One Cloud files

Question

I do not want to buy a One Cloud subscription. I am a disabled senior who cannot afford the monthly subscription cost. How do I return my files from One Cloud to my local PC hard drive. I was gifted the PC and an external 2 terabyte hard drive to backup my data.

I still use a older financial software to manage my bills and I feel as if I’ve been mislead after learning that all of my data is in One Cloud not just the backups.

please advise with detailed instructions.

Thank you for your support. I do realize the One Cloud feature maybe a plus for those that can afford it by sadly I AM NOT THAT PERSON!

Terry Sellman

******@yahoo.com

Answer 1

OneDrive, if you have that enabled will sync your files in the Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders.

1

Log into OneDrive with your Microsoft account https://onedrive.live.com/ then check what files are synced to the cloud, and if necessary, download them to your PC to ensure you have a local copy of your files.

2

Open OneDrive settings from its cloud icon on your Taskbar, then remove the folders that are listed as syncing to the cloud.

3

Restart (not shut down) your PC to apply the change, then in OneDrive settings, un-sync your account from OneDrive and finally, in the Settings App - Installed Apps, uninstall the OneDrive app.

Answer 2

To move files from OneDrive (often called “One Cloud”) back to the local PC and use the external hard drive instead, follow these steps in order.

1. Download files from OneDrive to the PC
   1. Open a web browser and go to the OneDrive website: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=251869.
   2. Sign in with the same Microsoft account used on the PC.
   3. In OneDrive, select the folders and files that need to be moved back (for example, Documents, Pictures, Desktop, or any folders used by the financial software).
   4. Select Download. The files will be downloaded as a .zip file or as individual files, depending on what is selected.
   5. When the download finishes, open File Explorer on the PC and go to the Downloads folder.
   6. If a .zip file was downloaded, right‑click it and select Extract All, then choose a folder on the PC (for example, C:\MyFilesLocal) and complete the extraction.
2. Copy files from the PC to the external hard drive
   1. Connect the 2 TB external hard drive to the PC.
   2. In File Explorer, find the folder where the extracted/downloaded files were placed (for example, C:\MyFilesLocal).
   3. In another File Explorer window, open the external hard drive (it will appear as a separate drive, such as E: or F:).
   4. Drag the folders and files from C:\MyFilesLocal to the external drive window to copy them.
   5. Wait for the copy to complete. This creates a backup that does not depend on OneDrive.
3. Stop syncing and remove OneDrive from the PC (so new files stay local)
   1. On the taskbar (bottom right), select the OneDrive cloud icon.
   2. Select the gear icon, then Settings or Preferences.
   3. Go to the Account tab.
   4. Select Unlink this PC. This stops the PC from syncing files to OneDrive.
   5. After unlinking, files already on the PC stay there. New files will no longer be uploaded to OneDrive.
4. (Optional) Uninstall OneDrive from Windows 10/11 If OneDrive should not be used at all:
   1. Open Settings in Windows (for example, press Windows key + I).
   2. Go to Apps.
   3. Scroll down to Microsoft OneDrive.
   4. Select it and choose Uninstall.
   5. Confirm the uninstall.
   Removing OneDrive from the computer does not delete files already stored locally. Files in the cloud remain accessible by signing in to the OneDrive website if needed later.
5. Keep storage under the free OneDrive limit (so the account is not at risk) If OneDrive storage is nearly full and no subscription is desired:
   1. Sign in to OneDrive on the web.
   2. Delete files that are no longer needed in the cloud (after confirming they are safely stored on the PC and external drive).
   3. Open the Recycle bin in OneDrive and empty it to free space.
   This helps stay under the free storage quota so the account is not blocked. If the quota is exceeded for a long time, files may eventually be deleted and become non‑recoverable.
6. Use the financial software with local files only
   1. In the financial software, open the data file from a folder on the PC (for example, C:\MyFilesLocal\Finance), not from a OneDrive folder.
   2. If the software was previously opening files from a OneDrive path (such as a Documents folder that was synced), point it to the new local folder.
   3. Periodically copy or back up the financial data file from the PC folder to the external hard drive.

These steps move files off OneDrive, store them on the local PC and external drive, and stop OneDrive from automatically backing up or syncing new files.

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References:

• Move your files to a new Windows PC
• Move files off a Windows 7 PC with OneDrive
• My OneDrive says it's full
• How to cancel or stop sync in OneDrive