How to Unsync OneDrive?
Microsoft OneDrive offers you the sync feature to make your files available on all of your devices including laptop, computer, mobile and tablet. OneDrive client works in the background and takes care of any changes that you make to the original files. It works pretty well even if you have an unstable Internet connection.
Before you turn off the Sync feature, we suggest you clean up the duplicates from a powerful cloud scan. This will not only remove duplicates from the cloud, but also from all the locations on your computer that are synced to OneDrive. Use Cloud Duplicate Finder for that.
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The sync facility comes with advantages and disadvantages of its own. When you sync your files with multiple devices, you run into the risk of data theft. Let us assume that your office data is synced across two devices, home laptop and office desktop. If your laptop gets stolen from a coffee shop, anyone can get access to your synced office data. Anyone with access to your data can steal your confidential information. In yet another scenario, if one of your devices gets infected by a virus, the virus can transmit itself to other devices.
If you’re wondering how to unsync OneDrive, you’ve come to the right place. We will discuss different methods to accomplish this task for both individual/ home and business users.
Method 1: Unsync OneDrive (Home/ Individuals)
If you’re using OneDrive as an individual or home user, follow the steps given below to stop syncing right away:
- Right-click the OneDrive icon in the notification area of the taskbar.
- Select Settings.
- Now click the Account tab.
- Click the Unlink this PC link.
- Click Unlink account.
Method 2: Unsync OneDrive for Business
If you’re using OneDrive for Business at your workplace, you can disable syncing as follows:
- Right-click the OneDrive for Business icon in the notification area.
- Select Stop syncing a folder.
- Select the concerned folder and then use the Stop Syncing button.
- In the confirmation prompt, select Yes.
- Click OK.
Method 3: Unsync OneDrive for Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is a web-based collaboration platform. If you’re part of your company’s intranet or Content Management System (CMS), you can unsync OneDrive for SharePoint as follows:
- Launch Microsoft SharePoint and open up your library.
- Click the Gear icon followed by Library Settings.
- Select Site Contents.
- Click on Advanced settings.
- Look for Offline Client Availability settings, and turn it to No.
- Click OK to confirm.
Method 4: Uninstall OneDrive
Some Windows versions (Windows 10, 7, Vista) support uninstalling OneDrive. Windows 8.1/ 8 users cannot uninstall OneDrive. If you need the OneDrive client in future, you can download it here.
- Click on Start.
- Type Add or Remove Programs.
- Open it from the Search Results.
- Look for Microsoft OneDrive in the Apps & Features list.
- Click Uninstall.
- Follow the on-screen instructions, and then reboot your machine.
Note: When you uninstall OneDrive, you DO NOT have to worry about losing access to your OneDrive files. Your synced files will still be available on the OneDrive servers. You can access or download your data at any time by logging in to your OneDrive account through your browser.
Method 5: Unsync OneDrive for Unwanted Domains & Users
If you’re using OneDrive for Business, you can customize the way sync works. This includes options to stop syncing your OneDrive files with unwanted domains and disallowing the sync capability for other users in your organization. The steps are as under:
- Open the App Launcher and click on Admin.
- Expand Admin Centre from the left side panel on your screen.
- Select OneDrive.
- Click the Sync category.
- Uncheck the following items:
- Allow syncing only on PCs joined to specific domains.
- Show the Sync button on the OneDrive website.
- Click on Save.
Note: You may want to wait for some time, typically a few hours, in order for the changes to take effect.
Raza Ali Kazmi works as an editor and technology content writer at Sorcim Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. He loves to pen down articles on a wide array of technology related topics and has also been diligently testing software solutions on Windows & Mac platforms.