How To Disable OneDrive In Windows 11 – Easy Beginners Guide

Key Takeaways

• OneDrive is the built-in cloud application that comes with Windows 11.
• You can store your data on OneDrive, and it performs auto-syncing.
• If you don’t want to use the cloud service, you can pause syncing, disable or uninstall it.

OneDrive is undoubtedly one of the most preferred cloud-storage services, like Google Drive. Windows 11 has a built-in OneDrive, giving users ample storage space to save all their data. But many users find it unnecessary and look for ways to disable OneDrive in Windows 11. If your files are already stored on another cloud service, disabling or even uninstalling OneDrive is not a bad idea.

Also, OneDrive initiates when you start your PC and runs in the background, even if you don’t notice. But if you have a metered network connection or don’t want to lose your system resources to the online storage service, it is best to get rid of it. Even if you disable it, you can resume OneDrive usage anytime by enabling it again.

How To Disable OneDrive In Windows 11

When you decide to disable OneDrive in Windows 11, you can give a thought to pausing the syncing process for some time. Or, if you are certain you will never use the synchronization service, you can uninstall it. The article gives you all the options; you can decide what goes best with your needs.

How to Disable OneDrive Temporarily

Let us start with a temporary solution to disable OneDrive in Windows 11. The cloud service lets you pause syncing your files and folders for a specified time. You can choose the time after which backing up will resume. Here are the steps for the fastest solution to pause constant syncing.

Right-click on the cloud icon in the taskbar system tray. If it is not visible, search among the hidden icons. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner and select “Pause syncing” from the list of options.

Select the time for which you want to pause syncing. You may choose from 2 hours, 8 hours, and 24 hours. This way, you can pause and disable OneDrive in Windows 11.

After the specified time, it starts the background syncing process again.

How to Turn Off OneDrive Using Task Manager

Task Manager lists all the apps running on your computer, including the background apps. If OneDrive starts during the Windows startup, it might slow down your system. So, you can disable OneDrive in Windows 11 in the startup apps section of Task Manager. Follow the steps given below to prevent automatic startup of OneDrive.

Type “task manager” in the search bar and open the Task Manager. You can also right-click the Start menu and open Task Manager by selecting the option.

Select the Startup apps tab to view the list of startup apps. Next, locate OneDrive with a blue cloud icon. Right-click on it, and select “Disable.”

Now, OneDrive will not start when you start your PC.

How to Turn Off OneDrive Using Windows Settings

Now that you have learned how to disable OneDrive in Windows 11 startup apps from the Task Manager let us try to do it from the Settings app. You can make changes from the Startup page where the startup apps are listed. Let us see how.

Type “settings” in the search box and open the Settings app. Or, Press the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut.

Select “Apps” in the left navigation bar and “Startup” in the right.

In the column of startup programs, find Microsoft OneDrive and toggle off the button next to it.

Now, OneDrive will not initiate when your PC starts.

How to Stop OneDrive from Syncing with your PC

For some reason, you may not want the files on your PC to sync with OneDrive. There is an option to unlink your PC from the cloud storage service so that real-time backup of data does not happen. You will find the option in the OneDrive Settings menu. Let us see the steps now.

Select the OneDrive icon, click the Settings icon, and select “Settings.”

In the Settings window, select the Accounts tab in the left pane and click “Unlink this PC” under Account.

Click “Unlink account” in the confirmation dialog box. Once it is unlinked, the gray icon for OneDrive will have a line through it to indicate that you are not signed in. If you want to use the service again, you must sign in.

How to Turn OneDrive Off Using Group Policy Editor

The Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions users have the privilege of using the Group Policy Editor to tweak some settings. Windows administrators use the administrative tool to configure many network or computer settings. Unfortunately, the option is not accessible in the Home edition. Here, we will see how to disable OneDrive in Windows 11 via the Group Policy Editor window.

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “gpedit” and click “OK.”

Paste the following path in the address bar and press Enter.

Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsOneDrive

In the right pane, double-click the option “Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage.” Then, in the next window, select the “Enabled” radio button, click “Apply,” and then “OK” to disable OneDrive.

How to Disable OneDrive Using the Registry Editor

The Windows Registry Editor is a tool that lets you view the Registry to make changes. Before making any changes to the Registry, you must take a backup as a precaution. Now, we will see disabling OneDrive using the Registry Editor.

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command box. Type “regedit” in the Run window and click “OK.”

Paste the following path in the address bar and press Enter.

ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOneDrive

Double-click on the DisableFileSyncNGSC key. If the key is absent, right-click anywhere in the right panel and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Name the new key DisableFileSyncNGSC.

