synched computers and cloud issues

Question

I set up a second computer on my Microsoft account. The system began downloading all the information from my old computer to the new computer without my permission. I removed the second computer from the listing on my account. However, the second computer continues to be active and if I delete something from the second computer it also is deleted from my first computer. How do I unsynch these computers so I can remove all the information from the second computer without affecting the original? Also, how can I stop having information I specifically instruct to be placed on my own PC from being uploaded into the cloud? One day I found that all my stuff had been uploaded into the cloud without my permission

Answer 1

Hello

Please do this on both computers.

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.

Restart the computer after that. This should stop both computers from syncing.

Answer 2

To stop the two PCs from affecting each other and to prevent files from being uploaded to the cloud, OneDrive sync must be disconnected or limited on the second PC (and adjusted on the first if needed).

1. Unlink OneDrive on the second PC This breaks sync so deleting files on that PC will no longer delete them from the first PC or from OneDrive in the cloud.

On the second PC:

1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area (system tray) to open the OneDrive pop‑up.
2. Select the OneDrive Help & Settings icon, then choose Settings.
3. Go to the Account tab.
4. Select Unlink this PC, then Unlink account.
   • After this, the OneDrive folder on that PC stops syncing. Files already in the local OneDrive folder may remain on disk, but changes will no longer propagate to the cloud or the other PC.

If sign‑in data needs to be fully cleared on that PC:

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Enter %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\settings and select OK.
3. Delete the PreSignInSettingsConfig.json file.
4. Control which folders sync (if keeping OneDrive but limiting it) If OneDrive should remain signed in but only certain folders should sync locally:

• Use Choose which folders to sync to your computer (from OneDrive settings) to unselect folders that should not appear or sync on that PC. When folders are un‑synced, they are removed from File Explorer on that PC but remain in the cloud and on other devices.

Note: When folders are un‑synced, the files are removed from File Explorer on that computer only; they remain available in OneDrive on the web or in other synced locations.

3. Prevent files saved on the PC from going to the cloud To keep new files local only:

• Save files into folders that are not inside the OneDrive folder (for example, C:\Users\<name>\Documents if that path is not redirected to OneDrive).
• If OneDrive had been set to back up Desktop/Documents/Pictures, turn off those backup options in OneDrive settings, then move files out of the OneDrive‑managed folders into purely local folders.

4. If needed, re‑link OneDrive correctly later If OneDrive needs to be set up again on any PC after unlinking:
5. Start OneDrive and sign in when prompted.
6. When asked about an existing OneDrive folder, choose Use this folder (or Choose new folder to move it).
7. After initial sync, use Choose which folders to sync to your PC so only desired content is synced.

Once OneDrive is unlinked on the second PC and folders are adjusted, files can be deleted from that PC without affecting the original PC or the cloud copy.

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References:

• Unlink and re-link OneDrive
• Work with synced files in File Explorer