[5 Methods] Disable or Uninstall OneDrive in Windows 11

In this guide, we will show you the steps to disable and uninstall OneDrive from your Windows 11 PC. OneDrive is among the most popular file hosting and synchronization services out there. Offering up to 5GB free storage, a handy sync feature and the ability to access your files from all the linked devices are some of its noteworthy features. However, the biggest issue with this offering is that it is forced onto Windows users.

No matter how much benefitial could it prove to be, Microsoft should have given the end-users an option to decide whether they want this integration or not. While that isn’t the case, there’s still a silver lining among those dark clouds. There do exist a couple of methods to uninstall and disable the OneDrive from your Windows 11 PC. And this guide shall make you aware of just that. Follow along for the instructions.

NOTE: Rather than disabling or uninstalling OneDrive, you could also take a less aggressive approach by just disabling the sync feature. Instructions for the same are given in the FAQ section at the end of this guide.

Table of Contents

How to Disable OneDrive in Windows 11

First off, let’s check out the methods to disable the OneDrive on your PC. Doing so will disable all its functionalities, including the background services, and sync feature. The benefit of this method is that you could easily re-enable OneDrive as and when needed. We have shared three different methods to carry out this task of disabling OneDrive on Windows 11. You may proceed with the one that you find most comfortable to deal with.

Method 1: Disable OneDrive on Windows 11 via Group Policy Editor

If you are using the Professional, Workstation, or Enterprise, then GPE will already be enabled. On the other hand, if you are on the Home version, then you will first have to enable the GPE. So please refer to our guide on How to Enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 Home. Once that is done, you may proceed with the below steps:

Bring up the Run dialog box via Windows+R shortcut keys.
Then type in gpedit.msc and hit Enter. This will launch the Group Policy Editor.
Now go to the following location from the left menu bar:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive
Then double-click on “Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage” from the right-hand side.
Finally, select Enabled from the top left menu and click OK.

So this is how you could disable OneDrive on Windows 11 via Group Policy Editor. While this process might require a few extra efforts, but on the good side, it is able to completely disable the integration of OneDrive from your PC. As a result, it will even remove the OneDrive option from the File Explorer as well.

Method 2: Disable OneDrive on Windows 11 via Settings

In this method, we will be disabling OneDrive by unlinking your account from this service. As a result, this will put a pause to all background activities and background sync and ultimately result in the conservation of the battery. So here’s how to try it out:

Right-click on the OneDrive icon situated at the taskbar
Then select Settings from the menu that appears.
Now go to the Account tab and click on the Unlink this PC option.
Next up, click Unlink Account in the confirmation dialog box that appears.
Finally, enter the email address that you use to log in to OneDrive and hit Enter. That’s it.

These were the steps to disable OneDrive on Windows 11 via the Settings menu. While this is an easier approach than the first method, it wouldn’t remove the OneDrive icon from the Taskbar or File Explorer.

Method 3: Disable OneDrive on Windows 11 via Registry Editor

In this method, we will be changing the value of Dropbox’s Disable File Sync from False to True [i.e. from 0 to 1]. Here’s how:

Open the Run dialog box via Windows+R shortcut keys.
Then type in regedit and hit Enter. This shall launch the Registry Editor.
Now copy-paste the below location in its address bar in the Registry Editor’s address bar:
```
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive
```
You should now see the DisableFileSyncNGSC file on the right-hand side.
Double-click on it, input 1 in the Value Data field, and hit OK.

With this, you have successfully disabled the OneDrive on your Windows 11 PC. If at any point in time, you wish to re-enable it, then just change the value of DisableFileSyncNGSC to 0.

How to Uninstall OneDrive from Windows 11

If you wish to permanently remove OneDrive from your PC, then there are two different approaches for that. Without any further ado, let’s check out both the methods to uninstall OneDrive from Windows 11.

Method 1: Uninstall OneDrive from Windows 11 via Settings

This is the native uninstallation method that you use for removing any app from your PC. And we will be using the same now to uninstall the OneDrive app. Follow along.

To begin with, bring up the Settings page via the Windows+I shortcut keys.
Then go to Apps from the left menu bar followed by the Apps and Features section.
Scroll to the Microsoft OneDrive app, click on the overflow icon next to it and select Uninstall.

That’s it. These were the steps to uninstall OneDrive from Windows 11. If at any point in time, you change your mind and wish to reinstall it, then head over to the C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ directory and double-click on the OneDriveSetup.exe file to launch the setup. Then proceed with the on-screen instructions to install it.

Method 2: Uninstall OneDrive from Windows 11 via Command Prompt

You could also remove the OneDrive app from your PC just by executing a couple of commands. Here’s how:

Head over to the Start Menu, search CMD, and launch Command Prompt as an administrator.

Then type in the following two commands in the CMD window, one at a time:

taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe
%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall

Once both the commands have been executed, OneDrive will be uninstalled from your Windows 11 PC. If you wish to re-install it, then go to the C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ location and use the OneDriveSetup.exe file.

So with this, we round off the guide on how to disable and uninstall OneDrive from Windows 11. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments section. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest. Rounding off, here are some Frequently Asked Questions that deserve your attention.

FAQ 1: How to Pause OneDrive Sync in Windows 11

If you are just planning to pause the OneDrive Sync, rather than disabling/uninstalling it all together, then here’s what you need to do:

To begin with, right-click on the OneDrive icon present in the Taskbar.
Then click on the Pause option from the menu that appears.
Finally, select the desired time frame for which you want to disable sync.

FAQ 2: How to Pause OneDrive Sync For a Specific Folder in Windows 11

Rather than disabling sync for all the files and folders stored on your PC, you could take a more granular approach and only disable sync for a particular folder as well. Here’s how:

Right-click on the OneDrive icon present in the Taskbar and select Settings.
Now go to the Accounts tab and click on the Choose folders button.
Finally, uncheck the folders that you don’t want to sync and hit OK.

So apart from uninstalling or disabling OneDrive on your Windows 11 PC, you could also consider turning off the sync feature throughout the system or for a specific app.

About Chief Editor

Sadique Hassan

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A technical geek by birth, he always has a keen interest in the Android platform right since the birth of the HTC Dream. The open-source environment always seems to intrigue him with the plethora of options available at his fingertips. “MBA by profession, blogger by choice!”

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[5 Methods] How to Disable or Uninstall OneDrive in Windows 11