Comprehensive Guide to Uninstalling OneDrive from Windows 10

Getting Rid of OneDrive on Windows 10

So, OneDrive is sucking up space and you’d rather it just disappear? Totally get it. The trick is going through a bit of a process — think of it like peeling an onion, but less fun. Start with disconnecting the account, then uninstall the app, and you’ll have to dive into registry stuff to make sure it doesn’t try to sneak back in. When you nail this, you get a clean slate and stop it from hogging your resources.

First Up: Disconnect Your OneDrive Account

Fire up OneDrive and look for that little icon hanging out in the system tray by the clock. Right-click on it, hit Settings, and then find Unlink this PC. You really want to do this part first because if you don’t, OneDrive could just start resyncing like it never left — which is annoying, right?
Just in case, another way to do this is to bring up Command Prompt and run this command: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe /unlink. It’s quick and dirty, but it works.

Next: Get to Control Panel

Now, dig into the Start menu and type “Control Panel.” When it pops up, open it up. Depending on how you’ve set it up, you should see Programs or Programs and Features somewhere. This is your playground for removing apps.

Find and Uninstall OneDrive

Scroll through the list for “Microsoft OneDrive.” When you spot it, right-click and hit Uninstall. Simple enough, right? If that doesn’t work, you can also hit it from PowerShell or Command Prompt with:

PowerShell (run as Administrator):

Get-AppxPackage *OneDrive* | Remove-AppxPackage

Or from Command Prompt:

taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe
rd "%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive" /Q /S
rd "%programfiles%\Microsoft\OneDrive" /Q /S

Better to ensure all the little files get deleted, especially if you ran into uninstall issues.

Last Step: Clean out Residual Registry Entries

If you want to be thorough (and let’s be real, who wants to deal with OneDrive popping back), it’s a good idea to clear out registry leftovers too. Hit Windows + R, type regedit and press Enter. Once you’re in Registry Editor, cruise over to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive. Deleting those keys will help prevent any potential reinstallation drama.
Also, check out these keys and delete them if they’re still hanging around:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\OneDrive
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OneDrive

Definitely be careful here—messing with the registry can mess up your whole system. Backing it up first is smart if you’re not totally confident.

Extra Tips for a Solid OneDrive Removal

Before diving head first into this removal, make sure to back up any critical files. You know, just in case things go haywire.
If you’re worried about OneDrive reinstalling after Windows decides to update, you can block it through Group Policy or the registry:

• Open Group Policy Editor with Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
• Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive.
• Enable Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage.
• Another route is to set HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive with DisableFileSyncNGSC to 1.

And check your Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to ensure no OneDrive processes are sneaking around in the background. If there are still issues, system cleaning apps like CCleaner or Revo Uninstaller might help, but just make sure they’re from trustworthy sites.

Common Questions About Removing OneDrive

What happens to my files if I remove OneDrive?

When OneDrive’s gone, your files stay on your computer, so it’s all good on that front. They won’t sync anymore, though, which means no more auto-updates to the cloud. If you need cloud access, you’ll have to log in to onedrive.live.com to get your stuff.

Can I reinstall OneDrive later?

Yep, you can bring it back whenever. Just hit up the Microsoft Store or snag it from the official OneDrive download page. You can even use the command line to reinstall it:

PowerShell (run as Administrator):

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=237221" -OutFile "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDriveSetup.exe"
Start-Process "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDriveSetup.exe" /silent

Will removing OneDrive speed up my system?

Possibly. Since OneDrive can drain bandwidth and CPU while it’s syncing, getting rid of it could smooth things out, especially on older machines or with slower internet.

How can I stop OneDrive from reinstalling after updates?

Blocking registry changes and disabling settings via Group Policy will help keep OneDrive from coming back. Just keep an eye on settings related to DisableFileSyncNGSC, as outlined earlier.

Does this work for other Windows versions too?

The method is pretty similar across versions, but the exact steps could look a bit different depending on the setup you have. The unlinking, uninstalling, and registry clean-up are universal though.

Quick Recap

1. Unlink your OneDrive account to stop it from syncing.
2. Go to Programs and Features in Control Panel to uninstall it or try those PowerShell commands.
3. Clean out registry entries by using regedit with Win + R.

Final Thoughts on Tackling OneDrive

Getting rid of OneDrive on Windows 10 can clear up space and potentially speed things up, especially for those who don’t use it. Just remember: unlink, uninstall, and tidy up the registry to keep it from creeping back. You step away from auto-syncing, which is great unless you need that cloud backup. If the need arises, reinstalling is easy—we’ve all been there. It’s about curating your system for a better experience.