The Windows 10 operating system is definitely an improvement over Windows 7 even if it has features that, for most people, could be useless or in any case not required.
For example, in Windows 10 the Onedrive program is integrated which not only is installed as an application, but which also appears in Windows Explorer without the possibility of being able to disable it. Unlike before, Onedrive is now part of the operating system and if you use an account Microsoft to access the computer as it should be, the PC also automatically accesses Onedrive.
After seeing how many things Microsoft Onedrive needs and how it works, let's see here how to disable Onedrive on Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 if it is never used.
1) Exit OneDrive
Press the right button on the Microsoft Onedrive icon in the notification area (drawn as a white speech bubble), go to Settings and then, under Account, disconnect the account. You can also deselect the " Automatically start Microsoft Onedrive when you log into Windows " option.
2) Uninstall Onedrive
In Windows 10, Onedrive can be removed by simply uninstalling the program.
Then go to the Start menu, open Settings> Apps and under Apps and Features, find Onedrive in the list on the right, click on it and use the Uninstall button. The same thing can be done by opening the Control Panel, clicking the Uninstall a program link and then looking for OneDrive from the list to uninstall it.
In the future, you can reinstall OneDrive using the OneDriveSetup file located in Windows 10 64 bit in the folder C: \ Windows \ SysWOW64 and in Windows 10 32 bit in the folder C: \ Windows \ System32
3) Disable Onedrive from the Group Policy Editor
Try first if you can open this configuration screen: press the right button on the Start button at the bottom left or press the Windows and R keys together, open a Run box and then send the gpedit.msc command. If you are using Windows 10 Professional and not Home, the Local Group Policy Editor opens.
Go to the following folder in the navigator on the left: Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Onedrive .
Find " Prevent use of Onedrive for file archiving ", double click on it and change its status from " Not configured " to " activated " and press OK.
To reactivate Onedrive, repeat the process, but change the status from "enabled" to " disabled " or " not configured ".
As it is written on the configuration screen, if you activate this setting:
If you disable or do not configure this setting, full integration with Onedrive returns.
4) Disable Onedrive from Registry key
If you don't have the Local Group Policy Editor, you need to edit a key in the registry to disable Onedrive .
Press the Windows + R keys together and open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter to open the registry editor.
In Windows 10, use the search bar at the top to paste the following path Computer \ HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ CLSID \ {018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6} . change the value of the System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree key from 1 to 0.
READ ALSO: Remove the OneDrive folder from File Explorer in Windows 10
To hide and remove Onedrive from Windows 8.1, you can use a different way using the registry key. On the left side of the window, navigate the following path: Computer \ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows \ OneDrive .
Inside Onedrive, if not present, select New -> DWORD value (32-bit value) and give it the name DisableFileSync . Press twice on the new parameter and change its value to 1. This method does not work in Windows 10.
5) Delete the Onedrive files from the PC
If Onedrive was used to synchronize files online, these files will not be deleted even after deactivating. If you want to free up disk space on your PC, you can then delete the Onedrive files by going to the C: \ Users \ Username \ OneDrive folder and delete the files downloaded by the user. Deleting them from the computer will not delete them from OneDrive if the account is disconnected and the OneDrive application is not installed or active on the PC.
READ ALSO: Save Photos and files in Onedrive and synchronization between PCs
For example, in Windows 10 the Onedrive program is integrated which not only is installed as an application, but which also appears in Windows Explorer without the possibility of being able to disable it. Unlike before, Onedrive is now part of the operating system and if you use an account Microsoft to access the computer as it should be, the PC also automatically accesses Onedrive.
After seeing how many things Microsoft Onedrive needs and how it works, let's see here how to disable Onedrive on Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 if it is never used.
1) Exit OneDrive
Press the right button on the Microsoft Onedrive icon in the notification area (drawn as a white speech bubble), go to Settings and then, under Account, disconnect the account. You can also deselect the " Automatically start Microsoft Onedrive when you log into Windows " option.
2) Uninstall Onedrive
In Windows 10, Onedrive can be removed by simply uninstalling the program.
Then go to the Start menu, open Settings> Apps and under Apps and Features, find Onedrive in the list on the right, click on it and use the Uninstall button. The same thing can be done by opening the Control Panel, clicking the Uninstall a program link and then looking for OneDrive from the list to uninstall it.
In the future, you can reinstall OneDrive using the OneDriveSetup file located in Windows 10 64 bit in the folder C: \ Windows \ SysWOW64 and in Windows 10 32 bit in the folder C: \ Windows \ System32
3) Disable Onedrive from the Group Policy Editor
Try first if you can open this configuration screen: press the right button on the Start button at the bottom left or press the Windows and R keys together, open a Run box and then send the gpedit.msc command. If you are using Windows 10 Professional and not Home, the Local Group Policy Editor opens.
Go to the following folder in the navigator on the left: Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Onedrive .
Find " Prevent use of Onedrive for file archiving ", double click on it and change its status from " Not configured " to " activated " and press OK.
To reactivate Onedrive, repeat the process, but change the status from "enabled" to " disabled " or " not configured ".
As it is written on the configuration screen, if you activate this setting:
- You can no longer access Onedrive from the Onedrive app and from and file selection.
- Windows Store applications cannot access Onedrive.
- Onedrive is not displayed in File Explorer.
- Onedrive files are not synchronized on the internet.
- Photos and videos cannot be automatically uploaded online.
If you disable or do not configure this setting, full integration with Onedrive returns.
4) Disable Onedrive from Registry key
If you don't have the Local Group Policy Editor, you need to edit a key in the registry to disable Onedrive .
Press the Windows + R keys together and open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter to open the registry editor.
In Windows 10, use the search bar at the top to paste the following path Computer \ HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ CLSID \ {018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6} . change the value of the System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree key from 1 to 0.
READ ALSO: Remove the OneDrive folder from File Explorer in Windows 10
To hide and remove Onedrive from Windows 8.1, you can use a different way using the registry key. On the left side of the window, navigate the following path: Computer \ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows \ OneDrive .
Inside Onedrive, if not present, select New -> DWORD value (32-bit value) and give it the name DisableFileSync . Press twice on the new parameter and change its value to 1. This method does not work in Windows 10.
5) Delete the Onedrive files from the PC
If Onedrive was used to synchronize files online, these files will not be deleted even after deactivating. If you want to free up disk space on your PC, you can then delete the Onedrive files by going to the C: \ Users \ Username \ OneDrive folder and delete the files downloaded by the user. Deleting them from the computer will not delete them from OneDrive if the account is disconnected and the OneDrive application is not installed or active on the PC.
READ ALSO: Save Photos and files in Onedrive and synchronization between PCs
