delete one drive files

Question

how do i delete all the files and foldersd in my onedrive in the cloud

Answer 1

Hi,

If your goal is to delete all files and folders stored in OneDrive online, I would recommend first stopping OneDrive from syncing with your computer and then removing the files through the OneDrive website. This approach helps prevent any unintended synchronization issues during the deletion process.

Before proceeding, please keep in mind that deleting files from OneDrive can permanently remove them, especially after the Recycle Bin is emptied. In addition, if any of the files or folders are shared with other people, they will no longer be accessible once deleted. According to Microsoft, items removed from the OneDrive Recycle Bin cannot be recovered.

1/ Stop OneDrive sync:

To avoid files syncing back or being removed from your device unexpectedly, it is best to unlink OneDrive from your PC first:

• Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar.
• Select Settings.
• Open the Account tab.
• Click Unlink this PC.

2/ Delete files from OneDrive Online:

Once syncing has been stopped, you can delete the files directly from OneDrive on the web:

• Sign in to OneDrive on the web.
• Open My files.
• Select the checkbox at the top of the file list to select all items.
  
• If necessary, deselect any files or folders you want to keep, such as shared folders or items stored in your Personal Vault.
  
• Click Delete from the menu at the top of the page.

3/ Permanently remove the files:

If you would like the files to be permanently deleted:

• Open the Recycle Bin in OneDrive online.
• Select Empty Recycle Bin.
• Confirm by clicking Yes.

As an additional note, if OneDrive remains connected to any computer during this process, files may continue to sync, which could result in files being deleted locally or reappearing in OneDrive. For that reason, unlinking the PC before deleting the files is strongly recommended.

I hope this information helps. If you have any questions or encounter any issues while following these steps, please feel free to reply with an update, and I'll be happy to assist further.

Kind regards,

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Answer 2

To delete everything from OneDrive in the cloud:

1. If OneDrive is syncing to a PC or Mac, first stop sync so the files do not come back.
   • Windows: Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar > Settings > Accounts > Unlink this PC.
   • Mac: Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar > Settings > under Account, select Unlink this Mac.
2. Sign in to onedrive.com and open My Files.
3. Select the checkbox at the top of the file list to select all items.
4. If shown, uncheck shared folders and Personal Vault.
5. Select Delete from the top bar.
6. Open the OneDrive Recycle bin and select Empty Recycle bin to permanently remove the files.

Notes:

• Deleting files online keeps them deleted.
• If many files are deleted at once, OneDrive may ask to confirm the deletion.
• After deleting files and emptying the recycle bin, storage availability may take a short time to update.
• If a file or folder cannot be deleted on the web, permissions may be preventing deletion.
• In OneDrive for work or school, if retention is enabled by the admin, a folder must be emptied before it can be deleted.

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References:

• Permanently delete your entire OneDrive
• Delete files or folders in OneDrive
• What happens when you delete files in the cloud