How to prevent Windows from saving files to OneDrive

However, if OneDrive isn't your preferred cloud storage app, or if you want to store your files locally, you can prevent Windows from saving files to OneDrive. The following article will show you how.

1. Pause Windows from saving files to OneDrive

You can temporarily prevent Windows from saving files to OneDrive by pausing the sync process. This can be useful if you're using a limited connection to control your battery usage on Windows 10, or if you want to save battery life on your laptop.

Start by clicking the OneDrive icon on the taskbar. Click the gear icon and select Pause syncing . Then specify how long you want to pause OneDrive sync.

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2. Prevent OneDrive from backing up folders

If you're looking for a more permanent solution, you can prevent OneDrive from backing up your folders and saving media files from external devices. Here are the steps to take.

1. Click the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.

2. Click the gear icon and select Settings from the resulting menu.

3. In the Sync and backup tab , turn off the toggles for Save photos and videos from devices and Save screenshots I capture to OneDrive .

4. Next, click the Manage backup button.

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5. Turn off the toggle switch corresponding to the folders that you don't want to back up to OneDrive.

6. Click the Save changes button.

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3. Prevent Office apps from saving files to OneDrive

While syncing your Office files with OneDrive allows you to access them on multiple devices, you may want to avoid doing so for a variety of reasons. Thankfully, it's pretty simple to do that.

1. Open any Office application, such as Word or Excel.

2. Click the File menu in the top left corner.

3. Select Options from the left pane.

4. In the Save tab , check the Save to Computer by default option .

5. In the Default local file location box , specify where you want to save your Office files.

6. Click OK to save the changes.

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The above changes will apply to all Office applications. Don't worry, you can still save files to OneDrive manually if you want.

4. Use Group Policy Editor to prevent Windows from saving files to OneDrive

Another method to prevent Windows from saving files to OneDrive is to use the Group Policy Editor. You can access the Group Policy Editor on Windows Professional, Education, or Enterprise editions. If you're using Windows Home, learn how to access the Group Policy Editor on Windows Home before trying these steps.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type gpedit.msc in the box and press Enter.

3. In the Local Group Policy Editor window , use the left pane to navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > OneDrive .

4. Double-click the Save documents to OneDrive by default policy on the right.

5. Select the Disabled option .

6. Click Apply > OK .

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7. You can also choose to completely disable OneDrive from here. To do that, double-click the Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage policy .

8. Select Disabled.

9. Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

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5. Uninstall OneDrive from Windows

If you don't intend to use OneDrive to access files from another device or save new files from your computer, you can also uninstall OneDrive from your Windows computer.

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By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily prevent Windows from saving files to OneDrive. Once that's done, you should get rid of the files saved to OneDrive without deleting them from your computer.

Samuel Daniel

Update 17 February 2023