How do I stop One Drive and keep my files only on my hard drive?

George Peppes 20 Reputation points
2026-01-05T20:22:40.6533333+00:00

How do I stop One Drive and keep all my files only on my hard drive?

I have my own back up process.

I do not want to see it in file manager.

thanks

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-01-05T20:23:47.39+00:00

    To stop OneDrive and keep all your files only on your hard drive, you can follow these steps:

    1. Unlink OneDrive: Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area (system tray) and select "Settings." In the "Account" tab, click on "Unlink this PC." This will stop OneDrive from syncing your files.
    2. Disable OneDrive from Startup: To prevent OneDrive from starting automatically, right-click the taskbar and select "Task Manager." Go to the "Startup" tab, find OneDrive, and disable it.
    3. Uninstall OneDrive: If you want to completely remove OneDrive, you can uninstall it. Go to "Control Panel" > "Programs" > "Programs and Features," find Microsoft OneDrive in the list, and uninstall it.
    4. Remove OneDrive Shortcuts: If you want to ensure that OneDrive does not appear in File Explorer, you can delete its shortcuts using scripts provided in the context. For Windows 10, you can run scripts to delete the OneDrive icon from the navigation pane.
    5. Group Policy Setting: If you are using a version of Office 2016 or later, you can enable the Group Policy setting "Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage" to block OneDrive completely.

    By following these steps, you can ensure that your files remain only on your hard drive without the interference of OneDrive.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. EmilyS726 279.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-01-05T20:58:06.6666667+00:00

    In order for us to sort all of these out, it is necessary (just for now) to get OneDrive desktop app back up and running.

    To do so, go to your Start menu and see if you already have the OneDrive app installed. If so, go ahead and run it, sign in. If you don't have it installed, you will need to download it, install it back and then set it up. You can download it from here: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/onedrive/download

    Once you have the OneDrive app up and running again, please follow these steps closely:

    1. Right click on the OneDrive cloud icon on the lower right on your taskbar to go to Settings.
    2. On the "Sync and Backup" tab, click on "Advanced Settings" to expand that section. Then under File On-Demand, click on "Download all files".
    3. Give it plenty of time to allow the files to be downloaded from the online cloud. On your computer's file explorer, you can observe the OneDrive folder and its folders/files inside. You want all of the green checkmark icon to turn solid green with a white checkmark. Depends on how many files you have, this process can take a while, so please be patient.
    4. Once all of the folders and files turn into the solid green icon with white checkmark, you can go back to OneDrive Settings. Very important - click on "Manage Backup" button, then turn off all folders listed there.
    5. After you turn off the folders sync in Step 4, now go to Account tab, click on "Unlink this PC"
    6. Go to your Windows Settings > Apps, find OneDrive and uninstall it.

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    9 people found this answer helpful.

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