Double-click on DisableFileSyncNGSC and enter 1 in the Data Value field. Lastly, click OK.

Restart your PC to apply the changes.

How to Uninstall OneDrive via the Settings

If you don’t want to just disable OneDrive in Windows 11, you can opt for uninstalling it and removing it from File Explorer. That way, you will get rid of it permanently. There are many ways to uninstall the cloud-based service; the simplest is using Windows Settings. Find the steps for uninstallation here.

Use the search bar to search for and open Windows Settings. Select “Apps” in the left navigation pane and the Installed apps option on the right.

Locate Microsoft OneDrive and click the three-dot menu icon near it. Select the “Uninstall” option to remove OneDrive from your PC completely.

How to Uninstall OneDrive Using PowerShell

Secondly, we will use the command line tool PowerShell to uninstall OneDrive. The process is as simple as copying the correct command in the PowerShell window or Windows Terminal and executing it. So, here is how you do it.

Type “powershell” in the search box and open Windows PowerShell by selecting the Run as Administrator option.

Paste the following command in PowerShell and press Enter to execute it.

winget uninstall onedrive

A progress bar will indicate that the built-in cloud application is being removed. Press Y to agree to the source agreements terms and press Enter. You will get an uninstall successful message now.

How to Uninstall OneDrive Using the Command Prompt

If you prefer the Command Prompt over PowerShell, you can use it to uninstall OneDrive in Windows 11. The command is different from the one we used in PowerShell. Below are the steps.

Type “cmd” in the search box and open the Command Prompt by selecting Run as administrator.

Paste the following command in the Command Prompt window and press Enter to execute it.

taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe %SystemRoot%SysWOW64OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall

The above command uninstalls OneDrive from your system.

How to Uninstall OneDrive Using a Batch Script

The above methods are all easy to follow to disable OneDrive in Windows 11. Plus, not everyone will opt to run a batch script to uninstall OneDrive. But it is a good option to eliminate all remnants of the app completely. Let us see how we can do it.

Open a Notepad and copy the following code into it.

@echo off

cls

set x86="%SYSTEMROOT%System32OneDriveSetup.exe"

set x64="%SYSTEMROOT%SysWOW64OneDriveSetup.exe"

echo Closing OneDrive process.

echo.

taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe > NUL 2>&1

ping 127.0.0.1 -n 5 > NUL 2>&1

echo Uninstalling OneDrive.

echo.

if exist %x64% (

%x64% /uninstall

) else (

%x86% /uninstall

)

ping 127.0.0.1 -n 5 > NUL 2>&1

echo Removing OneDrive leftovers.

echo.

rd "%USERPROFILE%OneDrive" /Q /S > NUL 2>&1

rd "C:OneDriveTemp" /Q /S > NUL 2>&1

rd "%LOCALAPPDATA%MicrosoftOneDrive" /Q /S > NUL 2>&1

rd "%PROGRAMDATA%Microsoft OneDrive" /Q /S > NUL 2>&1

echo Removing OneDrive from the Explorer Side Panel.

echo.

REG DELETE "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}" /f > NUL 2>&1

REG DELETE "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTWow6432NodeCLSID{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}" /f > NUL 2>&1

pause

Click the “Save as” button under the File menu.

Choose a location to save the file, and give a filename with a .bat extension. Select “All files” in the Save as type drop-down menu and click “Save” to save the file.

Go to the location where the batch file is saved. Right-click on it and select “Run as administrator.”

When the script is executed, OneDrive gets uninstalled. Finally, restart your computer.

How to Uninstall OneDrive in Windows 11 Using Third-Party Software

You don’t need a third-party tool to disable OneDrive in Windows 11. But a tool can be helpful if you plan to uninstall the cloud backup service. The advantage is that it erases every file and folder related to OneDrive.

Revo Uninstaller is a trusted third-party program that removes any service on your Windows PC without leaving any leftovers. It is open source, and the download is easy. After installation, open the software and locate OneDrive from the list of installed programs.

Right-click on it and select “Uninstall.” Next, click on the Continue button in the confirmation box. Once all the traces of OneDrive are removed, you may restart the PC.

Final Thoughts

The latest version of OS, Windows 11, comes with Microsoft OneDrive, the cloud backup solution. If you have your files backed up in it, you can access it from any of your devices, including mobile devices. But if you don’t use the service for some reason, it is better to uninstall or disable OneDrive in Windows 11.

Users can choose if they want to disable or uninstall OnDrive from their PC. The decision depends on whether they will use the option in the future. If you have paused syncing or disabled it, you can reverse it with a few clicks. However, you may have to reinstall it if it is completely removed.