The fastest way to disable OneDrive

On Windows, right-click the OneDrive icon in your system tray (bottom right corner of your screen), select Settings, go to the Account tab, and click Unlink this PC. On Mac, open OneDrive, click the cloud icon in the menu bar, select Settings, go to Account, and click Unlink. This stops OneDrive from syncing your files and removes your account from the app, though the program itself stays installed on your computer.

If you want OneDrive to stop launching when you start your computer but keep it installed, you can disable it in your startup settings instead. On Windows, open Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find OneDrive in the Startup tab, right-click it, and select Disable. On Mac, go to System Settings > General > Login Items, find Microsoft OneDrive, and click the minus button to remove it.

Key Takeaways

  • Unlinking your account stops OneDrive from syncing but leaves the app on your computer; disabling startup prevents it from launching automatically.
  • On Windows, unlink through the system tray icon; on Mac, use the menu bar cloud icon.
  • Files already synced to your computer stay there after you unlink — OneDrive does not delete them.
  • You can turn OneDrive back on later by signing in again with your Microsoft account.

Unlink your account versus uninstall

Unlinking and uninstalling are different. When you unlink your account, OneDrive stops syncing new files and removes your Microsoft account from the app, but the OneDrive program stays on your computer. Your already-synced files remain in your OneDrive folder and stay accessible offline. You can sign back in anytime and resume syncing.

Uninstalling removes the entire OneDrive program from your computer. On Windows, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, find Microsoft OneDrive, and click Uninstall. On Mac, drag OneDrive from your Applications folder to the Trash. After uninstalling, you will need to download and reinstall OneDrive from Microsoft's website if you want to use it again later.

Most people unlink rather than uninstall because it is simpler to reverse and does not require downloading the app again. Uninstall if you want OneDrive completely removed and do not plan to use it.

Stop OneDrive from syncing without unlinking

If you want to keep your account linked but pause syncing temporarily, you can pause OneDrive instead. On Windows, right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray, hover over Pause syncing, and select how long to pause (2 hours, 8 hours, or until you restart your computer). On Mac, click the cloud icon in the menu bar, click the three dots, and select Pause syncing.

While paused, OneDrive will not upload new files or download changes from the cloud. Your files stay where they are, and syncing resumes automatically after the time you selected. This is useful if you are working on large files and do not want OneDrive slowing down your computer, or if you want to make changes without them syncing immediately.

What happens to your files after you disable OneDrive

Files already synced to your computer stay there. OneDrive does not delete them when you unlink or uninstall. Your OneDrive folder (usually called "OneDrive" in your user directory) remains on your hard drive with all its contents intact. You can still open, edit, and use these files normally — they just will not sync to the cloud anymore.

Files that exist only in the cloud (not yet downloaded to your computer) will no longer sync down after you unlink. If you uninstall OneDrive, you can still access those cloud-only files by logging into OneDrive.com in your web browser, but they will not appear in a folder on your computer.

Disable OneDrive in Windows Settings

Windows 10 and 11 let you disable OneDrive at the system level, which prevents it from running even if it is installed. Press the Windows key and type gpedit.msc to open Group Policy Editor (this works on Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions; Home edition does not have this tool). Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive.

Click Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage, select Enabled, and click OK. This stops OneDrive from running and hides it from your system. If you do not have Group Policy Editor (Windows Home), the easiest alternative is to unlink your account through the system tray icon instead.

Turn off OneDrive syncing for specific folders

You do not have to disable all of OneDrive to stop syncing certain folders. On Windows, right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray, select Settings, go to the Sync and backup tab, and click Manage sync. Uncheck the folders you do not want to sync. On Mac, click the cloud icon in the menu bar, select Settings, go to Sync, and uncheck the folders you want to exclude.

This keeps OneDrive running and syncing the folders you do want, while stopping it from syncing others. It is useful if you want to keep some files in the cloud but do not want your entire computer backed up to OneDrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose my files if I unlink OneDrive?

No. Files already on your computer stay there. Files that exist only in the cloud remain accessible through OneDrive.com, but they will not appear in a folder on your computer after you unlink. If you uninstall OneDrive, the app is removed, but your files are not deleted.

Can I turn OneDrive back on after disabling it?

Yes. If you unlinked your account, sign back in with your Microsoft account and OneDrive will resume syncing. If you uninstalled it, download OneDrive from Microsoft's website and install it again. If you disabled it through Group Policy, open Group Policy Editor, find the OneDrive setting, select Disabled or Not Configured, and click OK.

Does disabling OneDrive free up storage space on my computer?

Unlinking or pausing OneDrive does not delete files, so it does not free up space. Uninstalling OneDrive removes the app itself but not your synced files — they stay in your OneDrive folder. To actually free up space, you would need to manually delete files from your OneDrive folder.

Why is OneDrive slowing down my computer?

OneDrive syncs files in the background, which can use CPU and disk resources. Pause syncing temporarily, disable startup so it does not launch at boot, or unlink your account entirely. You can also reduce what OneDrive syncs by unchecking folders you do not need in the Sync settings.