How do I uninstall OneDrive while also have all my files from the PC, back to where they were supposed to be?

Hi Oskar,

Welcome to the Microsoft community.

To turn OFF OneDrive syncing go to the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar > Settings > "Sync and backup" or Backup > Manage backup. When you are there turn off the sync of all your folders. That will move the system folders back to where they came from. If any files remain in the OneDrive folder you can manually move them back. Then you can uninstall the OneDrive app if you wish.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you need further assistance.

• Craig

Hi Oskar,

Welcome to the Microsoft community.

To turn OFF OneDrive syncing go to the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar > Settings > "Sync and backup" or Backup > Manage backup. When you are there turn off the sync of all your folders. That will move the system folders back to where they came from. If any files remain in the OneDrive folder you can manually move them back. Then you can uninstall the OneDrive app if you wish.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you need further assistance.

• Craig

I've been able to turn that off, however there is a problem that yet lingers. Many of these synced programs, games, pictures have not all been successful by OneDrive, during its rundown of synchronizing my things. Many of these programs have made it impossible to transfer from OneDrive to their original spot again. Such errors consists of "being already in another program", or "An unexpected error is keeping you from moving this folder".

The status of these consists of the red cross (the file or folder could not be synced), and the blue cloud icon. These have made a lot of errors to this progress of returning apps and programs. Some of those I successfully got over to the other side, had OneDrive forcefully copied with the status "Processing changes" icon. I could not delete these copies within OneDrive, without having them affect those I pulled/transferred over to their original folder.

Changes usually lag my entire taskbar, refreshes the taskbar, keeps me on a long loading of the programs, to load something that is unknown. Restarting the computer usually fix these loadings, but gets me nowhere. Those files vary from nothing at all (simple document), to a load of pictures and work I've made to have issues being transferred.

I'm afraid that unlinking and uninstalling the OneDrive will remove these files anyway.

No. No files are removed when unlinking and uninstalling OneDrive.

On my computer (windows 11) If I turn off the backup then the files and folder do not get restored into original location. All I get is a shortcut pointing back to the folder location in OneDrive folder.

You can manually move the Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Music, and Videos folders back to the default location at C:\Users\username. I assume you don't want to use OneDrive. So after turning off the backup at "Manage backup", move your folders out of OneDrive before unlinking and uninstalling OneDrive so that the corresponding files will be removed from the online OneDrive.

Do I have to manually copy all the folders that OneDrive moved before I realized it is turned on? How do I find out where was the original location of these files folders to ensure I don't miss copying anything?

You don't need to copy files. You can right-click the folders in OneDrive > Properties > Location tab > Move tab and move them back to the original location at C:\Users\username.

This appears to be a quite cumbersome process to stop using OneDrive, I wonder if it is by design.

Yes, it is difficult to avoid OneDrive. Microsoft wants you to purchase a Microsoft 365 subscription. And they don't make it easy if you don't.

You should always keep an external backup of all your files in case there is a problem with OneDrive.

On my computer (windows 11) If I turn off the backup then the files and folder do not get restored into original location. All I get is a shortcut pointing back to the folder location in OneDrive folder. So, I'm afraid that unlinking and uninstalling the OneDrive will remove these files anyway. Do I have to manually copy all the folders that OneDrive moved before I realized it is turned on? How do I find out where was the original location of these files folders to ensure I don't miss copying anything? This appears to be a quite cumbersome process to stop using OneDrive, I wonder if it is by design.

-BW

FIRST, MAKE SURE YOU LOG INTO ONEDRIVE.COM WITH THE SAME EMAIL YOU'LL USE ON YOUR PC AND SAVE ALL THE FOLDERS TO AN EXTERNAL DRIVE, LIKE A USB, OR A SECONDARY DRIVE IN YOUR COMPUTER SO YOU DON'T LOSE ANY DATA.

I know, it's like a virus you can't get rid of. I racked my brain for several days, trying to find a solution. After a LONG time I finally came up with this...

Windows 11

While trying to uninstall OneDrive I tried about forty links and about as many videos. All to no avail! There was so much junk - from modifying the Registry to running multiple scripts in Powershell - and Command Console - and walking through sometimes twenty steps in various windows functions and apps and on and on. It made me sick.

I did come up with a solution that INVOLVES RE-INSTALLING WINDOWS and it worked for ME!

1. I went to the website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11  a. I downloaded Windows 11 Installation Assistant and created Windows 11 Installation Media on a USB Drive
2. I reinstalled Windows 11 using this media a. I clicked the link on one of the dialogs - "Set up as new PC" - watch for it so you don't miss it
3. After the OS was fully installed I went to OneDrive.com and logged in with the Email that I used to install Windows a. Windows had set everything up and I had a working OneDrive.com instance in the cloud - (If you had installed Windows previously

   with this same Email this OneDrive.com instance would have already been there)

   b. Multiple directories and the Personal Vault folders were visible

4. I deleted every folder and disabled Personal Vault Folder (it can't be deleted but if you right-click it you can disable it)
5. I signed out of this instance of OneDrive.com
6. I went to my installation of Windows 11 and signed in to the OneDrive app using the same Email a. I clicked "Unlink this PC"

   b. I clicked "Choose folders" in the dialog that came up

   c. I was able to UNCHECK EVERY SINGLE FOLDER IN THE DIALOG!!!

7. I quickly exited from OneDrive and rebooted the computer :)
8. ALL TRACES OF ONEDRIVE WERE GONE!!! a. When I right-clicked my Documents folder it looked like this: (C:\Users[MyUserName]\Documents)

b. OneDrive was not in the string

9. Try it - you'll like it!