Many Windows users, myself included, use OneDrive to store their files in the cloud and synchronize them across their computers and devices. However, others don’t, and they are annoyed that OneDrive is everywhere in Windows 10 and Windows 11. If you don’t want OneDrive on your computer and prefer to turn it off completely, here’s how to uninstall it from both Windows 11 and Windows 10:
The OneDrive folder in Windows 10
In Windows 11, things are very similar, with the difference that the OneDrive section is higher up in File Explorer. Windows 11 2023 Update also introduced a new Gallery section in File Explorer, which displays the pictures saved on your PC and in your OneDrive cloud storage.
The OneDrive folder in Windows 11
In Windows 11, you also have a OneDrive icon shown in the system tray area of the taskbar.
If you don’t use OneDrive to store your data in the cloud or make backups using the new Windows Backup app, removing OneDrive from Windows is OK. Your computer will continue to work normally, but without annoying you about storing your files in the cloud and synchronizing them across devices. If this is what you want, keep reading to learn how to turn off OneDrive in Windows 11 and then in Windows 10.
TIP: If you’d like to use OneDrive occasionally and only want to remove OneDrive from the Windows startup, read this guide to learn how it’s done.
In Settings, go to Apps > Installed apps
You see all the apps installed in Windows 11 on the right side of the Settings window. Microsoft OneDrive is also on the list. To find it faster, click or tap inside the Search apps box and type onedrive.
Search for OneDrive
Alternatively, scroll down the list of apps until you see Microsoft OneDrive. Click or tap the three horizontal dots next to the app’s name, and choose Uninstall.
Click or tap the three dots and choose Uninstall
Confirm your choice by pressing Uninstall again.
Confirm by pressing Uninstall again
Since OneDrive is a core part of Windows 11, removing it triggers a UAC prompt. When you see it, choose Yes, and OneDrive gets uninstalled.
Click or tap Yes
In a few seconds, OneDrive is removed from Windows 11, and it now longer shows up in the list of installed apps. Close Settings, and you are done.
In Windows 10 Settings, choose Apps
The Apps & features section should be selected by default on the left side of the Settings window. If it isn’t, click or tap on it. Then, on the right, you see the apps installed on your Windows 10 computer or device. To find OneDrive, search for it in the box highlighted below.
Search for OneDrive
Or you can scroll down the list until you find Microsoft OneDrive. Click or tap on the app’s name to select it, and then on Uninstall.
Select Microsoft OneDrive and press Uninstall
Confirm your choice by pressing Uninstall again.
Confirm that you want to Uninstall
When you see the UAC prompt asking whether you want to allow this app to make changes to your device, choose Yes.
Click or tap Yes in the UAC prompt
OneDrive is completely removed from Windows 10 in just a few seconds, and it no longer appears in the installed apps list. Close the Settings window and resume using Windows 10.
Windows 10 without OneDrive
When you uninstall OneDrive from Windows 11, you no longer see the OneDrive section in File Explorer, while the Gallery section only displays the pictures stored locally on your computer. It no longer shows the pictures you may have stored in OneDrive.
Windows 11 without OneDrive
The OneDrive icon also disappears from the system tray on the taskbar.
TIP: Here’s how to add or remove icons or apps from the Windows 11 taskbar.
Should I remove OneDrive? Is it OK to disable OneDrive?
OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage service, and it’s built into Windows 10 and 11. By default, when you use a Microsoft account with your computer or device, that account is also connected to OneDrive and used to back up your files. Even if you don’t use it, in Windows 10, you will see a OneDrive icon on the taskbar, in the system tray area on its right, and a OneDrive section in File Explorer, similar to the screenshot below.How to remove OneDrive from Windows 11
If you’re using Windows 11 and want to uninstall OneDrive, follow these steps: first, open Settings (Windows + I) and go to Apps > Installed apps.How to uninstall OneDrive from Windows 10
Removing OneDrive from Windows 10 is similar to the process in Windows 11, and it starts with opening the Settings app (Windows + I).What happens when you remove OneDrive from Windows?
If you’re using Windows 10 and uninstalled OneDrive, the app is no longer present on your computer and no longer syncs any data to Microsoft’s cloud storage. Also, when you open File Explorer, it no longer shows the OneDrive section on the left.
