The fastest way to stop OneDrive syncing

Right-click the OneDrive icon in your system tray (bottom right on Windows, top right on Mac) and select Pause syncing. Choose how long you want it paused — usually 2 hours, 8 hours, or until you restart your computer. When the pause time ends, syncing resumes automatically.

If you want to stop syncing permanently rather than pause it, you need to sign out of OneDrive entirely or unlink your account from that folder. Pausing is temporary; signing out is permanent until you sign back in.

The method you choose depends on what you're trying to accomplish: pause syncing if you're troubleshooting a problem or need breathing room for a few hours, or stop it entirely if you don't want OneDrive running on this computer anymore.

Key Takeaways

  • Pausing syncing from the system tray icon is the quickest temporary fix and takes five seconds.
  • Signing out of OneDrive in Settings stops syncing permanently on that computer until you sign back in.
  • Unlinking a specific folder stops OneDrive from syncing just that folder while leaving other folders alone.
  • Paused syncing resumes automatically after the time you selected, so set a reminder if you forget you paused it.
  • Stopping OneDrive on one computer does not affect syncing on your other devices.

Pausing syncing for a few hours

Pausing is the right choice if you're running into sync conflicts, your computer is running slowly, or you need to work on files without OneDrive uploading changes in the background. The pause is temporary and automatic.

Look for the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray. On Windows, it's in the bottom right corner near the clock. On Mac, it's in the top right corner. Right-click the icon and you'll see a menu with pause options. Select the duration that fits your situation — most people choose 2 hours for quick fixes or 8 hours for longer work sessions.

When the pause time runs out, OneDrive starts syncing again without any action from you. If you forget you paused it and wonder why files aren't uploading, check the system tray icon — it will show a pause symbol while syncing is paused.

Signing out to stop syncing permanently

Signing out removes your account from OneDrive on that specific computer. Syncing stops completely, and files already synced stay on your computer but stop updating. You can sign back in anytime to resume syncing.

On Windows, right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray and select Settings. Go to the Account tab and click Unlink this PC. Windows will ask if you want to keep the files on your computer — choose yes unless you want to delete them. On Mac, open OneDrive, go to Preferences, click the Account tab, and select Unlink this Mac.

After you unlink, OneDrive closes and stops running. The folder where your synced files lived stays on your computer with all the files inside, but they won't update anymore. If you sign back in later, OneDrive will sync again from that point forward.

Unlinking a single folder instead of your whole account

If you want OneDrive to stop syncing one specific folder but keep syncing everything else, you can unlink just that folder. This is useful if one folder is causing problems or you want to stop backing up a particular set of files.

Right-click the OneDrive icon and open Settings. Go to the Account tab and look for Choose folders. You'll see a list of all the folders OneDrive is syncing. Uncheck the box next to any folder you want to stop syncing. Click OK and OneDrive will stop syncing that folder while continuing to sync everything else.

The files in that folder stay on your computer. They just won't upload to OneDrive anymore, and changes you make to them won't sync to your other devices. If you change your mind, go back to Choose folders and check the box again.

What happens to your files when you stop syncing

Files already on your computer stay there. Stopping OneDrive doesn't delete anything — it just stops the two-way sync between your computer and OneDrive's servers. Files you created or edited before you stopped syncing remain exactly as they were.

If you pause syncing, any changes you make to files during the pause won't upload until syncing resumes. If you sign out completely, changes you make stay only on your computer and don't sync to OneDrive or your other devices. If you sign back in later, OneDrive will see the changes you made while signed out and sync them then.

Files stored only in OneDrive online (not synced to your computer) are not affected by stopping sync on one computer. You can still see them on OneDrive.com or on your phone. Stopping sync on one device doesn't change what's on your other devices.

Stopping OneDrive from starting automatically

Even after you sign out, OneDrive might start up again the next time you restart your computer. If you want to prevent it from launching automatically, you can disable it in your startup settings.

On Windows, right-click the OneDrive icon and select Settings. Go to the General tab and uncheck Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows. On Mac, open OneDrive, go to Preferences, click the General tab, and uncheck Start OneDrive on login.

With this setting turned off, OneDrive won't launch when you start your computer. You can still open it manually anytime by clicking the OneDrive icon in your applications folder or searching for it in your start menu.

Troubleshooting sync problems before you stop it

Before you stop syncing entirely, try pausing for a few hours to see if the problem resolves itself. Many sync issues are temporary — a file locked by another program, a network hiccup, or OneDrive catching up after a large upload.

If pausing doesn't help, check your internet connection and make sure you're not out of storage space on your OneDrive account. You can see your storage usage by clicking your profile picture in OneDrive.com and selecting Settings. If you're out of space, OneDrive stops syncing new files until you delete something or buy more storage.

If one specific file is causing problems, you can rename it or move it to a different folder. Sometimes OneDrive gets stuck on a file with a special character in the name or a file that's too large. Moving the problem file often lets syncing resume for everything else.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does pausing OneDrive stop it from running in the background?

Pausing stops syncing but OneDrive still runs in the background. If you want to completely close OneDrive, right-click the icon and select Exit. It will close until you open it again or restart your computer (unless you disabled autostart).

If I unlink OneDrive, will I lose access to files on OneDrive.com?

No. Unlinking only stops syncing on that computer. You can still log into OneDrive.com from any browser and see all your files. Files on your computer stay there too — they just won't sync anymore.

Can I stop OneDrive on my work computer but keep it on my personal computer?

Yes. Stopping sync on one computer doesn't affect your other devices. You can sign out of OneDrive on your work computer and keep it running on your personal computer, phone, or tablet. Your files will sync across all the devices where you're still signed in.

What if I pause syncing and forget to unpause it?

OneDrive automatically resumes syncing when the pause time ends. If you set an 8-hour pause and forget about it, syncing will start again after 8 hours. You don't need to do anything — just check back and you'll see it's syncing again.

Does stopping OneDrive affect my Microsoft 365 subscription?

No. Stopping OneDrive syncing doesn't cancel your subscription or affect your access to Word, Excel, or other Microsoft 365 apps. You can still use those programs and save files to OneDrive through them — you just won't have automatic syncing on that computer.