Getting rid of OneDrive on Windows 11 isn’t as tricky as it might sound — once you know where to look. Honestly, sometimes Windows makes it a fair dinkum pain. Whether you want to free up some resources or just prefer a different cloud service, here’s how to do it.
How to Remove OneDrive from Windows 11
This method completely nixes the app, so it won’t start up automatically or hog your RAM. Basically, you’re knuckling it out of your system for good.
Step 1: Open Settings
Kick things off by opening Settings. The quickest way? Click the Start button, then choose Settings (the gear icon). Or just press Windows + I — not always quicker, but sometimes dead easy. You probably won’t do this every day, but it’s good to have in your back pocket.
Step 2: Go to the Apps Section
In Settings, find and click Apps. This is where all your installed programs live, including OneDrive. You’ll see a list of apps — scroll down or use the search box at the top and type “OneDrive”.
Step 3: Find Microsoft OneDrive
Look for Microsoft OneDrive in the list. Give it a click, and a few options will pop up. If you’re lucky, there’ll be an Uninstall button right there. Sometimes, especially if it’s tightly integrated or playing up, the uninstall button might be greyed out — then you’ll need to try a command line approach instead.
Step 4: Uninstall it (via GUI or Command Line)
Click Uninstall. Follow the prompts, and it should start removing OneDrive. If the button’s greyed out or it doesn’t do the trick, here’s a fallback:
taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe
rd "%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive" /Q /S
%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstallThis kills any running OneDrive process and deletes leftover files. To run these commands, open PowerShell as an admin: right-click the Start button, then choose Windows Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin). Paste the commands, hit Enter, and wait for it to do its thing.
Some folks reckon this gets OneDrive out of their hair for good. Others need a reboot or a second go to fully wipe it. Windows can be a bit funny like that sometimes.
Step 5: Restart Your PC
Once it’s gone, do a quick restart. This ensures all the background stuff linked to OneDrive is fully shut down and out of your startup routine.
To restart, click Start, then the Power icon, and pick Restart.
Microsoft Store.
Tips for the brave or the cautious
- Backup Important Files: Before clicking that Uninstall button, make sure your files are safe. If they’re stored locally or synced to the cloud, maybe copy them to another folder, just to be safe. Windows can be a bit sneaky sometimes.
- Check for Updates: Keep your Windows up-to-date. Sometimes, older versions of Windows 11 cause uninstalling or removing apps to be a pain in the backside. An update might sort it out for you.
- Disable Startup: If you don’t want to uninstall but want to stop OneDrive from starting up automatically, open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to the Startup tab, and disable OneDrive there. It’s less drastic, but on some setups, the icon might still pop up if someone clicks on it later.
- Use Command Prompt: If you’re comfy with the terminal, you can run
%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstallfrom an admin Command Prompt or PowerShell for a cleaner job. Sometimes this skips the GUI issues. - Reinstall if you change your mind: Decided to give it another go? Just head to the Microsoft Store and install it again — easy as.
FAQs
Can I reinstall OneDrive after uninstalling it?
Absolutely. Just grab it from the Microsoft Store or the official Microsoft website, and it’ll be back in a jiffy.
Will uninstalling delete my files?
No worries. Your files stay in the cloud. Removing the app only takes it off your PC, not your data. But be careful—if you disconnect or uninstall, there’s a chance of sync hiccups, so back up if the files are important.
Is it safe to uninstall?
Usually, yeah. If you never use OneDrive, removing it shouldn’t cause dramas. Just make sure all your important stuff is saved somewhere else first, especially if you rely on it for backups.
What about disabling instead of uninstalling?
Good call. You can disable it from startup like I mentioned or tweak Group Policy or Registry settings if you’re keen, but that’s a bit more involved and might need a quick Google.
Will removing OneDrive free up disk space?
Kind of. It’ll free up some background resources, but the actual space saved depends on how big your local OneDrive folder is. Still, every bit helps over time.
TL;DR
- Open Settings
- Go to Apps
- Find and select Microsoft OneDrive
- Click Uninstall
- Reboot your PC
Hopefully, this saves someone a fair bit of hassle. Because let’s face it, dealing with pre-installed Microsoft apps can be a real pain in the neck — but at least now, you’re the one calling the shots.