Disable OneDrive on Windows 10 and 11

The fastest way to stop OneDrive from running is to close it from the system tray and then turn off the startup setting. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the bottom right corner of your taskbar (it looks like a cloud), then select Close OneDrive. This stops it when ready, but OneDrive will restart the next time you restart your computer unless you also disable the startup setting.

To keep OneDrive from launching automatically, open Settings by pressing Windows key + I, then go to Apps > Startup. Find OneDrive in the list and toggle it Off. After this change, OneDrive will not start when you boot your computer, though the files will remain on your hard drive and you can still access them through File Explorer.

If you want OneDrive to stop syncing but still run in the background, you can pause syncing instead. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the taskbar, select More > Pause syncing, and choose how long to pause (30 minutes, 2 hours, or 8 hours). When the pause period ends, syncing resumes automatically.

Disable OneDrive on Mac

On a Mac, close OneDrive by clicking the OneDrive icon in the menu bar at the top right of your screen, then selecting Quit OneDrive. Like Windows, this stops it when ready but does not prevent it from launching again after a restart.

To prevent OneDrive from starting automatically, open System Settings > General > Login Items, find OneDrive in the "Allow in the Login Items" section, and click the minus button to remove it. OneDrive will no longer launch when you log in, but your synced files stay on your Mac.

You can also pause syncing on Mac by clicking the OneDrive menu bar icon, selecting Help & Settings > Settings, going to the Account tab, and clicking Pause syncing. Choose your pause duration from the dropdown menu.

Key Takeaways

  • Closing OneDrive from the system tray stops it when ready, but it will restart when you reboot unless you also disable the startup setting.
  • On Windows, turn off OneDrive in Settings > Apps > Startup; on Mac, remove it from System Settings > General > Login Items.
  • Pausing syncing keeps OneDrive running but stops file uploads and downloads for a set period, after which syncing resumes automatically.
  • Disabling OneDrive does not delete your files — they remain on your computer and you can still access them through File Explorer or Finder.
  • If you want to fully remove OneDrive and its files, you must uninstall the process separately through Control Panel (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac).

What Happens to Your Files When You Disable OneDrive

Disabling OneDrive does not delete any files. All the documents, photos, and folders that were syncing remain on your hard drive in the OneDrive folder. On Windows, this is usually C:\Users\[Your Username]\OneDrive. On Mac, it is in /Users/[Your Username]/OneDrive. You can open these folders in File Explorer or Finder and access your files normally.

However, if you had files stored only in OneDrive online and not synced to your computer, you will lose access to them once you disable OneDrive. Before you turn it off, check your OneDrive account online to see what is stored there. If you have important files that exist only in the cloud, read them to your computer first.

Uninstall OneDrive Completely

If you want to remove OneDrive entirely from your system, you must uninstall it. On Windows 10 and 11, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, find OneDrive in the list, click it, and select Uninstall. Windows will prompt you to confirm; click Uninstall again. The process will be removed, but your OneDrive folder and its contents remain on your hard drive.

On Mac, open the Applications folder, find Microsoft OneDrive, and drag it to the Trash. Then empty the Trash to complete the removal. Like Windows, your OneDrive folder stays on your Mac even after uninstalling the app.

After uninstalling, you can still access your OneDrive files by logging into OneDrive.com in a web browser. You can also reinstall OneDrive later from the Microsoft Store (Windows) or the App Store (Mac) if you change your mind.

Disable OneDrive for Specific Folders

If you want to keep OneDrive running but stop it from syncing certain folders, you can choose which folders to sync. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac), select Settings, go to the Account tab, and click Choose folders. Uncheck any folders you do not want synced. OneDrive will stop uploading and downloading those folders, but they remain on your computer.

This approach is useful if you have a large folder that takes up space or if you want to keep OneDrive running for some files but not others. You can change which folders sync at any time by returning to the same menu.

Troubleshooting OneDrive That Won't Close

Sometimes OneDrive continues running even after you close it or disable the startup setting. This usually happens because another process is keeping it active. Restart your computer first — this clears most background processes and often solves the problem.

If OneDrive still will not close, open Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on Windows) and look for any OneDrive processes in the list. Click each one and select End Task. On Mac, open Activity Monitor (search for it in Spotlight), find OneDrive processes, click them, and select the stop button. After ending the processes, check that the startup setting is still disabled so OneDrive does not launch again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling OneDrive delete my files?

No. Your files stay on your computer in the OneDrive folder. Disabling OneDrive only stops the syncing service; it does not remove any data. You can still open and edit these files using File Explorer or Finder.

Can I turn OneDrive back on later?

Yes. If you disabled the startup setting, you can re-enable it in Settings > Apps > Startup (Windows) or System Settings > General > Login Items (Mac). If you uninstalled OneDrive, you can reinstall it from the Microsoft Store or App Store.

What if I want to keep OneDrive but stop it from using so much space?

Use the folder selection feature to sync only the folders you need, or enable Files On-Demand (Windows) or Files On-Demand (Mac). This shows all your OneDrive files in File Explorer or Finder but only downloads them to your hard drive when you open them, saving space.

Does disabling OneDrive affect Microsoft 365 or Office?

No. Microsoft 365 and Office applications work independently of OneDrive. You can still use Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Office apps normally. However, you will not be able to save directly to OneDrive from within these apps unless you use the web versions or re-enable OneDrive.

How do I stop OneDrive from asking me to sign in?

Sign out of OneDrive before disabling it. Right-click the OneDrive icon, select Settings > Account, and click Unlink this PC. This removes your account from OneDrive on that computer. Then disable the startup setting so it does not launch and prompt you to sign in again.