstall Microsoft.OneDrive, then restart. If OneDrive is running, close it first by selecting the cloud icon, the gear and Quit OneDrive, since a running app can block the uninstall.

On some PCs, OneDrive is installed separately for each user account, so uninstalling it in one account leaves it in others. Repeat the uninstall in each account, or use the Group Policy block if the goal is to stop it everywhere. If it still keeps returning after updates, the policy is the reliable fix.

As a last resort, Microsoft's support site offers troubleshooters for OneDrive installation problems, and a Windows repair install fixes cases where system files are damaged.

Why people turn OneDrive off

OneDrive is useful: it backs up files automatically, keeps them in sync across devices and protects against a lost or broken PC. But people turn it off for good reasons. The free plan includes only 5 GB, so backing up Desktop, Documents and Pictures fills it quickly and triggers storage warnings and upgrade prompts. Some prefer another cloud service, such as Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud, or a local backup drive. Some have slow or metered internet. Others want files to stay only on their PC for privacy reasons, or find the cloud icons and online-only files confusing.

OneDrive also shows promotional messages in File Explorer and notifications, which annoy many users. If those are the main problem, you may not need to turn OneDrive off at all; our guide to turning off ads in File Explorer covers the switches that stop them.

Privacy is another common reason. Files in OneDrive are stored on Microsoft's servers and protected by your Microsoft account, so the security of that account matters. If you keep OneDrive, turn on two-step verification for your Microsoft account; if you turn it off, the files that remain online still depend on that account until you delete them there.

Files On-Demand explained

Most confusion about OneDrive comes from Files On-Demand, which shows every file in your OneDrive in File Explorer but only downloads a file when you open it. That saves space, but it means a file can look present when it is really only in the cloud. Turning OneDrive off then makes those files disappear from the PC, which looks like data loss but is not; they are still in your account online.

You can control this per file or folder with Always keep on this device and Free up space in the right-click menu. Windows can also turn files online-only automatically when space is low through Storage Sense, in Settings > System > Storage, which is another reason files may be online-only even if you downloaded them before.

To see how much of your OneDrive is actually on the PC, right-click the OneDrive folder, choose Properties, and compare Size with Size on disk; a large gap means many files are online-only.

OneDrive storage full warnings

The most common reason people want OneDrive off is the warning that storage is full. With the free 5 GB, backing up Pictures alone is often enough to fill it, after which OneDrive stops syncing and shows warnings and offers to upgrade. Your options are to buy more storage, free space by deleting or moving files out of OneDrive, turn off backup for large folders, or turn OneDrive off.

Note that the free storage is shared with Outlook.com email attachments, so a full OneDrive can also affect email. Check usage at onedrive.com under storage settings, which shows what is taking space, and empty the OneDrive recycle bin, which counts toward the limit until emptied.

If you decide to pay for more storage instead of turning OneDrive off, a Microsoft 365 subscription adds 1 TB per person along with the Office apps, which many households find better value than a storage-only plan.

Keep a backup after turning OneDrive off

If OneDrive was your only backup, turning it off leaves your files with no copy anywhere else. Set up another backup before or right after. Options include File History to an external drive, in Control Panel > File History; the Windows Backup app for settings; another cloud service; or a backup program that copies files to a drive or network storage. The important thing is to have at least one copy of important files somewhere other than the PC's own drive.

Many people settle on a middle path: OneDrive for a single folder of important documents, within the free 5 GB, and a local backup drive for photos and everything else. You can do that by keeping OneDrive linked and choosing which folders sync in its settings.

OneDrive and the Windows Backup app

Windows 11, and recent Windows 10 updates, include a Windows Backup app that backs up folders, apps, settings and saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords to your Microsoft account. Its folder backup is the same as OneDrive's, so turning folders off in either place has the same effect. The settings and apps parts are separate and use little storage; you can keep them on even if you turn OneDrive folder backup off, which makes moving to a new PC easier.

On Windows 10, free enrollment in Extended Security Updates relies on keeping Windows Backup's settings sync turned on with your Microsoft account. If you use that route, leave settings sync on while turning off OneDrive folder backup; the two are independent. Our guide to Windows 10 and 11 support dates explains ESU enrollment.

