Is this the correct way to stop ONE DRIVE from syncing my Desktop?

Question

I made the fatal error of turning on One Drive. I only wanted it to sync my Documents. However, it synced my Desktop and everything else. If you go to the manage folders in One Drive settings, both the Documents and Desktop are greyed out. You can not uncheck them.

If i unlink my computer from One Drive then all my Desk top icons disappear and only a shortcut icon to One drive appears. I don't want that. I read the following information and want to confirm if this is true or not. If I follow the instructions below will I have all of my original Desktop icons back just as if One Drive never got is hands on it?

INFORMATION IS FROM 2022: “OneDrive doesn't die easily. What has worked for me is to right-click on one of the icons with the cloud images next to it and select to "Manage OneDrive", or something to that effect. Then you'll be able to disable OneDrive from Desktop/Documents/Pictures. Right-click on OneDrive (the taskbar icon) and stop it. Then remove OneDrive from Startup in Task Manager. After a reboot you should be good to go, with all the OneDrive folders being changed to local folders.”

Answer 1

Even if you have right click and choose "always keep on this device", it still won't turn and download?

Answer 2

I never had it checked for files on Demand. It has always been checked "download all files". My one drive cloud icon indicates everything is up to date yet I've never gotten the full green circle with a check mark. Only a Green circle with a green check mark.

Answer 3

Yes, that's the goal. To get them back to local files, and then get the folders back to local path.

As long as you don't enable Backup from Windows Settings, OneDrive shouldn't come back.

Answer 4

If I follow your steps will all of my original files be back on my local drive where they were before? Just as if One Drive never entered my life?

Answer 5

Hello,

The instruction you referenced is not thorough and a bit vague.

In order for us to sort all of these out, it is necessary (just for now) to get OneDrive desktop app back up and running.

Once you have the OneDrive app up and running again, please follow these steps closely:

1. Right click on the OneDrive cloud icon on the lower right on your taskbar to go to Settings.
2. On the "Sync and Backup" tab, click on "Advanced Settings" to expand that section. Then under File On-Demand, click on "Download all files".
3. Give it plenty of time to allow the files to be downloaded from the online cloud. On your computer's file explorer, you can observe the OneDrive folder and its folders/files inside. You want all of the green checkmark icon to turn solid green with a white checkmark. Depends on how many files you have, this process can take a while, so please be patient.
4. Once all of the folders and files turn into the solid green icon with white checkmark, you can go back to OneDrive Settings. Very important - click on "Manage Backup" button, then turn off all folders listed there.
5. After you turn off the folders sync in Step 4, now go to Account tab, click on "Unlink this PC"
6. Go to your Windows Settings > Apps, find OneDrive and uninstall it.