Discussion (36)
“Is there something in particular you dislike about OneDrive?” Yes. Cloud storage uses huge amounts of energy, and is unnecessary.
That’s a fair point. Unfortunately, few people bother creating their local backup systems.
because the app keeps grabbing files even when disabled and I cannot alter or add new library files because there has to be C:Users/jeff/OneDrive/music or whatever library file you want to save to. plus you delete this file and your system starts up warning that files not accessible. i just want it off my computer, i have no use for it , i use other local backup sources.
I got really annoyed with a message popping up again and again prompting me to reconnect to OneDrive, although I virtually never used it. So I copied the few files that where already in OneDrive in a separate folder on a hard drive, then deleted them from OneDrive. Then I uninstalled OneDrive in the same way as you described.
As I’m writing this, the same message popped up again! I can only hope that that will stop after restarting my laptop!
The reason to remove it is because cloud storage has been proven time and time again to be vulnerable to hacking (just ask any celebrity whose naked photos were leaked). ON its face cloud storage is and sounds like an unnecessary forced feature specifically aimed at giving microsoft access to your most personal and private data. It sounds like a scam because it is. no one with a computer who needs more than 512gb of storage is going to have any problem affording a hard drive or usb stick unless they are enterprise level, or a professional scientist.
If it is online it can be hacked. Also, If the company that has it wanted to they could disperse the info then claim a hack by a 3rd party. If any one says Microsoft can be trusted at all they are either mentally deficient or lying for the company on purpose. Noting about microsoft including the way it started is truly on the level and never has been.
As of at least today 2/10/2024 Windows 11 has made onedrive intrinsically connected to the default pictures, desktop, and documents file systems. When I removed one drive from my computer it also disabled those file directories and cleared all pins from my task bar. This means that Microsoft has specifically given its self direct remote access to the most important sections of your computer that would contain Personal identification information, and other very sensitive information. A lot of information about a person such a product preferences, businesses they patronize, political leanings, and family ties can be genned from just pictures. And, as far as documents may go you might have work documents, copies of your identification cards, investment info ect ect.
So now they force you to have to allow it. I hope soon another company uses the precedent ford used about car features in a case involving operating systems so microsoft and apple find them selves in a ma bell situation. and that in the future there are more companies to choose from but all products have common operating features. If nothing else their public domain days com-meth.
I thought I had got rid of one drive months ago. All of a sudden I hear that it’s full and I need to sign in to Microsoft and I can buy more space. Nope, don’t like one drive, Cortana, or win/10 actually. Windows 7 was my favorite and I have been around since Windows 3.1.
My next computer will probably be an Apple Mac. From what I understand the system isn’t going to be as intrusive.
I find it totally confusing. I’ve created docs and and store them. Then when I want to attach a doc to an email I have difficulty finding it. I search for it. I try ‘Recents Files’ and sometimes get it. If the files has not been used for a week or so I don’t where it is. When I search I keep getting told that ‘this file might not be available or deleted’ go to One Drive. When I go to One Drive I still can’t find it. I don’t have a need to share files. I’m retired and I don’t need to produce and share docs with work colleague’s as I did in the past. We did not have much cloud activity around then anyway. Thinking I would use it I signed up for Office 365 Personal for the extra Cloud space for photos and video hobby. I’m not sure if I lose cloud space if I remove OneDrive. Also if I have wasted money subscribing to office 365? Anyhow I’ll keep researching before I remove it.
It interferes with my backup system. I can’t back up my whole computer because of One Drive.
How does it do that? Can you share some details?
Have never used Onedrive, all backups on external drives, but in the last few weeks it has suddenly started loading everytime I connect an external drive/usb stick and is very annoying. Also I’ve had windows updates set to ask me first before downloading or installing and around the same time it suddenly automatically updated and also installed the edge browser of its own accord. Deleted that at the time (as only use chrome). Am using Windows 7 so guess I can uninstall it. Thanks for info.
