disable onedrive on windows 11

Is OneDrive not your cup of tea anymore? Or, tired of facing syncing issues with it? Here is how to disable OneDrive on Windows 11 PC.

Out of the multitude of cloud storage services out there, Microsoft’s OneDrive may seem unnecessary. And, if you already have a reliable cloud storage service, then it’s pointless to leave the OneDrive enabled on your PC. Just turn off or remove it so that you will no longer need to worry about the file syncing problems that might arise this way. Besides that, by disabling the said artifact, you can slightly improve your system performance as well.

1. Uninstall OneDrive on Windows 11 Normally [Home Users]

This one is the most basic way of uninstalling OneDrive on your computer. And, this method is best suited for Windows 11 Home users only. Pro and Enterprise users follow the group policy editor method. To do this generally on the Home version, use these steps.

  1. First off, Open PC Settings. (use shortcut Windows key + i)
  2. Then go to Apps > Apps & features or simply click here: [Open Apps & features]. Scroll down to see App list. Now, again scroll down in the list to find “Microsoft OneDrive.” Click on the three dots and then choose Uninstall.

Windows will uninstall it right away, and the OneDrive icon will disappear from the taskbar.

If you ever change your mind and want to reinstall it, you can use the setup file of OneDrive. Go to C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ and double-click on OneDriveSetup.exe.

2. Deactivate OneDrive Using Group Policy Editor [Pro & Enterprise Users]

This method is for Pro and Enterprise users, and here it uses the Windows Local Group Policy Editor to disable and hide OneDrive. Follow these below steps to do so.

  1. Open the Run dialog (Windows key + R), type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
  2. On the left pane of the windows, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive. Double-click on the policy settings that say “Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage,” and change the configuration to “Enabled” and click “OK.”

It will not only disable OneDrive integration on your PC, but also remove the OneDrive folder from the File Explorer.

3. Disable OneDrive on Windows 11 Via Settings

By this method we are going to unlink OneDrive from our PC so that it’ll no longer backup your data to the cloud storage. Note that this will only deactivate the service and not uninstall the OneDrive app. To disable it, use these steps:

  1. Right-click on the OneDrive icon in the taskbar.
  2. From the context menu appears, choose Settings.
  3. In the pop-up window, go to the Account tab and click Unlink this PC.
  4. In the next window you need to confirm unlinking OneDrive by clicking Unlink account button.
  5. Now, another window will pop up and that require to you to enter your email address to complete the disabling process.

This process won’t hides OneDrive icon (blue OneDrive cloud icon) from taskbar and file explorer. If you need to sync your PC later, enter your email and sign in.

4. Uninstall OneDrive on Windows 11 Using Command Prompt

Uninstalling the OneDrive cam also be done using command prompt in Windows. You just need to issue a couple of commands for this.

  1. First, open Command Prompt. For this, press Windows key + R to open run dialog and type cmd.
  2. When command prompt window opens up, issue the following commands one by one.
    • taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe
    • %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall

If prompted to confirm the uninstall, just click OK.

There you go! It’s that simple. You have successfully uninstalled the OneDrive application from your Windows 11 PC. And again, if want to reinstall it, you can use the setup file of OneDrive. Go to C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ and double-click on OneDriveSetup.exe.

5. Remove OneDrive on Windows 11 Using Registry Hack

Here comes a bit advanced technique for disabling OneDrive. It requires minor Windows Registry modification from our side. So let’s move onto that.

  1. First off, open the Run dialog and type regedit, press Enter.
  2. Inside the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following directory. For this, just paste the following path and press Enter.
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive
  3. Here you can see a DWORD named DisableFileSyncNGSC. Double-click on it and change the value data from 0 to 1. Click OK.

Now, close the Registry Editor and reboot your system to take the effect.

How to Pause or Stop OneDrive from Syncing on Windows 11

If you don’t need to completely uninstall or disable the OneDrive on your Windows 11 system, and just need it to temporarily pause OneDrive for a while, use these steps.

  1. Right-click on the OneDrive icon available at the taskbar.
  2. Click Pause syncing and choose your preferred time from the drop-down. That’s it.

How Do I Disable OneDrive For a Specific Folder?

Well, you already learned how to disable OneDrive on Windows 11. But in some scenarios you wouldn’t require to disable the OneDrive integration completely. Excluding a specific folder only would be enough. In this case, use these steps.
  1. First of all right-click on the OneDrive icon in the taskbar and click OneDrive Settings.
  2. Now in the new window, go to the Account tab and click on Choose folders button.
  3. In the next window, uncheck the folders that you don’t want to sync anymore. Then Click OK.

OneDrive Syncing Put to an End

Now that you have learned multiple ways to block OneDrive on Windows 11 and the annoyances caused by it. If you don’t want the OneDrive service during a particular period or want to get rid of it for a while, your better bet will be pausing the OneDrive from syncing with your PC rather than completely disabling it.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I turn off OneDrive in Windows 11?

Yes, you can. Use any one of the above explained methods to turn off OneDrive cloud service integration on Windows 11.

What happens if I disable OneDrive?

OneDrive will unlink your PC from syncing and your files will not go to the cloud storage.

Is it OK to disable OneDrive?

Yes, it’s perfectly OK to disable OneDrive if you don’t want to save your files on a cloud storage. No issues.

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Vishnu is the founder and fountainhead of Makmodo and hails from God's Own Country - Kerala. He has been an ardent tech geek obsessed with technology since he got his first gadget a decade ago. He loves using his technical expertise to write informative and useful content to help people. Besides the techy stuff, he enjoys listening to music, reading books, and playing cricket. Occasionally, you can see him taking candid photographs or nurturing hanging orchids in his front yard.

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