How to Turn Off and Disable OneDrive in Windows 11 OS

OneDrive is Microsoft’s built-in cloud storage service that comes pre-installed in Windows 11. While it can be useful for syncing files and folders across devices, you may want to turn OneDrive off or disable it completely if you don’t need it or want to use a different cloud storage service.

Here are the steps to turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive in Windows 11:

Pause or Disable OneDrive Syncing

The easiest way to temporarily stop OneDrive is to pause syncing:

  • Click the OneDrive icon in the system tray (bottom right of your screen)
  • Select “Settings” > “Pause Syncing”
  • Choose how long you want to pause syncing

This prevents OneDrive from syncing any files but leaves the app installed.

Disconnect Your Microsoft Account from OneDrive

If you want to keep using your Microsoft account but don’t need OneDrive, you can unlink it:

  • Open OneDrive settings
  • Go to the “Account” tab
  • Click “Unlink This PC” to disconnect your account

This stops syncing and removes access to OneDrive storage tied to that Microsoft account.

Uninstall the OneDrive App

To completely remove OneDrive from Windows 11:

  • Open “Settings”
  • Click “Apps”
  • Select “Apps & features”
  • Find “Microsoft OneDrive” and click “Uninstall”

After uninstalling, OneDrive will no longer run on your PC.

Use Group Policy Editor (Pro/Enterprise Windows Editions Only)

If available on your Windows 11 edition:

  • Open “Run” (Windows + R)
  • Type gpedit.msc and press Enter
  • Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive
  • Double click on Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage and enable it

This prevents OneDrive from running or syncing in the background.

Reset File Explorer to Remove OneDrive

If you still see OneDrive folders in File Explorer after uninstalling, you can reset File Explorer to default settings:

  • Open “Run” (Windows + R)
  • Type control folders and press Enter
  • Select the “View” tab
  • Click “Apply to Folders”
  • Click “Yes” to confirm

This will remove any customizations like OneDrive folders.

By following these steps, you can completely turn off OneDrive syncing, remove the app, disconnect your Microsoft account, and eliminate any trace of OneDrive from your Windows 11 computer. The process differs slightly across Windows versions, but these instructions cover the core methods to disable OneDrive in Windows 11.