One Drive Storage Space

Sharon Hallax 0 Reputation points
2026-10-04T14:36:13.55+00:00

I no longer want to pay for Microsoft Office Program which was on my computer when I purchased it.

Now I am unable to upload any photos to my computer because the space has been reduced.

How do I disconnect One Drive from these files? Everything I download is automatically going to One Drive?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows
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  1. Jhun Buala 5,815 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-04T15:12:21.49+00:00

    Hi Sharon,

    Good day. The easiest way to find it is to match the date and exact time, since OneDrive can rename the file and you can't really search for the old iPhone filename directly.

    1. Open OneDrive and go to the photos from that day.
    2. Open the similar ones and check Info/Details for the time they were taken.
    3. On your iPhone, open the original photo and tap Info to see its exact time.
    4. Match that time with the OneDrive photos. That should narrow it down pretty quickly, even if you took quite a bit of similar photos that day.

    If you wanna make this easier, you can also tell me what the new OneDrive filename looks like, and I'll show you what to look for.

    I hope this helps.

    Regards,

    Jhun

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-04T14:36:29.5933333+00:00

    To stop new files from automatically going to OneDrive and keep them on the PC instead:

    1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar.
    2. Open Settings.
    3. Go to Sync and backup > Manage backup.
    4. For folders such as Desktop, Documents, and Pictures, select Stop backup.
    5. When prompted, choose Keep files on this PC or Move content back to your PC.

    This stops OneDrive folder backup so those folders are managed locally again instead of filling OneDrive storage.

    If OneDrive is still connected after that:

    1. Open the OneDrive cloud icon > Settings.
    2. Go to the Account tab.
    3. Select Unlink this PC > Unlink account.

    If files are already inside the OneDrive folder, move them from the OneDrive folder in File Explorer to folders outside OneDrive. Files moved out of OneDrive are no longer backed up there. Be careful when moving files so they are not dropped into the wrong location.

    If OneDrive storage is already full, OneDrive can become read-only for existing files and new uploads or syncs will stop until files are deleted or storage is reduced. To free cloud space:

    1. Sign in to OneDrive and review what is using space: View files
    2. Empty the OneDrive Recycle Bin: Open your OneDrive Recycle bin
    3. Remove large files, ZIP files, or unwanted photos and videos that are no longer needed.

    If local disk space is the issue instead of cloud space, OneDrive Files On-Demand and Storage Sense can help keep files online-only so they do not take up space on the computer.

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

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