How to uninstall OneDrive from Windows 10?

Uninstall OneDrive from Windows 10 safely: get your files out of the cloud-only state, stop folder backup, unlink the PC, then remove the app.

Alice Woods
Published , updated

Prefer to fix it yourself? The manual steps follow.

Methods
5
Time
5 minutes
Level
Beginner
Applies to
Windows 10
Start with the first method and stop when the problem is gone.Start removing
5 methods in this guide
  1. Why removing it needs care
  2. Make a local copy of your OneDrive files first
  3. Stop folder backup
  4. Unlink the PC from your account
  5. Uninstall OneDrive
  6. Stop OneDrive from coming back (Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise)
  7. FAQ

OneDrive comes preinstalled on Windows 10, starts with Windows and syncs your Desktop, Documents and Pictures folders if folder backup is on. You can uninstall it like any other app. Microsoft states that unlinking or uninstalling does not delete any files: everything stays at onedrive.com. The risk is on the PC side: files that were cloud-only or moved into the OneDrive folder may not be where you expect after removal. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025; the steps below still work on it.

Why removing it needs care

  • Files On-Demand. Files marked with a cloud icon are online-only. They are not on your disk, so after uninstalling they are only at onedrive.com.
  • Folder backup. When Desktop, Documents or Pictures are backed up, they live inside the OneDrive folder. When you stop the backup, Windows asks whether to keep the files only in OneDrive or only on the PC.
  • Startup and background sync. Uninstalling stops these. If you only want it quiet, unlinking or disabling startup is enough.

Fix 1: Make a local copy of your OneDrive files first

  1. Open File Explorer and select the OneDrive folder in the left pane.
  2. Right-click the folders you want to keep on the PC and choose Always keep on this device. Wait until every item shows a solid green check mark.
  3. If you want a copy outside OneDrive, copy those folders to another location (for example C:\Users\<you>\LocalFiles) or follow Back up your files (Windows Backup, File History, Time Machine).

Fix 2: Stop folder backup

  1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area, select the gear (Help & Settings) > Settings.
  2. Go to Sync and backup (on older OneDrive versions: Backup) and select Manage backup.
  3. Switch off Desktop, Documents and Pictures. When asked, choose Only on my PC for files you want to keep locally.
  4. If a folder now shows only a Where are my files shortcut, open it and move the files back from the OneDrive folder to the local folder.
  1. Open OneDrive Settings again and go to the Account tab.
  2. Select Unlink this PC, then Unlink account.

Sync stops here. If that is all you wanted, you can also keep the app and stop it from starting with Windows: Stop apps from opening at startup.

Fix 4: Uninstall OneDrive

  1. Click Start, type Add or remove programs and open it.
  2. Under Apps & features, select Microsoft OneDrive > Uninstall and confirm. General steps: Uninstall a program or app in Windows.

Or from an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell, if winget is installed:

winget uninstall --id Microsoft.OneDrive

The OneDrive folder in your user profile is not deleted; files that were downloaded stay there.

Fix 5: Stop OneDrive from coming back (Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise)

A Windows feature update or an Office installation can reinstall OneDrive. To block it from syncing at all:

  1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor: Open the Local Group Policy Editor.
  2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive.
  3. Set Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage to Enabled and restart.

On Windows 10 Home there is no Group Policy Editor. The same policy is the registry value below (back up the registry first: Back up the registry before editing it):

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive" /v DisableFileSyncNGSC /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

FAQ

Will uninstalling OneDrive delete my files?

No. Files stay in your Microsoft account at onedrive.com. Only online-only files are not on the PC, which is why Fix 1 comes first. If something is missing later, see Restore deleted or older files in OneDrive.

How do I get OneDrive back?

Download it from microsoft.com/onedrive/download, or run winget install --id Microsoft.OneDrive, then sign in. If you set the policy in Fix 5, set it back to Not configured (or delete the registry value) first.

Is it safe to remove OneDrive?

Yes. Windows 10 does not need it to run. You only lose cloud sync and folder backup, so make sure you have another backup.

Sources

  1. easeus.com/resource/disable-onedrive.html

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