If you later sign in on a new PC with the same Microsoft account, Windows offers to restore apps and settings from that backup, which works even if OneDrive file backup was never used.

Moving to another cloud service

If you are leaving OneDrive for Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud or another service, the cleanest approach is to download everything from OneDrive to the PC first, as described above, then install the new service's app and move the files into its folder. Avoid running two sync services on the same folder at the same time, which can create duplicate files and conflicts.

Large photo libraries can be moved more efficiently through a service's own import tools where available, or by downloading from onedrive.com in batches. Once everything is in the new service and you have checked it, you can unlink or uninstall OneDrive and, if you want, delete files from your OneDrive account online to free its storage.

Keep OneDrive's copy until you have used the new service for a few weeks and are confident everything arrived; deleting the old copy is the last step, not the first.

Clean up afterward

After unlinking or uninstalling, a OneDrive folder usually remains under your user folder, such as C:\Users\YourName\OneDrive, containing files that were downloaded. Once you have moved what you need elsewhere and checked it, you can delete this folder to free space. With OneDrive unlinked, deleting the local folder does not affect your files online; with OneDrive still linked, deleting files would delete them online too, so make sure it is unlinked first.

Also remove OneDrive from the taskbar if it is pinned, and check Startup apps once more to confirm it is gone. If File Explorer still shows a OneDrive entry, use the registry setting described earlier to hide it.

Finally, open a few of your most important files from their new locations to be sure they open correctly. A quick check now is far easier than discovering a missing file months later.

Work or school OneDrive

If your PC signs in to a work or school account, OneDrive for Business may be managed by your organization, with policies that start it automatically, back up folders and prevent you from turning it off. In that case, the settings above may be grayed out or come back after restart. That is by design, because organizations rely on OneDrive to protect company files. Contact IT if you need a change.

Personal and work OneDrive can run side by side, each with its own cloud icon, colored blue for work and white or gray for personal. Make sure you change the right one; unlinking your personal OneDrive does not affect the work one.

For small businesses

Small businesses that use Microsoft 365 often rely on OneDrive for Business to protect staff files and share documents. Turning it off on individual PCs can leave company files unprotected and break sharing. If staff find OneDrive confusing, training on Files On-Demand and the status icons usually solves more problems than removing it, and admins can set policies that silently move known folders, keep storage tidy and reduce prompts.

If the business does not use Microsoft 365 and personal OneDrive accounts are appearing on work PCs, the Group Policy block keeps company files off personal accounts, which is often a data protection requirement.

Document whichever choice you make, so new staff set up their PCs the same way.

Turning OneDrive off on family PCs

On a family PC used by several people, each Windows account has its own OneDrive settings and folders. Turning OneDrive off for one person does not affect the others. Check each account, especially children's, whose photos and school files may be backing up to a parent's or their own Microsoft account. Use the Group Policy or registry block only if nobody on the PC should use OneDrive at all.

For older relatives, OneDrive's automatic backup may actually be a safety net worth keeping, since they are less likely to run backups themselves. Consider keeping it on with just Pictures and Documents backed up, and turning off notifications instead, before removing it entirely.

Talk with family members before removing OneDrive from their accounts, since some may rely on it to see photos on their phones or share files with others.

What this page said before

The original version of this page, from 2016, explained how to disable OneDrive's automatic startup in Windows 10. A separate page explained how to hide the OneDrive icon from File Explorer; it has been folded into this one. This rewrite covers Windows 11 and 10, the safe order for turning OneDrive off, folder backup, unlinking, uninstalling, hiding it from File Explorer and blocking it by policy.

OneDrive has become much more tightly integrated with Windows since 2016, which is why turning it off now involves more steps than switching off startup, and why the safe order on this page matters.

Turn off OneDrive: frequently asked questions

Ethan's laptop now starts without OneDrive, his Desktop and Documents live on the PC, and a small external drive runs File History every hour. He kept his OneDrive account for sharing photos with family, opening the app only when he needs it. Nothing was lost, because he checked where his files were before removing anything.

Revision note. Written October 3, 2026, combining our 2016 guides to disabling OneDrive at startup and hiding the OneDrive icon from File Explorer into one complete guide to turning OneDrive off safely in Windows 11 and 10. May your files always be exactly where you expect them.