I need to get all of my files back and put OneDrive in the darkest hole I can find.

Is there a quick and fool-proof way to restore everything? I'm afraid I'll miss something and lose it when I shut One Drive down for good.


EDIT: and I can't find any of my financial or legal files on either my PC or on the OneDrive. This is devastating.

Oh, dear! I thought you had disabled OneDrive way back when we first were talking about this! You can't lose anything because OneDrive is the Cloud drive. I think we went through all this a while back, but I don't remember for sure. You don't use your OneDrive app on the computer to retrieve your files... you go to your OneDrive account on the internet and download them from there to whatever safe place you choose. Then you can disable OneDrive so it never saves anything in the Cloud again. In case I hadn't posted this before...

But first, go here and log in to your One Drive...

https://onedrive.live.com/login/en-us/

Then disable or get rid of the OneDrive app.

https://askleo.com/how-do-i-get-rid-of-onedrive/

Things to keep in mind...

I had disabled, it, or so I thought.

Now it's taken all my games off my computer. The problem is that I have no idea what is where any more so I can't figure out what to move. I feel like I'm chasing a moving target.

Actually, most of the icons have vanished from my desktop.

OK, so that sounds like a completely different problem. It's not impossible that an update reenabled the stupid thing. However, it won't UNINSTALL anything. It's only function is to transfer and store documents and files in the One Drive cloud.

I assume you're tried rebooting?

Right now, I'm not sure what we need to address first. But I'd definitely suggest logging in to your OneDrive account on the internet and retrieve any documents etc. that you want. Then we'll go from there.

The problem is that OneDrive IS removing documents from my computer. It is NOT syncing -- it is taking things off my hard drive so that the folders on my PC are empty.

Yes, I've rebooteed.

Here's another disturbing thing -- I found my documents folder. It was in the OneDrive trash bin. So were my pictures. I have copied those folders back onto my hard drive and onto my back up drive, and disconnected my back up drive from my computer, so my documents are safe.


EDIT: There's not much actually on my OneDrive. I mean, there are folders and icons.

Really, the contents of my OneDrive look like the most incompetent intern on Earth just opened a filing cabinet and threw stuff in there willy-nilly.

For instance, there is currently a folder called "Documents" on OneDrive that contains several folders containing games and a folder full of Excel files. This is not the same Documents folder I copied to my Hard drive an hour ago and contains things that are not on my computer. It's like a second Documents folder with different things in it than my main documents folder on my PC , like random files in a folder.

I'm just going to copy that folder onto to my PC and get rid of OneDrive. I'm pretty good about backing up to my portable hard drive and I really don't need this hassle. Any pictures I lose will just be from my phone.

OneDrive is just about the most useless thing ever. Were you able to retrieve what you needed? That link I posted does have direction on how to completely remove the nasty thing. II guess if you have an update, you may have to go back and check that it hasn't respawned.

Forgive me for posting about something I know absolutely nothing about but a thought occurred to me while reading this thread. Is it possible that there is some "File Clean Up" program on your computer that thinks it is cleaning "junk" to make more room on your computer or to "improve it's performance"? Again, I don't know anything about this or how it works. I just know that my Norton would like me to use their File Clean Up program (which I don't) but that's what it claims to do.

Good thought, oldbroad. But this is the accursed OneDrive which is enabled by default on all Windows 11 computers. Hagatha is not the only one who had been caught up in the utter nonsense. OneDrive is a perfectly fine Cloud option, but Microsoft has seen fit to not give people an option to use it or not on Windows 11. The fact that desktop icons are disappearing makes me think there is something else going on, but it's hard to know since I can't access the computer.

Thanks Draclvr, for those links. I disabled onedrive on my new laptop. I should do it on my Win10 too.

TLC, you don't need to disable it on Windows 10. You can choose to use it or not on Windows 10. I actually DO use it to store some thing to share with others. However, on Windows 11, it automatically uploads all your photos, documents, files etc. to the OneDrive cloud. Then you wonder where it all went because what you thought you saved on your computer is not there!

Thanks again, Draclvr.

What i did, once I rescued as many files as I could find that were important, I unlinked my computer from OneDrive. I can still see the OneDrive Icon on my desktop but it has an enormously satisfying cross through it, like a no-entry sign.

I'll have to check whether that is enough, but if there's any chance that an update can switch it back on, I'm giving it the heave-ho.

Excellent, hagatha. That big "X" must indeed be enormously satisfying.

I laughed out loud when reading this. I get you completely. OneDrive is a nuisance. The very first thing I do when installing a new computer is to disable OneDrive.

Once you've restarted your computer, you should also have gotten rid of the crossed-over icon.

LOL, Mikael! OneDrive used to be a nuisance, but on Windows 11, it's become a menace.

Speaking of OneDrive...

All of a sudden there is a ribbon at the top of my excel sheets saying: "(Yield sign) BACK UP THIS DOCUMENT Protect this and other files using OneDrive. Open Onedrive (in a push box)". Never saw it there before. Windows 10.

I just opened up a couple of my spreadsheeets and I don't have it - yet. So, then I take it back... OneDrive is now also a MENACE of Windows 10. They want to encourage you to use OneDrive as a backup - which is a terrible idea. Here is what Leo Notenboom has to say about it.

OneDrive is Not Backup

Actually, the stricken-out OneDrive Icon is still on my desktop. I may have to be more aggressive in chasing the little parasite off my laptop for good.

I don't understand why OneDrive is described as syncing, when it actually deletes stuff from your hard drive.

Indeed! That's now how syncing is supposed to work! But the little menace does exactly that.

If you want to ditch it altogether, after you claim back all your files, you can unlink your PC from the OneDrive account and then uninstall it from the Apps and Features section. That removes it from your PC forever or until Microsoft decides they want to reinstall it with an update or something.

