How to stop OneDrive from auto-saving files to Windows

In this article, we will explore some ways to disable the auto-saving feature of OneDrive in Windows.

OneDrive is a cloud storage service offered by Microsoft that allows users to store and sync their files and folders across different devices.

While OneDrive provides a convenient way to access and share files, it can also be frustrating when it auto-saves files to Windows without your consent.

OneDrive auto-save feature automatically saves your files and folders to the cloud storage service, making them available across different devices that are linked to your OneDrive account.

This can be a useful feature, especially for those who work on multiple devices and want their files to be accessible across all of them.

However, some users may find the auto-save feature intrusive, especially if they prefer to save their files locally.

How to stop OneDrive from auto-saving files to Windows

In such cases, OneDrive may automatically save files to the cloud, even if the user had intended to save them locally.

Temporarily Stop OneDrive from Saving Files to Windows

If you are looking to control your battery usage on Windows 10, or you want to conserve your laptop’s battery life, temporarily stopping OneDrive from auto-saving files can be quite useful.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to pause the sync process to prevent Windows from saving files to OneDrive.

• Step 1: Click on the OneDrive icon located on the taskbar.
• Step 2: Click on the gear icon, and select “Pause syncing”.
• Step 3: Choose the duration you wish to pause the OneDrive sync.

Prevent OneDrive from Backing Up Folders Permanently

If you want a more permanent solution to prevent OneDrive from backing up your folders and saving media files from external devices, follow the steps below.

• Step 1: Click on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.
• Step 2: Click on the gear icon, and select “Settings” from the resulting menu.
• Step 3: In the “Sync and backup” tab, disable the toggles for “Save photos and videos from devices” and “Save screenshots I capture to OneDrive”.
• Step 4: Click on the “Manage backup” button.
• Step 5: Disable the toggles for folders you do not want to be backed up to OneDrive.
• Step 6: Click on the “Save changes” button.

Prevent Office Apps from Saving Files to OneDrive

While syncing your Office files to OneDrive can give you access to them across multiple devices, you may want to avoid doing so for various reasons. Here’s how you can prevent Office apps from saving files to OneDrive.

• Step 1: Open any Office app, such as Word or Excel.
• Step 2: Click on “File” and then “Options”.
• Step 3: Select “Save” from the options on the left-hand side.
• Step 4: Under “Offline editing options for document management server files”, uncheck the box that says “Use Office applications to sync Office files that I open”.
• Step 5: Click on “OK” to save the changes.

Accessing Group Policy Editor

To access the Group Policy Editor, you need to have a Professional, Education, or Enterprise edition of Windows. If you’re using Windows Home, you can still access the Group Policy Editor by following 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, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > OneDrive using the left pane.

Disabling the Save Documents to OneDrive by Default Policy

Once you’ve accessed the OneDrive policy in Group Policy Editor, you can disable the Save documents to OneDrive by default policy by following these steps:

1. Double-click the policy on your right.
2. Select the Disabled option.
3. Click Apply followed by OK.

Disabling OneDrive Completely

If you want to disable OneDrive completely, you can do so from the same Group Policy Editor window by following these steps:

1. Double-click the Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage policy.
2. Click the Disabled radio button.
3. Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

Uninstalling OneDrive from Windows

If you don’t plan on using OneDrive to access files from other devices or save new files from your computer, you can also choose to uninstall OneDrive from your Windows computer. Here’s how:

1. Press Win + I to launch the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Apps > Installed apps.
3. Scroll down to locate Microsoft OneDrive on the app list.
4. Click the three-dot menu icon next to it and select the Uninstall option from the context menu.
5. Select Uninstall again to confirm.

Note that even if you uninstall OneDrive, it will not be removed from File Explorer’s sidebar.

OneDrive can be a useful tool for storing and sharing files across different devices. However, the auto-save feature can be frustrating for some users.

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