How to stop OneDrive from syncing (without losing files)

Applies to: the OneDrive app on Windows 11 and Windows 10, with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account. Menu names are from the current OneDrive app and may differ slightly on older versions.

Which option do you need?

“Stop syncing” can mean several different things, and they don’t all have the same side effects. Pick the one that matches what you want:

You want to…	Use	What happens to your files
Stop uploads for a few hours (slow internet, a big game download)	Pause syncing	Nothing changes. Sync resumes on its own.
Keep some OneDrive folders off this PC	Choose folders	Unticked folders are removed from this PC but stay online.
Stop OneDrive taking over Desktop, Documents and Pictures	Stop backup	New files save on the PC only. Files already uploaded stay in OneDrive.
Stop OneDrive syncing on this PC entirely	Unlink this PC	Downloaded files stay on the PC; nothing syncs any more.
Stop OneDrive opening at startup	Startup apps	OneDrive only syncs while you run it.
Remove OneDrive from the PC	Uninstall	Files stay online and in the local OneDrive folder.

Option 1: Pause syncing for a few hours

1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar notification area (select the ^ arrow if you can’t see it), then select the gear icon (Help & Settings).
2. Select Pause syncing and choose 2 hours, 8 hours or 24 hours.

OneDrive resumes on its own when the time runs out. To resume early, open the same menu and choose Resume syncing. For a longer break, choose Quit OneDrive from the same menu; it stays off until you open it again or restart the PC.

Option 2: Stop syncing some folders

Use this when you want OneDrive to keep working but don’t need every folder on this PC, for example to save disk space.

1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar notification area (select the ^ arrow if you can’t see it), then select the gear icon (Help & Settings), then Settings.
2. Open Account and select Choose folders.
3. Untick the folders you don’t want on this PC and select OK.

The unticked folders disappear from File Explorer on this PC but remain on OneDrive.com and on your other devices. If you only want to save space, a gentler option is to right-click a folder in File Explorer and choose Free up space: it stays visible but downloads only when you open a file.

Option 3: Stop backing up Desktop, Documents and Pictures

OneDrive folder backup moves these folders into OneDrive so they sync automatically. Many people turn it on by accident during Windows setup. To stop it:

1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar notification area (select the ^ arrow if you can’t see it), then select the gear icon (Help & Settings), then Settings.
2. Select Sync and backup, then Manage backup.
3. Turn off each folder you no longer want backed up, then select Stop backup and confirm.

Files that were already uploaded stay in OneDrive. New files you save to that folder stay on the PC only. Depending on your OneDrive version, the local folder may look empty afterwards because the existing files remain inside your OneDrive folder. If that happens, open the OneDrive folder in File Explorer and move the files back to the local Desktop, Documents or Pictures folder.

Work or school PCs: your organisation can turn folder backup on through policy. If the option is greyed out or comes back on, it’s managed by your IT team, so ask them before changing it.

Option 4: Unlink this PC to stop syncing completely

Before you unlink: files marked as online-only (a cloud icon in File Explorer) aren’t stored on the PC. If you’ll need any of them offline, right-click them and choose Always keep on this device, then wait for the download to finish.

1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar notification area (select the ^ arrow if you can’t see it), then select the gear icon (Help & Settings), then Settings.
2. Open the Account tab.
3. Select Unlink this PC, then Unlink account.

OneDrive stops syncing and signs out on this PC. Microsoft says you won’t lose files or data by unlinking: everything stays on OneDrive.com, and files that were already downloaded stay in the OneDrive folder on the PC as ordinary local files. Changes you make to them no longer upload.

Important: don’t delete files from the OneDrive folder while sync is still on to “stop” it. OneDrive treats that as a delete and removes them online too. Unlink first, then tidy up the local copies.

Option 5: Stop OneDrive starting with Windows

If you just don’t want OneDrive running in the background every time you sign in:

• Windows 11: open Settings > Apps > Startup and turn off Microsoft OneDrive.
• Windows 10 or 11: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, go to the Startup (or Startup apps) tab, right-click Microsoft OneDrive and choose Disable.

OneDrive can still sync if you open it yourself. You can also untick the option to start OneDrive automatically when you sign in to Windows in OneDrive’s own settings.

Option 6: Uninstall OneDrive

• Windows 11: open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the three dots next to Microsoft OneDrive and choose Uninstall.
• Windows 10: open Settings > Apps > Apps & features, select Microsoft OneDrive and choose Uninstall.

Uninstalling doesn’t delete your files: they stay on OneDrive.com, and the local OneDrive folder stays where it was. You can reinstall OneDrive from Microsoft’s website at any time. If OneDrive keeps showing sign-in errors rather than syncing too much, see OneDrive error code 0x8004de40 before removing it.

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• How to remove an account from Microsoft Teams
• Error 0x80070184: how to fix the cloud file provider error

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own documentation:

• Microsoft Support: How to cancel or stop sync in OneDrive
• Microsoft Support: Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive

Frequently asked questions

Does stopping OneDrive sync delete my files?

No. Pausing, unlinking, stopping backup and uninstalling all leave your files on OneDrive.com. The one thing that does delete files online is deleting them from the OneDrive folder while sync is still running.

How do I stop OneDrive syncing my Desktop?

Open OneDrive Settings > Sync and backup > Manage backup, turn off Desktop and select Stop backup. If the Desktop then looks empty, move your files back from the Desktop folder inside OneDrive.

How do I stop OneDrive syncing without deleting files from my PC?

Unlink the PC. Files already downloaded stay in the OneDrive folder as normal local files. Make online-only files available offline first with Always keep on this device.

Why does OneDrive start syncing again after I pause it?

A pause only lasts 2, 8 or 24 hours. To stop it longer, quit OneDrive, turn it off in startup apps, or unlink the PC.