How do I save space on OneDrive by putting some of the files in there onto an external hard drive?

andrew. selby 60 Reputation points
2026-04-01T19:11:47.9333333+00:00

As the title says. How do I safely remove files and folders from OneDrive and save them to an external hard drive, freeing up space on OneDrive?

I would now prefer not to purchase additional cloud coverage on a subscription. My preference is to do it my way and place them on an external hard drive.

I originally just deleted them in OneDrive, but apparently, that doesn't delete them from OneDrive. Sorry for being a numbskull, but why does that not work?

What about deleting files and folders from OneDrive, and then deleting the same files and folders from OneDrive on the web? Does that permanently delete them from OneDrive, freeing up space? By doing it this way, where do the files and folders on OneDrive go?

Or is there a simpler way to do it? If anyone can give me easy step-by-step instructions on how to do this, I will be eternally grateful.

Thank you.

AS

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | Windows
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Answer accepted by question author
Ron Barker 2,255 Reputation points
2026-04-01T20:05:53.6966667+00:00

Hi Andrew, deleting files on OneDrive should certainly remove them from OneDrive. Click on the OneDrive Icon on the taskbar>Open Folder> There you can see all your files on OneDrive>You can download your files onto your computer there. If you see> User's image This means the files/folders are on OneDrive>Double click on the cloud to download them> When you see> User's imageThis means the files or Folders are downloaded to your computer (but there is still a link to OneDrive so you can put them back on OneDrive) If you delete them when they are download you will see a message that they will be deleted everywhere. See what all icons mean What do the OneDrive icons mean?

You can also copy the files when they are download and paste them on your external Hard Drive. Once they are safely on the hard drive you can delete them on OneDrive. You will need to connect your external Hard drive to move them.

With Windows 10 you can Move the files by clicking on them and click on move

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Answer accepted by question author
Rodrigo Queiroz 78,730 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-04-01T20:04:11.0733333+00:00

Hi, I'm Rodrigo and I will help you.
Deleting the files on OneDrive (desktop or web) with send the files to the OneDrive Recycle Bin which completely delete the files after 30 days.

That's why the storage is not cleared right after deleting the files; you must open the OneDrive web and delete the files from the Recycle Bin to clear the storage space.

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AI answer

2026-04-01T19:12:06.9633333+00:00

To free up OneDrive space by moving files to an external drive, the key is:

  • First copy or move the files out of the OneDrive folder to a location that is not in OneDrive (your external drive).
  • Then let OneDrive sync the deletions so the cloud copies are removed and space is freed.

Step-by-step (Windows or Mac, using File Explorer/Finder):

  1. Connect the external drive
    • Plug in the external hard drive and make sure it appears in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
  2. Copy or move files from OneDrive to the external drive
    • Open File Explorer/Finder.
    • Go to the local OneDrive folder.
    • Select the files/folders to archive.
    • Drag them to a folder on the external drive (or use Copy/Paste, then delete from OneDrive after verifying the copy).
    • This moves them out of the OneDrive sync area, so OneDrive will treat this as a deletion from the cloud.
  3. Let OneDrive sync
    • Wait for OneDrive to finish syncing. The moved items will disappear from OneDrive on the web once sync completes.
  4. Empty the OneDrive recycle bin (to actually free space)
    • Deleting/moving items out of OneDrive sends them to the OneDrive recycle bin online; they still count against storage until the recycle bin is emptied.
    • Go to OneDrive on the web → Recycle bin → select the items → Delete to permanently remove them and free space.

Why simply deleting in OneDrive sometimes “doesn’t delete”:

  • If items are deleted only on the local PC but OneDrive is paused or not signed in, the deletions may not sync to the cloud.
  • Even when deletions sync, the files go to the OneDrive recycle bin and still consume storage until the recycle bin is emptied.

Using Files On-Demand (if the goal is to free local disk space, not cloud space):

  • On Windows, to free space on the PC but keep files in OneDrive:
    1. Right-click a file or folder in the OneDrive folder.
    2. Select Free up space.
    • The file stays in OneDrive cloud but becomes “online-only” locally, freeing disk space on the computer.
  • To keep something always offline on the PC:
    1. Right-click the file/folder.
    2. Select Always keep on this device.

On Mac with OneDrive Files On-Demand:

  • Files can be kept online-only or downloaded, and external drives are supported for OneDrive’s sync root and cache.
  • If the OneDrive sync root is on an external drive, OneDrive minimizes duplicate copies and uses the external drive for data storage.

Summary for the scenario:

  • To free OneDrive cloud space: move/copy files from the OneDrive folder to the external drive → let sync finish → empty OneDrive recycle bin on the web.
  • To free local disk space only: use Free up space (Windows) or the equivalent Files On-Demand behavior on Mac, which keeps files in the cloud but removes local data.

References:

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  1. andrew. selby 60 Reputation points
    2026-04-03T18:16:25.6066667+00:00

    Hi Guys,

    Thank you for all the great answers and for taking the time to send them to me. Even the AI comment looks pretty cool.

    The only thing I am confused about is this un-syncing malarkey. Based on how you showed me, do I need to unsync OneDrive before doing anything? Or is there no need for that to achieve what I want? Thanks.

    Andy

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  2. andrew. selby 60 Reputation points
    2026-04-04T19:18:08.7333333+00:00

    Thank you, excellent advice.

    There is one more thing I wish to know. I have an old Windows 10 laptop that I cannot upgrade to Windows 11 with. Therefore, how do I permanently un-sync all my files and folders in One Drive on that machine without removing the same files from my other PCs that have Windows 11 and One Drive?

    Basically, separating all the files in the old laptop's One Drive while keeping the same files and folders on every other usable device with One Drive installed? I hope that all makes sense here. Thanks.

    Andy

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