how to stop Onedrive automatic syncing and disable/disconnect it but keep all my local folders/files

Thank you but it appears you didn't read my question. Doing what you suggest would create even more problems for me: If I unlink the PC, then the Onedrive folder will no longer appear in File Explorer, which means I can't do #3 and #4 in my question. Also, I don't know what this unlinking would do to those files that Onedrive automatically synced (again, an unwanted behavior) to the cloud; but, I need to make sure those files are local on my PC and no longer in Onedrive - there are thousands of files in dozens of folders which I did not and do not want on Onedrive but do want locally on my computer. As stated in #2 in my question.

If you are able to respond comprehensively to all of these issues, that would be great. I would be happy to explain further if something is unclear.

Also, as mentioned, I want to prevent Onedrive from ever reenabling its automatic syncing/backing up by itself.

Thanks.

Greetings! My name is Arif, and I will assist you today.

I hope I understand your concern correctly. To disconnect OneDrive cloud storage, you can unlink your account from OneDrive by following these steps:

• Click on the OneDrive icon > Settings icon > Settings > Account > Unlink this PC. If any of your files are missing from your computer, make sure to check OneDrive via the web browser.

In the future, if you want to set up OneDrive again with auto synchronization, follow these steps:

• On your computer, click the search icon and search for OneDrive. Enter your login details and follow the steps to set up OneDrive on your computer and select the folders that need to be auto-synced.

Warm Regards,

Arif

Thanks for your comment, and sorry you also had to experience this Microsoft-created debacle. I agree, the only solution seems to be to stop using Onedrive completely, unlink it, disable it, remove it from your startup programs. And thus it essentially becomes completely worthless. Not a great outcome for Microsoft, which obviously wants people to use and rely on Onedrive...but instead they do things that are so user-unfriendly that they cause people to abandon the product they are pushing so hard. I won't say "idiots", but they ought to spend a minute thinking about this.

So, yes Google drive or other solutions are much, much better. However, the problem remains. As long as Microsoft insists on stealth-downloading and/or enabling Onedrive as part of something else (e.g. a Windows update) - as you experienced - we are at risk of a repeat of the same disastrous undesired hijacking of our local folders/files. I haven't seen anyone address how to bulletproof against this. If anyone can offer a solution or best practices, I'm sure there would be hundreds of thousands of grateful users. Thoughts anyone?

Something similar happened to me very recently. I didn’t even realized a sync had happened until I got an email about being over data limit, because OneDrive is not logged in or syncing on my pc, but I guess that an excel file I tried to open auto-downloaded Office Trio which apparently auto-downloads your whole desktop and doctument folders into OneDrive. Very uncool. My desktop basically exploded into a series of file icons….which is wild since I keep under ten icons on my desktop. Since my OneDrive was at this point still NOT LOGGED IN on my PC, I had to log in, unlink my PC, then delete things from OneDrive via the web browser. I’m pretty certain I lost older files within my documents folder, but seemingly none of my more important ones from the past 4 years that live on my desktop. But when I say the random magical sync messed up my desktop initially in a big scary way, I am talking literal whole folder icons changed and took a while to reset after unlinking. Honestly, it’s been a nightmare to navigate and it sounds like your experience too. I hear you on #3 & #4 but frankly, my best advice for that is to switch to Google Drive which allows you to selectively upload what you want to the cloud, without it being related at all to how the file is stored on your local computer drive. There’s simply not the same issue with it hijacking your sync and rewriting your local formatting, the problem OneDrive seems to plague it’s users with. Sorry my best solution is to change cloud storage service all together.

Thank you for your additional message. Based on your response, it seems I am not communicating clearly, so let me try again: First, there are thousands of files that Onedrive backed up/synced that I do not want on Onedrive. You've told me to copy files from Onedrive to my PC, but that still leaves them in Onedrive. So, how do I address this?

Second, please reread my original points #3 and #4. If I unlink my PC from Onedrive, the Onedrive folders will disappear from File Explorer (correct?), so how can I still do #3 and #4? It is very important that in attempting solutions, we don't do something that has negative consequences and prevents me from doing the things I've said I need to accomplish. So please before making a recommendation (like unlinking my PC) carefully consider whether it really is appropriate given what I've requested.

Third, as stated, I want to ensure that Onedrive is prevented from resuming its automatic syncing behavior ever again. I don't know how the automatic syncing started in the first place because I didn't do anything to make it happen (and I'm the only user) so it must have been Microsoft initiated and if they can do it once, they may be able to do it again, which I most definitely want to prevent. Can you address this?

Thanks for your help.