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Teams and OneDrive Keep Reinstalling after Windows Update

fishb 0 Reputation points
2026-04-22T11:12:06.3233333+00:00

I write code for a living. My documents folder is filled hundreds of thousands of file, .c, .o, .d etc. When I go into windows and uninstall teams and one drive, I don't expect them to reinstall after a windows update, and to then start downloading the contents of my hard-drive onto Microsoft's servers. Not only that but the software is so terrible, that because of the sheer file count I have, my PC then has a full spaz out and I am stuck trying to remove a piece of software from my machine that locks the machine that I never wanted on my machine and have had to repeat this process over and over and over and over again.

I get the govt have given you permission to start scanning the contents of peoples hard drive under the condition the data is stored 'in the cloud', which is why these systems are setup to default to download the personal contents of someone's hard drive onto a server, so you can check for naughty material.

However, this is my work machine where your terrible software is causing a significant financial impact to my business by locking me out of my own hardware by smashing the CPU as you try build you File allocation tables for a few hundred thousand files. It should not be complicated to check my personal settings prior to an update, so you don't install software I have expressly told you not to download. Hell, I am able to do it when I start a boatload of my own software and firmware and I am not one of the top 5 biggest tech companies on the planet...

...I think its time to accept windows is a dead platform for developers and move to linux. Will you ever fix this? (Ive seen the same question posted year after year)

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | Windows
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  1. Kai-H 18,005 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-23T09:34:05.3466667+00:00

    Hi, fishb

    Sorry for this frustration. After updates, the app or taskbar entry can come back, but you can still stop the actual syncing and folder redirection locally on the PC.

    Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try:

    First, open OneDrive > Settings > Sync and backup > Manage backup and turn off Desktop, Documents, and Pictures. If prompted, choose Keep the files only on my PC so those folders go back to staying local instead of being pushed into OneDrive.

    Then go to OneDrive > Account > Unlink this PC. Microsoft says unlinking stops sync on that computer without deleting your files, which is usually the cleanest fix for personal users who simply do not want cloud sync on that machine.

    If you use Windows Pro, you can take it a step further with the local OneDrive policy“Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage.” This sets DisableFileSyncNGSC, which stops OneDrive from starting.

    For Teams, on Windows 11 the default Chat/Teams app is the personal-account version pinned to the taskbar by default. If that is the one you keep seeing, uninstall Microsoft Teams from Settings > Apps, and if Teams Machine-Wide Installer is also listed, remove that too.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-04-22T11:12:31.27+00:00

    Teams and OneDrive are included components of Microsoft 365 and Windows and can be reinstalled or re-enabled by cumulative or feature updates, especially when those updates refresh or repair the Microsoft 365/Office installation. When OneDrive is present and signed in, it will by design attempt to sync known folders (like Documents) unless that behavior is explicitly disabled in its configuration or via policy.

    From the provided context, the following supported mitigations exist:

    1. Uninstall OneDrive from Windows
      On Windows 10/11, OneDrive can be removed via Apps & features:
      1. Select Start, type Programs, then choose Add or remove programs.
      2. Under Apps & features, select Microsoft OneDrive and choose Uninstall.
        This removes the desktop sync client from the machine; files already in OneDrive remain in the cloud and can still be accessed via OneDrive.com.
    2. Reinstall/repair scenarios and OneDrive
      If OneDrive for work or school was installed as part of Office (Click-to-Run), Office repair or reinstall operations can also reinstall or repair the OneDrive sync app. The documented pattern is:
      • To remove the sync app that came with Office Click-to-Run, uninstall Office using the documented Office uninstall steps, then reinstall Office if needed without re-adding the legacy sync client.
      • If the sync app was installed via MSI, it can be removed via Programs and Features and reinstalled only if explicitly downloaded again.
    3. Known behavior with Office upgrades
      There is a documented issue where upgrading Office (for example, from Office 2013 to Office 2016) affects the OneDrive for work or school sync client (groove.exe). In that scenario, OneDrive components can be removed or changed as part of the Office upgrade. The article notes this as a known issue and indicates that workarounds depend on how Office and the sync client were originally installed.
    4. Support lifecycle and platform choice
      OneDrive sync behavior and support are tied to the Windows and Office support lifecycle. For example, the consumer OneDrive sync app is no longer supported on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, and users are advised to move to Windows 10 or 11 or use the web interface instead. This reflects Microsoft’s focus on newer platforms and cloud integration, but does not change that OneDrive can be uninstalled on supported Windows versions as described above.

    The context does not provide a registry-based or policy-based method to permanently block Teams or OneDrive from being reinstalled by Windows Update, nor does it describe a supported way to prevent OneDrive from ever being offered or re-added by future Office/Windows servicing. It only documents how to uninstall the OneDrive sync client, how it can be reinstalled, and some known issues around Office upgrades and support boundaries.

    References:

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