Turn off automatic saving to One Cloud

Question

I want to save documents, scans, etc. on my hard drive. I do not want everything save to one cloud. How do I turn this feature off?

Answer 1

To keep files on the hard drive and stop automatic saving/syncing to OneDrive, adjust both OneDrive and Office/AutoSave settings.

1. Stop OneDrive folder backup (Desktop/Documents/Pictures)
   1. Open the OneDrive app on Windows.
   2. Go to Help & Settings > Settings.
   3. In Manage backup, turn off the toggles for the folders (for example, Desktop, Documents, Pictures) that are being backed up.
      • After this, new files added to those folders on the PC will no longer be backed up to OneDrive.
2. Unlink OneDrive from the PC (stops sync completely)
   1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
   2. Select the Help & Settings icon, then Settings.
   3. Go to the Account tab.
   4. Select Unlink this PC, then Unlink account.
   • Files already in OneDrive stay in the cloud, but no longer sync with the computer. Local files saved to the hard drive stay local.
3. Turn off AutoSave in Word/Excel/PowerPoint so files don’t auto-save to OneDrive/SharePoint
   • For each Office app (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) on Windows:
     1. Open the app.
     2. Go to File > Options > Save.
     3. Clear the checkbox AutoSave OneDrive and SharePoint Online files by default on <application>.
     4. Restart the app.
   • This stops new cloud files from being automatically saved while working. Use File > Save As and choose a folder on This PC (for example, C:\Users\<name>\Documents) to keep files only on the hard drive.
4. Turn off AutoSave for an individual document
   • Open the document and switch the AutoSave toggle at the top left to Off. The app remembers this per file.
5. Using keyboard with Word (screen reader scenario)
   • To turn off AutoSave for a document saved to OneDrive/SharePoint: press Alt+1.
   • To save to a local folder instead of OneDrive/SharePoint, use File > Save As and choose a local drive/folder.

After these changes, save new documents and scans directly to local folders (such as Documents on the C: drive) instead of any OneDrive locations.

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References:

• Back up your folders with OneDrive
• Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive
• What is AutoSave?
• Use a screen reader to save a document in Word
• How to globally turn off autosave for all documents? - Microsoft Q&A
• how to auto save in c drive - Microsoft Q&A
• OneDrive "Finish Back Up" message in OneDrive Menu will not go away - Microsoft Q&A

Answer 2

Hello, I'm Quinn and here to help!

The previous answer is already helpful. Just to add, even after unlinking OneDrive, it is still recommended to disable it in Startup apps to prevent background reactivation when your PC boots.

To unlink OneDrive from your PC:

1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area (bottom-right).
2. Click the Gear Icon (Settings) on top-right.
3. On the left, click Account
4. Below your profile, select Unlink this PC, then confirm by selecting Unlink account.

Then disable it from Startup to prevent it from reactivating:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Task Manager).
2. Go to Startup apps.
3. Find Microsoft OneDrive, right click it, and select Disable.