How to Turn Off OneDrive in Windows 11

To turn off OneDrive in Windows 11, select the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar, select Help & Settings (the gear icon), and choose Settings. On the Account tab, select Unlink this PC, then Unlink account. OneDrive stops syncing on this PC, and your files stay safe online at OneDrive.com.

Applies to: Windows 11. No downloads needed. Checked against Microsoft Support on September 30, 2026.

Which way to turn off OneDrive?

“Turn off OneDrive” can mean a short break or a clean break. Pick the option that matches what you want:

• Stop it for a few hours. Pause syncing (Method 1). Nothing is disconnected.
• Close it for now. Quit OneDrive (Method 1). It starts again when you next sign in.
• Stop it opening when Windows starts. Turn it off in startup apps (Method 2).
• Stop syncing this PC for good. Unlink this PC (Method 3). This is what Microsoft recommends if you just don’t want to use OneDrive.
• Get your Desktop and Documents back on the PC. Stop folder backup (Method 4). Do this before unlinking.
• Remove the app. Uninstall OneDrive (Method 5).

Before you start: check where your files are

Microsoft says you won’t lose files by unlinking or uninstalling OneDrive, because they stay in your OneDrive online. The catch is the files on your PC:

• Online-only files (a blue cloud icon in File Explorer) aren’t stored on the PC. After you turn off OneDrive, you can’t open them from your PC. To keep a copy, right-click the folder in File Explorer and select Always keep on this device, then wait for the green check marks.
• Backed-up folders. If OneDrive backs up your Desktop, Documents or Pictures, those folders live inside OneDrive. Stop the backup first (Method 4), or the files may seem to disappear from your desktop.

Method 1: Pause syncing or quit OneDrive

This is the quickest option if OneDrive is slowing down a download, a game or a video call.

1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon at the right end of the taskbar. If you don’t see it, select the Show hidden icons arrow first.
2. Select Help & Settings (the gear icon) at the top right of the panel.
3. Select Pause syncing, then choose 2 hours, 8 hours or 24 hours.

Syncing starts again on its own when the time runs out. To restart it sooner, select the OneDrive icon, then the gear icon, and choose Resume syncing.

To close OneDrive completely, select Quit OneDrive from the same menu, and then Close OneDrive to confirm. The cloud icon disappears. OneDrive stays closed until you open it from Start or sign in to Windows again.

Method 2: Stop OneDrive starting with Windows

If you don’t want OneDrive to open every time you sign in:

1. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Startup.
2. Find Microsoft OneDrive and turn the switch Off.

You can also do this in Task Manager: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select Startup apps, select Microsoft OneDrive, and then Disable.

This only stops OneDrive opening by itself. If you open it later, it syncs as usual. To close the copy that’s running now, use Quit OneDrive from Method 1.

Method 3: Unlink this PC (turn OneDrive off)

Unlinking disconnects the PC from your OneDrive. Microsoft’s steps:

1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar.
2. Select Help & Settings (the gear icon), then Settings.
3. Select the Account tab.
4. Select Unlink this PC, then Unlink account.

OneDrive stops syncing. If a window opens asking you to sign in to OneDrive, close it. The OneDrive folder in your user folder stays on the PC with any files that were already downloaded, but it no longer syncs. Anything you save there from now on stays on this PC only.

All your files are still in your OneDrive online. Sign in at OneDrive.com in any browser to get to them.

Method 4: Stop backing up your Desktop, Documents and Pictures

OneDrive’s folder backup moves your Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders into OneDrive. If you want those folders back on the PC only, stop the backup before you unlink or uninstall:

1. In File Explorer, right-click each backed-up folder and select Always keep on this device. Wait until every file shows a green check mark.
2. Select the OneDrive icon, then Help & Settings > Settings.
3. Select the Sync and backup tab, then Manage back up.
4. Turn off the switch for Desktop, Documents or Pictures.
5. Choose Keep the files only on my PC to move them back to the PC and take them out of OneDrive, or keep them only in OneDrive.

If you see “Some files couldn’t be moved”, some files are still online-only. Repeat step 1 and try again.

Method 5: Uninstall OneDrive

If you never want OneDrive on this PC, you can remove the app. Your files stay in your OneDrive online.

1. Do Method 4 first if your Desktop or Documents are backed up.
2. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
3. Search for OneDrive.
4. Select More (…) next to Microsoft OneDrive, then Uninstall, and confirm.

If Windows asks for permission you don’t have, ask whoever manages your PC. See how to uninstall a program in Windows 11 for more ways to remove apps.

Hide OneDrive in File Explorer

On some versions of Windows, OneDrive can’t be uninstalled. Microsoft suggests hiding it instead: unlink it (Method 3), then in File Explorer right-click OneDrive, select Properties, check Hidden under Attributes, and select OK. Finally, quit OneDrive so its icon leaves the taskbar.

Turn OneDrive back on

Undo only what you did:

• Paused: select the OneDrive icon, the gear icon, and Resume syncing.
• Quit or startup turned off: open OneDrive from Start, and turn it back On in Settings > Apps > Startup.
• Unlinked: open OneDrive from Start and sign in. When asked about the existing folder, choose to use it, so your files aren’t downloaded twice.
• Uninstalled: get OneDrive from Microsoft, install it, and sign in.
• Folder backup stopped: open Settings > Sync and backup > Manage back up in OneDrive and turn the folders back on.

If OneDrive won’t stay off

• The cloud icon is back after a restart. You paused or quit OneDrive but didn’t turn it off in startup apps. Do Method 2.
• My desktop files are missing. They’re in OneDrive because Desktop was backed up. Sign in at OneDrive.com and open Desktop to check they’re there, then follow Method 4 to bring them back.
• OneDrive still shows in File Explorer. Unlinking doesn’t remove it from the left pane. Hide it as described above, or uninstall the app.
• You can’t unlink or change settings. Your work or school may manage OneDrive on this PC. Ask your IT department.

Frequently asked questions

Will turning off OneDrive delete my files?

No. Pausing, quitting, unlinking or uninstalling doesn’t delete anything from your OneDrive online. Files that were only online aren’t on your PC, though, so download what you need first.

What’s the difference between pausing and unlinking?

Pausing stops syncing for 2, 8 or 24 hours and then starts again by itself. Unlinking disconnects the PC until you sign in again.

Can I stop OneDrive syncing just one folder?

Yes. In OneDrive Settings, on the Account tab, select Choose folders and clear the folders you don’t want on this PC.

Does turning off OneDrive save space on my PC?

Not by itself. The OneDrive folder stays on the PC. If you no longer need those local copies, move or delete them after unlinking. See how to find the OneDrive folder in Windows 11.

Can I still use OneDrive in a browser?

Yes. Turning off the app doesn’t affect OneDrive.com. Sign in there to see, download or share your files.

How do I back up my files without OneDrive?

Use an external drive with File History or copy your files manually. See how to back up files in Windows 11.

Next steps

To cut down other apps running in the background, see how to turn off background apps in Windows 11. Using Windows 10? See how to turn off OneDrive in Windows 10. Microsoft explains every option in Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive.

Related: How to unsync two computers in Windows 11.