How to Turn Off OneDrive on Windows 11

To turn off OneDrive on Windows 11 for a while, select the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar, select the gear icon, select Pause syncing, and choose 2, 8, or 24 hours. To turn it off for good on this PC, open OneDrive Settings, go to the Account tab, and select Unlink this PC. Neither option deletes your files.

This guide covers the OneDrive sync app that comes with Windows 11, for personal Microsoft accounts and for work or school accounts. The steps follow Microsoft’s current support pages. On a work or school PC, your organization may lock some of these settings.

Which Way to Turn Off OneDrive Should You Use?

“Turning off OneDrive” can mean several different things. Pick the row that matches what you want.

What you want	What to do	How long it lasts
Stop syncing during a download, game, or video call	Pause syncing	2, 8, or 24 hours
Close OneDrive right now	Quit OneDrive	Until you open it again or sign in again
Keep OneDrive from opening by itself	Turn it off in Startup apps	Until you turn it back on
Get Desktop, Documents, and Pictures out of OneDrive	Stop folder backup	Until you turn backup back on
Stop using OneDrive on this PC	Unlink this PC	Until you sign in to OneDrive again
Remove the app	Uninstall Microsoft OneDrive	Until you reinstall it

If you just don’t want to use OneDrive, Microsoft’s suggested solution is to unlink it. Microsoft’s guide to turning off, disabling, or uninstalling OneDrive lists the same options described here.

Before You Turn Off OneDrive

OneDrive is a sync service. Sync means the OneDrive folder on your PC and your storage at OneDrive.com are kept the same. Turning OneDrive off stops that copying. It does not erase anything online. Check these points first:

• Online-only files are not on your PC. A file with a blue cloud icon in File Explorer is stored only in OneDrive. You can’t open online-only files when the PC isn’t connected to the internet. This comes from a feature called Files On-Demand, which is on by default in current OneDrive versions.
• Your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures may be inside OneDrive. If folder backup is on, those folders live in your OneDrive folder. Stop the backup before you unlink if you want the files back in your regular folders.
• Deleting is not the same as turning off. While OneDrive is still syncing, deleting a file from the OneDrive folder deletes it from OneDrive online as well.
• You may need the icon. If the cloud icon isn’t near the clock, select the up arrow on the taskbar to show hidden icons. If it still isn’t there, press the Windows key, type OneDrive, and open the app.

To keep a full copy of a file or folder on the PC, right-click it in File Explorer and select Always keep on this device. A green circle with a white check mark means it is stored locally. Each icon is explained in Microsoft’s Files On-Demand guide.

Pause OneDrive Syncing

Use this when OneDrive is slowing your PC or internet connection and you want it back later.

1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area, near the clock. You can also right-click it.
2. Select the gear icon for Help & Settings.
3. Select Pause syncing.

4. Choose 2 hours, 8 hours, or 24 hours.

How to confirm: the cloud icon shows that it is paused. How to undo: syncing starts again by itself when the time is up. To restart it sooner, select the paused icon and select the resume option in the panel that opens.

OneDrive also pauses automatically when the PC is in battery saver mode or on a metered network. See How to pause and resume OneDrive sync for details.

Quit OneDrive

Quitting closes the app completely, so nothing syncs until it runs again.

1. Select or right-click the OneDrive cloud icon.
2. Select the gear icon, then Pause syncing.
3. Select Quit OneDrive. Confirm if Windows asks.

How to confirm: the cloud icon disappears from the taskbar. How to undo: press the Windows key, type OneDrive, and select the OneDrive app. The same steps are on Microsoft’s page about stopping sync in OneDrive.

Quitting only lasts for this session. OneDrive opens again the next time you sign in to Windows unless you also turn off its startup setting.

Stop OneDrive From Starting With Windows

A startup app is a program Windows opens automatically when you sign in. You can turn OneDrive off in that list from Settings or from Task Manager. Both show the same list, so you only need one.

From Settings

1. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Startup.
2. Find Microsoft OneDrive in the list.
3. Set its toggle to Off.

From Task Manager

1. Right-click Start and select Task Manager, or press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Select Startup apps.
3. Select Microsoft OneDrive, then select Disable.

How to confirm: restart the PC and sign in. The cloud icon should not appear. How to undo: set the toggle back to On, or select Enable in Task Manager. OneDrive stays installed and still syncs whenever you open it yourself. Both routes are covered on the Startup apps support page, and you can manage the rest of your startup programs from the same list.

Stop Backing Up Desktop, Documents, and Pictures

Folder backup is the setting that puts your main Windows folders inside OneDrive. Do this step before unlinking if you want those files to stay on the PC.

Warning: read the choice in step 5 carefully. One option removes the files from your computer, and the other removes them from OneDrive.

1. In File Explorer, right-click each backed-up folder and select Always keep on this device. Wait for the download to finish.
2. Select the OneDrive cloud icon, the gear icon, and then Settings.
3. Go to the Sync and backup tab and select Manage backup.
4. Select the toggle for Desktop, Documents, or Pictures to turn it off.
5. Choose Keep the files only on my PC to move them back to the computer and remove them from OneDrive, or choose to keep them only in OneDrive, which removes them from the computer.
6. Repeat for each folder you want to stop backing up.

How to confirm: open Manage backup again. The folder shows as not backed up. How to undo: turn the toggle back on and select Save changes. The full procedure is in Microsoft’s Back up your folders with OneDrive.

