If personal vault is disabled will my files still be uploaded to onedrive

shelly frank 40 Reputation points
2025-10-31T15:20:41.5133333+00:00

If personal vault is disabled will my files still be uploaded to onedrive

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | Windows
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Alexis-NG 18,080 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2025-11-03T19:14:55.7666667+00:00

Hi @shelly frank,

Thank you for your response. 

I'd love to give you some clarification for this issue:

  • Personal Vault is a protected area in OneDrive with extra security (identity verification, encryption). It’s designed for sensitive files, not general storage.
  • Personal Files folder is just a regular folder. It doesn’t have the additional security features of Personal Vault.
  • Deleting the local Documents folder on your PC only affects local storage. Your OneDrive sync settings may still recreate it or expect it for certain apps.
  • You can store everything in Personal Files, but you won’t remove the Personal Vault feature, it will remain in your OneDrive account since you no longer have an option to disable it.

Here’s what you can do right now to keep things simple:

  • Keep Personal Vault locked and ignore it if you don’t want to use it.
  • Move all files to your preferred folder (like Personal Files) and manage them normally.
  • If you want to avoid confusion, you can hide the Personal Vault shortcut in File Explorer, but the vault itself cannot be removed.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this. 

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. 

I'm looking forward to your reply. 


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Answer accepted by question author
Alexis-NG 18,080 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2025-10-31T20:04:27.3266667+00:00

Hi @shelly frank,

Thank you for your response.

I'd recommend you follow this step-by-step guide to disable personal vault.

Note: When you disable your Personal Vault, it will delete the Personal Vault folder from your OneDrive. As a result, all files, folders, and any items you previously deleted from the Personal Vault will be permanently deleted and cannot be restored from the recycle bin. Users can disable or turn off their OneDrive Personal Vault anytime. When you re-enable your Vault, it will remain empty.

First, open your OneDrive account page online and sign in with your Microsoft account, if not already.

Then, click the Settings (gear) icon and select Options.

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Then select Personal Vault in the left pane and click Verify your identity to access your Vault.

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Once your identity has been identified, click the Disable link to disable your Vault.

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Confirm that you want to disable, then click Disable.

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In conclusion: 

  • Turning off or disabling OneDrive Personal Vault in Windows 11 is a straightforward process that involves accessing your OneDrive account settings online.
  • Disabling the Personal Vault will delete the folder from your OneDrive, permanently removing any files, folders, or items previously deleted from the Vault.
  • If you decide to re-enable the Vault later, it will be empty. Remember that once disabled, the files and folders from the Personal Vault cannot be restored from the recycle bin.

 

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this. 

If you found my response helpful, could you please give it a vote? This helps highlight the solution so others facing the same situation can easily find it. Your support makes a big difference in the community.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. 

I'm looking forward to your reply. 


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  1. Alexis-NG 18,080 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-10-31T16:22:43.9433333+00:00

    Hi @shelly frank,

    Thank you for posting your question to Microsoft Q&A Forum.

    I'd love to give you some insights about personal vault.

    If Personal Vault is disabled, your files will still upload to OneDrive as usual. Only the secure vault folder is removed; standard OneDrive functionality remains intact. Please make sure to move any files out of Personal Vault before disabling, or they will be permanently deleted.

    When you choose to disable Personal Vault, a confirmation prompt will appear, warning you that the vault folder will be removed from your OneDrive and all files inside it will be permanently deleted. User's image

    Note: The initial response may not always resolve the issue right away. However, with your input and a bit more detail, we can work together to find the right solution.

    I hope this information is helpful. Please give this information a try and let me know how it goes. If the issue persists, I’m here to help further.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. Feel free to reach out with any questions. 

    I look forward to hearing from you.


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