How To Unsync OneDrive from PC [4 Easy Ways]

You can stop OneDrive sync completely or unsync specific folders only.

4 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

OneDrive is one of the big three cloud storage services along with Google Drive and Dropbox.

Windows 10 includes a built-in OneDrive app that syncs your OD folders and files so you can open them from File Explorer.

However, there are a few ways to unsync OneDrive if you don’t need to keep the cloud storage harmonized with Windows 10 at all times.

How to unsync OneDrive in Windows 10?

1. Uninstall the OneDrive App from Control Panel

If you really don’t need the OneDrive app syncing at all, and prefer to open documents via browser, you can uninstall theappin someWindows 10versions.

Since the Windows 10 Creators Update rolled out, you can uninstall the OneDrive app via thePrograms and Featurestab on the updated platform. You can now uninstall the OD app as shown above.

2. Uninstall OneDrive with the CMD

You can’t uninstall OneDrive as outlined above in earlierWindows 10builds. Nevertheless, you can still uninstall the OneDrive app inWindows 10versions that predate the Creators update.

Instead, you can uninstall thecloud storageapp with the Command Prompt.

3. How to unsync OneDrive with GPE

There are a few ways that you can unsync OneDrive without uninstalling the app. Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise include theLocal Group Policy Editorwith which you can disable OD syncing instead.

Entergpedit.mscin the Windows search box, and select the first result to open the document.
SelectComputer Configuration and Administrative Templatesfrom the left pane.
Press twice on theWindows ComponentsandOneDrive folders.

4.Then double-click on thePrevent the usage of OneDrive for file storagesetting on the right of the Group Policy Editor window.

Select theEnabledradio button.
Then press theOKbutton.
To switch the cloud storage app back on when required, select theNot Configuredradio button for thePrevent the usage of OneDrive for file storagesetting.

4. How to unsync OneDrive using the Unlink account option

If you don’t have the Group Policy Editor on Windows, you can still unsync the OD app by selecting itsUnlink accountoption as shown above.

Bonus: How to unsync OneDrive only for specific folders

You can also choose to unsync specific files and folders, which is much more flexible than unsyncing all your OneDrive storage in Windows.

Then you can free up some hard drive space by unsyncing selected files and folders, but keep some of OneDrive synced withWindows 10.

This is how you can selectively unsync OD files and folders.

So, you can unsync OneDrive by uninstalling the app, selecting the Unlink account option, or pressing theChoose foldersbutton.

Unsyncing OneDrive files and folders will free up hard drive space for new software. Thus, it’s worth unsyncing documents and images that you seldom open.

How To Unsync OneDrive from PC [4 Easy Ways]#

How to unsync OneDrive in Windows 10?#

1. Uninstall the OneDrive App from Control Panel#

2. Uninstall OneDrive with the CMD#

3. How to unsync OneDrive with GPE#

4. How to unsync OneDrive using the Unlink account option#

Bonus: How to unsync OneDrive only for specific folders#