That's exactly what I plan on doing, Trail. That link I provided earlier in this thread tells you how to do just that. Like I said, it's a menace!

if you have Win 11 Pro , & after any missing files are recovered ,


Right click on the Windows icon , then click "run" . After that , ...

Type "gpedit.msc" and press Enter: This opens up Group Policy Editor.
Navigate to "Computer Configuration" , then "Administrative Templates" , then "Windows Components" , then "One Drive".
Find the policy called "Prevent the usage of One Drive for file storage".
Double-click on the policy to open its properties.
Select "Enabled" to disable One Drive .
Click "Apply" and then "OK".

After that , the only way One Drive should function again , is , if Microsoft pushes a major update , & tries to reset any changes the user makes , which Microsoft is very prone to do . There are also some tools that can be utilized to disable features such as One Drive , Co-Pilot , and Recall . There are a few , such as DoNotSpy 11 , or Shutup10 (a personal favorite of mine , as it also works on Win 11) . It is a good idea to run the aforementioned after a major update , as stated previously , Microsoft has a bad habit of resetting any changes you make . You may need to restart after making changes , at least the first time using such a tool , but , in the end , at least in my experience , my pc runs faster after making these changes .

Thanks, Creeping Doom.... pretty much everything covered in the links provided above! Except for the outside tools for when Microsoft undoes all your changes. I've heard good things about Shutup 10.

Got it , Drac . I've used Shutup 10 for a while now . After every major update , I start it up , to see what changes , if any , Microsoft has made , & undo those changes . I would add , though , that using an uninstaller , especially MS' own , is mostly an exercise in futility . The "built in" uninstaller leaves way too many left over registry entries and temp files . Other uninstaller programs , such as Iobit Uninstaller , & Revo Uninstaller ( a personal favorite) , will do a much better job of getting rid of all the leftover files . Besides , Microsoft considers One Drive an "essential" , for lack of a better term , part of Windows , & will just install it again with the next major update , much to the chagrin of a lot of users .

Yes, Revo uninstaller is popular with us here as we all know "Uninstall" on Microsoft leave behind all kinds of bits and pieces.

Leo Notenboom of Ask Leo is also NOT a fan of the forced OneDrive in Windows 11.

I'm not the biggest fan of other forced programs on WIn 11 myself , such as Copilot & Recall . Matter of fact , I'm toying with the idea of returning to WIn 10 , & paying for that one year of security updates .

Copilot is in Windows 10 also, not that I've ever looked to see what it is or does. I mean, I know it used to be my Microsoft Office program but...

It sure is, oldbroad. It is actually the Microsoft AI and I don't use it either. Unless you have a subscription to a new Office 365 program, it is not part of your Office. I have an old version - 2019 - and CoPilot has no part in it.

I also have Office 2019 and yes, it shows Microsoft 365 Copilot! I do not have a subscription to it!

OK. I looked in Word and Excel and I don't see it. Where do you see it in your Office 2019? This is what I found in a search...

Remember this post 4/15 in this same thread? Well, sometimes, there is a box in the upper right corner of my spreadsheets that says something like "ask CoPilot". I have never clicked it and it is not always there. I think these things show up after I lose my internet or network connection.

The 356 Copilot shows up as an installed program on my computer the same as OneDrive does. I guess my point really is, that it seems sometimes that some of these posts are saying Windows 10 doesn't have these same programs that Windows 11 does, but it does, so what would be the point of going back to Windows 10? (Referring to what Creeping_Doom posted: "I'm not the biggest fan of other forced programs on WIn 11 myself , such as Copilot & Recall . Matter of fact , I'm toying with the idea of returning to WIn 10 , & paying for that one year of security updates ."

Now, Recall? I haven't seen anything called Recall (yet).

Oh, now I see. However, you used that word "remember!" I can't remember stuff from 10 minutes ago! Yes, CoPilot is on your computer. They released it in an update in maybe 2023, but I can't remember for sure. But it's not this invasive thing that tries to take over your computer like OneDrive in Windows 11. But you don't HAVE to use CoPilot. It's just there if you choose to ask it something - it's not part of Office 2019.

OneDrive is also something you can choose to use or not on Windows 10. I actually DO use it if I want to share large files such as videos. It's on Windows 11 that Microsoft turned it into the horrid thing that takes over your entire computer unless you disable it. Same with CoPilot in Windows 10 and 11 - it's there if you want to use it, but you don't have to. You can ignore it completely if you want to. Windows Recall in 11 records what you do so you can search for things you have done later. It's also something you can choose to turn off and not use.

Just because these things exist on Windows doesn't mean you have to use them. For instance, you have the Edge browser on your computer, but you can choose to use Firefox or Chrome or Duck Duck Go or whatever if you don't want to use Edge.

Okay, in my Office 2019 Outlook email right now (this is not always there though) is a "Copilot" box up in the right corner. If I hover over it, it says "See Copilot actions you can use with your selected content".

Odd... just checked my Outlook 2019 email and I don't have it! Who knows. But as I said, it's there if you want to use it, but you don't have to. I did notice when I click on my white search box in the taskbar, there is something that says CoPilot is recommended for searches and I should try it. I have ignored it. Wonder if I clicked on it if I would get it in my Office 2019 apps. But I think I'll just leave it as-is!

I never clicked on it so that's not how it got in my Office 2019. I'm afraid to click on it lest it thinks I want their subscription, which I don't, but if I cannot use Office 2019 anymore going forward, I would probably need it. Anyway, it is pushing itself on Win 10.

Oh, it's not pushing itself on Windows 10! It's already here. I just don't use it.

I have used it a couple of times for searches when I was unable to find something and it was kind of useful. But that's not very often.