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I can't stop OneDrive from uploading my files

Anonymous
2024-07-17T17:28:28+00:00

I just got a new laptop with windows 11 and I can't stop OneDrive from uploading my files to the cloud.

I have "save videos and photos from device" and "save screenshots" turned off under Sync and Back-up. When I go to "manage back-up", it does not give me the options to deselect the folders. All I can do is unlink my computer.

This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. How do I use One Drive as a voluntary storage service?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Recovery and backup

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-07-17T19:05:42+00:00

    I sincerely thank you for your help, but I have deleted OneDrive. I will recover my work files from physical back-ups and will be looking for alternatives to Microsoft and its products because it clearly can't be trusted to function with the customer's best interests in mind. I hope terrible things happen to the people who directed this idiotic bit of programming because this is the stupidest thing I've personally ever encountered in all my years of using electricity.

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  2. EmilyS726 225.9K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2024-07-17T19:08:13+00:00

    You are welcome. Sorry I didn't realize you have gone as far as deleting OneDrive.

    I am glad to hear you have backup.

    To double and triple check, can you please type regedit in the search on the taskbar to launch registry editor, and go to this path, then take a screenshot and share in your reply.

    Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

    I want to make sure OneDrive is completely out of the picture, as some remnant association can still cause file sync.

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  3. EmilyS726 225.9K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2024-07-17T18:48:08+00:00

    Do you mind turning on the backup again, and verify if the files then show up?

    Please do not do any additional operation after that. I need to confirm if the files show up first.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-07-17T18:39:10+00:00

    Well, now I've got a very significant problem. It turns out the reason those toggles were inaccessible to me was because they needed to finish scanning the files, first, and I wasn't giving them time to complete their scanning because I was desperately trying to stop OneDrive from uploading my work files, which can incur legal consequences if they leave my care.

    I waited for them to stop scanning, the toggles became accessible, and I turned them off... but OneDrive kept uploading my files. I unlinked this computer from OneDrive and have just discovered I have no files on this computer, only a link to One Drive in all my folders. They are also not in my OneDrive because the files are 143GB and only a few megabytes of data uploaded.

    Are my files just gone?

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  5. EmilyS726 225.9K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2024-07-17T18:01:00+00:00

    Hello, this is Emily.

    The textbook standard method is to turn off folders in OneDrive Settings > Manage Backup tab.

    Something seems a bit off here and I would like to find out more so we can figure out how to fix it.

    Do you mind sharing with me a screenshot of this page:

    OneDrive Settings > Sync & Backup tab > Manage Backup.

    Thanks!!

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