OneDrive is INCREDIBLY buggy and poorly designed. I consider, for this reason amongst others, OneDrive to be unreliable and unpredictable. It is also POORLY documented. The documentation does not cover what might happen if I delete a file from one computer? Will that mean that copies of that file from all other computers will also be deleted by the syncing process? I might not always want that to happen. This behaviour is undocumented and unclear. If I cannot understand how the product will behave, I cannot use it and cannot trust it with my docs. Here is another exmaple of how unrefined the product is: On Windows 8.1, OneDrive only decides to include random directories from my Home directory, ie many folders are missing-what the hec? Also how sync conflicts are resolved is also undocumented. So there is only one place for OneDrive, and that is, in the garbage!!! Also, Microsoft has recently acquired a reputation for poor testing regime developing bug-ridden junk and breaching trust (for example, their 2018 W10 update which deleted documents for certain users), I therefore cannot trust them with my documents. I use SYnology NAS drive for my cloud needs.
I wanted to get rid of OnenDrive because I didnt ask for windows to come in and control where my stuff automatically goes. I want my documents on my COMPUTER, not cyber space and I’m a little irritated that I have to jump through hoops to make that happen. I bought a computer for the computer…. Not apps like a cell phone and automatic dictation of where and how my things will be stored.
I have Windows 8.1. I disabled OneDrive because I have Western Digital MyCloud drives (15 TB in total) and uncomfortable with allowing my information to be distributed to unknown locations.
15 GB is a generous amount of space.
Windows OneDrive slowed down the system and took up memory.
It takes up valuable space on my notebook. I also refuse to use any “cloud” storage after a well known highly touted cloud storage lost everything I’d backed up to it in prep for adding a new HD a few years back… if a highly touted & highly recommended “cloud” storage can lose everything over night, why should I trust MS’s “cloud”, after all, it’s just someone else’s computer! I prefer to back up to my oan external HD, thank you very much!!
I had 8.1 so I wanted it gone. Please keep this tutorial around forever! Thank you very much!
Because I didn’t ask for it. All it does it take up time and space. I already knew how to save files and have extras for later back when I first had a computer in the 90s.
I don’t want OneDrive on my laptop as I want to minimize the chances of Microsoft looking at my files and I also know that once the vast majority of people have it, Microsoft will start charging for ALL storage, and won’t give you any for free. That’s the way they work.
They will always offer some free storage, because there is competition that does this. 🙂
I use Win10 File History to backup onto a USB HDD as well as another cloud based backup system.
One Drive is a nightmare, it puts file in places I can not find on my Acer Switch Have to search to find them.
Hello I do not want Onedrive even though it is free. I pay for my needs especially where data is concerned. I do not want my data ever held hostage. You have feature built into windows that users will eventually have to pay for. That is no good and I believe it is against fair trade laws. Microsoft Operating system is one of the most popular in the world. Microsoft should not get into data harvesting.
Safety reason, I would rather keep my money in my pocket then yours.
Steve M.C.
It was using up my data which is not unlimited
I don’t want Microsoft to have access to ANY personal data that isn’t necessary. I don’t trust them.
One Drive was useful to me some time ago but I now have other methods of auto storage, my One drive is full and it permanently tells me to buy more space which I do not wish to do so having it dsabled suts me fine for now
One Drive does not sync when files are longer that 8.3 format which is strange because that s a FAT 16 limitation and windows 8.1 is on NTFS and the OS is 64 bits. Also has numerous issues on the Apple Mac book pro. I moved on to DropBox.
I accidently linked my personal OneDrive to my work pc and don’t want others to have access to my personal files. Thanks for the article.
I don’t use cloud based storage crap, I back all my files up on an external HDD & DVD’s if I want hard copies.
I removed Onedrive but it is still there in the start bar bu the clock. WTF?
Why waste any resources on things I will never use?
Why I want to remove onedrive from my 8.1 window is just so easyto undertand. I just dont want to 5 gb stupid cloud system to have space in my SDDdisk. I am using other cloud system which gives me 100gb space for free. Because I hate you onedrive, I will change my system 8.1!
don’t use it and don’t want to waste resources
One Drive is a nightmare. I tried using it on my personal laptop. I came into the office this morning to use the family desktop and there are all my One Drive files. I had to use MY One Drive password to even get into the computer. We had a pin number on the computer that we all knew. Nobody happens to know my pw for One Drive and would not have been able to get into this computer. I followed the instructions to get it off this desktop now I will go take it off of my laptop with Windows 10. I don’t want One Drive on any of my computers anymore. It is a nightmare!!
Going to give away my PC…