To turn off OneDrive in Windows 10, select the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar, then the gear icon > Settings > Account > Unlink this PC > Unlink account. That stops syncing on this PC. Your files stay safe in OneDrive online. To remove it completely, uninstall Microsoft OneDrive from Settings > Apps.
Applies to: Windows 10. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, and only PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates still get security fixes, through October 12, 2027.
Pick the option that matches what you want:
- Pause for a few hours.
- Stop it starting with Windows.
- Unlink to stop syncing on this PC.
- Uninstall to remove the app.
Pause syncing
Select the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar, then the gear icon > Pause syncing, and choose 2, 8, or 24 hours. Syncing starts again on its own.
Unlink this PC
- Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area. If you don’t see it, select the ^ arrow first.
- Select the Help & Settings gear icon, then Settings.
- On the Account tab, select Unlink this PC, then Unlink account.
Files you already downloaded stay in the OneDrive folder on the PC but no longer sync. Files that were online-only stay on OneDrive.com. You won’t lose anything.
Stop OneDrive from starting with Windows
In OneDrive Settings, select the Settings tab and clear Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows. Or turn it off in Task Manager > Startup, the same place you disable other startup programs in Windows 10.
To close it for now, select the gear icon > Quit OneDrive.
Uninstall OneDrive
- Select Start > Settings > Apps.
- Select Microsoft OneDrive, then Uninstall, and confirm.
Your files stay on OneDrive.com. To bring the app back, download OneDrive from Microsoft and sign in.
Stop backing up just some folders
If you like OneDrive but don’t want it holding your Desktop, Documents, or Pictures, select the OneDrive cloud icon, choose Help & Settings > Settings > Sync and back up (or Backup) > Manage back up, and turn off the folders you want. The files stay in OneDrive online, and Windows creates a new, empty folder on the PC. Move the files back from the OneDrive folder if you want them stored locally.
Hide OneDrive in File Explorer
If you can’t uninstall OneDrive, or just don’t want to see it, unlink it first, then right-click OneDrive in File Explorer’s left pane, select Properties, check Hidden under Attributes, and select OK.
Block OneDrive with Group Policy (Pro and Enterprise)
If you want OneDrive off for every account on the PC, a policy stops it from running and hides it from File Explorer. Unlink it first so nothing is mid-sync.
- Press Windows + R, type
gpedit.msc, and press Enter. - Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive.
- Double-click Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage, select Enabled, and select OK.
- Restart the PC.
To undo it, set the policy back to Not Configured.
On Windows 10 Home
Home doesn’t include the Group Policy editor, but the same setting lives in the registry. Back up the registry first, then open Registry Editor and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows. Create a key named OneDrive if it isn’t there, add a DWORD (32-bit) value named DisableFileSyncNGSC, set it to 1, and restart. Delete the value to turn OneDrive back on.
For most people, unlinking and uninstalling is enough. The policy is useful on shared or work PCs where you don’t want anyone signing in to OneDrive.
If OneDrive keeps coming back
- It starts again after a restart. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to the Startup tab, right-click Microsoft OneDrive, and select Disable.
- Office keeps offering to save to OneDrive. In Word or Excel, go to File > Options > Save and check Save to Computer by default.
- A Windows update reinstalled it. This can happen with big updates. Uninstall it again from Apps & features.
- You want it back later. Download it again from Microsoft, or run
winget install Microsoft.OneDrivein Command Prompt.
Frequently asked questions
Will turning off OneDrive delete my files?
No. Unlinking, pausing, or uninstalling doesn’t delete files from your OneDrive account. Deleting files from the OneDrive folder while it’s still syncing does delete them online, so unlink first if you want to clean up the folder.
How do I back up without OneDrive?
File History and other built-in options are explained in backing up Windows 10. If you’d rather use Google’s cloud, Google Drive for desktop on Windows 10 can sync your files and folders instead.
OneDrive is stuck or acting up. What can I do?
Try resetting it before turning it off. Clearing the OneDrive cache in Windows 10 resets it.
Does turning off OneDrive speed up my PC?
A little on older PCs, especially while it would otherwise be syncing large folders.
Changed your mind? You can reinstall OneDrive on Windows 10 and sign in to OneDrive again. On Windows 11, the steps to turn off OneDrive are a little different.
Every option is also listed on Microsoft’s Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive page.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.