Prefer to copy everything out by hand first? You can move your files from OneDrive to your PC before going further.

Check Where Apps Save New Files

Stopping folder backup doesn’t change where every app saves, because an app can remember its last OneDrive location. The next time you save a document, use Save As and pick a folder outside your OneDrive folder, such as Documents under This PC. Then check the file’s path in File Explorer.

Unlink OneDrive From This PC

Unlinking signs this PC out of your OneDrive account. It is Microsoft’s preferred option when you don’t want to use OneDrive. You won’t lose files or data by unlinking, and you can always reach your files by signing in to OneDrive.com.

Unlinking OneDrive doesn’t change your Windows sign-in. To change that, remove a Microsoft account from Windows 11 instead.

1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
2. Select the gear icon for Help & Settings, then select Settings.
3. Go to the Account tab.
4. Select Unlink this PC.

5. Select Unlink account to confirm.

How to confirm: OneDrive shows its sign-in screen instead of your files, and changes on the PC no longer reach OneDrive.com. How to undo: open OneDrive from the Start menu and sign in again. Signing in starts the usual OneDrive sync setup again.

Hide or Uninstall OneDrive

After unlinking, you can also hide OneDrive. Microsoft’s steps are: open File Explorer, right-click OneDrive, select Properties, and on the General tab check Hidden next to Attributes. Then quit OneDrive to remove its icon from the notification area.

To take the app off the PC, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft OneDrive, select the three dots, and select Uninstall. OneDrive is built in to some versions of Windows and can’t be uninstalled there. Hiding it is the alternative. For every step, follow the complete OneDrive removal process.

Troubleshooting

• The OneDrive icon is missing. Select the up arrow on the taskbar to show hidden icons. If OneDrive isn’t running, open it from the Start menu first. You need it running to reach its settings.
• “Some files couldn’t be moved.” This appears when a folder you are removing from backup contains cloud-only files. Right-click the folder, select Always keep on this device, wait for the download, and try again.
• “File is open and cannot be moved.” Save and close the file, then stop the backup again.
• “OneNote notebooks can’t be moved.” Notebooks are cloud-based files and cannot be moved to the computer. They stay in OneDrive.
• A setting is missing or grayed out. On a work or school PC, an administrator may control OneDrive. Ask your IT department before changing it.
• The tab is named slightly differently. Microsoft’s own pages show both “Sync and backup” and “Sync and back up.” It is the same tab.
• OneDrive is not in the Startup list. Apps that aren’t registered with a startup task don’t appear there. Open OneDrive once, then check the list again.

To keep an offline copy of notebooks that stay in OneDrive, back up your OneNote notebooks.

Unlink or Stop OneDrive in Windows 10

The OneDrive cloud icon > Settings > Account > Unlink this PC method above also applies to Windows 10. Check that files you need offline have local copies before unlinking.

To stop automatic startup, open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, choose Startup, select Microsoft OneDrive and Disable. For removal, use Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Microsoft OneDrive > Uninstall. Startup, unlinking and uninstalling have different effects; none is a reason to delete the cloud library.

Block OneDrive File Storage With Group Policy

On Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, an administrator can block OneDrive file storage for every account on the PC. Windows 11 Home doesn’t include the Local Group Policy Editor. Finish the file and backup checks above first. The setting is listed in Microsoft’s policy reference for DisableOneDriveFileSync.

First time using the console? There are other ways to open Local Group Policy Editor too.

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive.
3. Double-click Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage.
4. Select Enabled, then OK.
5. Restart the PC.

The policy blocks OneDrive in File Explorer, file pickers, and apps across the PC. It doesn’t delete your cloud files or download online-only files. To undo it, set the policy back to Not Configured. On a work or school PC, ask IT first, because an organization policy can override your local choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off OneDrive delete my files?

No. Pausing, quitting, unlinking, and uninstalling do not delete files from OneDrive online. You can always get to them by signing in to OneDrive.com. Online-only files, though, are not stored on the PC, so download any you need before you unlink. To get rid of the files themselves, delete them from OneDrive instead.

What is the difference between pausing and unlinking OneDrive?

Pausing stops sync for 2, 8, or 24 hours and then resumes it automatically. You stay signed in. Unlinking signs the PC out of your OneDrive account, so nothing syncs until you sign in again.

Why does OneDrive keep coming back after I close it?

Quitting OneDrive only closes it for the current session. It is a startup app, so it opens again when you sign in. Turn it off in Settings > Apps > Startup or in Task Manager’s Startup apps list.

Can I turn OneDrive back on later?

Yes. Every method here can be reversed. Resume a pause from the OneDrive icon, reopen the app from the Start menu, turn the startup toggle back on, or sign in to OneDrive again after unlinking.

Does turning off OneDrive cancel my Microsoft 365 or storage subscription?

No. Turning off the app on one PC does not change your account or any subscription. Microsoft handles cancellation separately through your Microsoft account.

Do I need to uninstall OneDrive to stop it syncing?

No. Unlinking the PC stops all syncing and leaves the app in place in case you want it later. Uninstalling is only needed if you want the app gone as well.

Next Step

If you only need a break from syncing, pause OneDrive and let it resume by itself. If you are done with OneDrive on this PC, download your online-only files, stop folder backup, unlink the PC, and then turn off OneDrive in Startup apps so it stays closed.