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How can I unpin one drive folders from my file explorer quick access

Anonymous
2023-06-30T15:42:00+00:00

I have been working to keep local files local, and one drive files on one drive, I don't want all my files on one drive. Frankly, I find it stupid that windows tries to save my desktop to one drive by default now. My frustration aside, I am trying to get one drive folders unpinned from my quick access side bar in file explorer so I can save most of what I do locally. I have my local libraries set up under my user folder, and they are pinned to the quick access, but every time I try to reorganize them, and put my local folders above my one drive folders, or better yet unpin my one drive folders all-together they keep reappearing, or not unpinning right at the top. It feels like microsoft is shoving one drive down my throat, in a way that is completely contrary to what they should be doing if they want to make their customers happy, and I am very quickly getting tired of it.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. EmilyS726 232.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2023-06-30T17:28:09+00:00

    Got it. Now, unpin that folder. then go back to OneDrive Settings > Accounts tab, click on "choose folder". Uncheck the document folder for example, and see if that helps.

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-06-30T16:54:53+00:00

    Top one: "C:\Users\means\OneDrive\Documents"

    bottom one: "C:\Users\means\Documents"

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  2. EmilyS726 232.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2023-06-30T16:43:22+00:00

    I see what you meant now. Thank you for adding the screenshot.

    Can you do the "copy as path" for both documents folders, and then compare both paths, I would like to know if they are the same, or if one leads to OneDrive path and the other is a local path. Thank you!

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-06-30T16:33:20+00:00

    I checked, and verified that my backup is turned off.

    My quick access looks like this:

    The top Documents and Pictures takes me to my one drive, and the bottom ones takes me to my users folder. But every time I try to remove them/unpin them, they keep showing up, and I can't move them lower than any of my local folders

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  4. EmilyS726 232.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2023-06-30T16:19:40+00:00

    Hello, this is Emily.

    The OneDrive folder will re-appear if it is used. I wonder if your folders, such as Desktop, Documents, Photos, are still currently nested under OneDrive folder? You can right click on your documents folder for example, then select "copy as path", then paste it to a notepad or feel free to paste here in a reply, that way you can see what the folder path looks like. If it is nested under OneDrive folder, then when you open the Documents folder, it is treated as you visited your OneDrive folder.

    To address this issue, you will need to click on the OneDrive logo on the lower right on your tskbar, then click on Settings. Go to the Backup tab, click on "Manage backup" button. Then turn off the backup for all three folders. Restart the computer. Exam the folder path again, they should be back to this path: C:\users\your username folder.

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