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“Remove a folder from OneDrive” can mean several different things. You might want to hide one folder from this computer, free local disk space while keeping the folder visible, stop backing up Documents, remove a shared-folder shortcut, disconnect the entire account, or delete the folder everywhere.
Choose the result you want before changing anything. In particular, deleting a folder from the local OneDrive folder usually deletes it from OneDrive online and from other synchronized devices.
Choose the correct OneDrive action
| What you want | Use this option | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Remove one ordinary folder from this PC but keep it online | Choose folders | The folder is removed from this computer but remains in OneDrive. |
| Keep the folder visible but remove its local contents | Free up space | The folder remains in File Explorer as online-only. |
| Stop backing up Desktop, Documents, or Pictures | Manage backup | You choose whether the files remain in OneDrive or on the PC. |
| Remove a shared-folder shortcut | Remove shortcut | Your shortcut is removed; the owner’s folder is not deleted. |
| Stop all OneDrive syncing on this PC | Unlink this PC | The account is disconnected without deleting cloud files. |
| Delete the folder everywhere | Delete it from OneDrive | The folder is deleted from the cloud and synchronized computers. |
Exclude one ordinary OneDrive folder from this PC
Use Choose folders when the folder should stay in OneDrive but should no longer be synchronized to your current Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer.
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- Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
- Select OneDrive Help and Settings, then Settings.
- Open the Account tab.
- Select Choose folders.
- Clear the checkbox for the folder you want to exclude.
- Select OK.
OneDrive removes the folder and its contents from this PC, but the online copy remains available through OneDrive on the web. The setting applies only to the selected account on this computer. It does not change which folders are synchronized on another PC.
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Limitations of Choose folders
- It works only with folders already inside the OneDrive account. It cannot add or exclude an arbitrary folder on an external USB drive or another unrelated location.
- Desktop, Documents, Pictures, and Personal Vault may not be available to uncheck here. Desktop, Documents, and Pictures use OneDrive’s PC-folder backup controls.
- Clearing a checkbox is not deletion. It removes the local copy while retaining the online folder.
Free up space without removing the folder
If you want the folder to remain visible in File Explorer but do not want its files using local disk space, use Files On-Demand.
- Open File Explorer and locate the item in your OneDrive folder.
- Right-click the file or folder.
- Select Free up space.
The item becomes online-only. It stays in File Explorer and OneDrive, but its contents download when you open them. A blue cloud icon indicates an online-only item. To download it again, right-click it and select Always keep on this device.
Free up space does not remove the folder from OneDrive or File Explorer. Files On-Demand requires Windows 10 version 1709 or later. Microsoft says OneDrive build 23.066 or later enables it by default, although Windows Information Protection and some third-party antivirus products can affect availability or behavior. See Microsoft’s Files On-Demand documentation.
Stop backing up Desktop, Documents, or Pictures
PC-folder backup is separate from ordinary OneDrive folder synchronization. To stop backing up one of these Windows folders:
- Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
- Select OneDrive Help and Settings, then Settings.
- Open the Sync and back up tab.
- Select Manage backup.
- Turn off the toggle for Desktop, Documents, or Pictures.
- Choose one of the displayed file-location options.
The choices are generally:
- Keep the files only in OneDrive, removing them from your computer
- Keep the files only on my PC, removing them from OneDrive
Read this choice carefully. The first leaves the files in the cloud and removes them from the PC. The second leaves them locally and removes them from OneDrive. Microsoft describes this process in its folder backup guide.
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Problems when turning off folder backup
OneDrive may refuse to stop backup in several situations:
- Cloud-only files: You may see “Some files couldn’t be moved. Download them first by changing their state to Always keep on this device.” Right-click the affected files, select Always keep on this device, wait for them to download, and retry.
- Open files: Save and close files before stopping backup.
- OneNote notebooks: A folder containing notebooks can show “OneNote notebooks can’t be moved.”
- Junctions or symbolic links: Folders containing reparse points may not qualify for backup.
- Error 0x80070005: An administrator may have enabled the “Prohibit User from manually redirecting Profile Folders” policy. Contact the administrator about changing it.
Remove a shared-folder shortcut safely
A folder added with Add shortcut to My files is a shortcut to someone else’s shared folder, not an ordinary folder owned by you. Remove it with the shortcut command rather than ordinary Delete.
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- Open File Explorer.
- Select the shared-folder shortcut.
- Right-click it and select OneDrive.
- Select Remove shortcut.
From OneDrive online
- Open OneDrive in a browser.
- In My files or Files, select the shared folder.
- Select Remove shortcut from My files or Remove shortcut.
This removes only your shortcut. The owner’s folder and its contents remain available to the owner and other users. You can normally still find the folder in the Shared list.
Do not select ordinary Delete on an expanded shared-folder shortcut. Microsoft warns that deleting an expanded shortcut can delete some or all of the shared files for everyone, particularly when files inside it are open. If the shortcut is expanded in the Windows navigation pane, collapse it first, then use OneDrive → Remove shortcut. See Microsoft’s shared-folder shortcut guidance.
Some shared shortcuts may temporarily appear as .url Internet shortcuts and open OneDrive.com instead of a local folder. Microsoft attributes this to backend changes and says they should convert back to folders when resolved.
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Unlink the entire OneDrive account from this PC
Use this when you want to stop all synchronization for an account, not just one folder.
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- Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
- Select OneDrive Help and Settings, then Settings.
- Open the Account tab.
- Select Unlink this PC.
- Select Unlink account to confirm.
Unlinking disconnects the account from this computer but does not delete OneDrive files online. Files marked Available on this device remain in the computer’s OneDrive folder. Online-only files remain accessible through OneDrive on the web. This is not a cloud-delete operation.
Uninstall OneDrive from Windows
Unlinking and uninstalling are different. Unlinking disconnects the account; uninstalling removes the Windows application.
- Open Settings.
- Open the list of Installed apps.
- Find Microsoft OneDrive.
- Select the More button.
- Select Uninstall.
Removing the app from Windows does not delete files stored on OneDrive.com. Microsoft documents this separately in its guide to stopping or canceling OneDrive sync.
Delete a folder from OneDrive and the PC
Only use this option when you want to delete the folder from the cloud as well as from the current computer. If the folder is inside a synchronized OneDrive location, deleting it in File Explorer sends the deletion to OneDrive and normally to other synchronized devices.
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Deleted items go to the OneDrive recycle bin and may be recoverable there. You can also delete the folder from OneDrive online. Do not use local Delete as a way to stop synchronization of one folder; use Choose folders instead. See Microsoft’s OneDrive deletion instructions.
Keep a local copy but remove it from OneDrive
To keep a folder on the PC while no longer storing it in OneDrive, move it outside the OneDrive folder—for example, to C:UsersYourNameDocuments if that location is not being backed up, or to another local drive.
Before moving an important or large folder, check that its files are fully downloaded and synchronized. For cloud-only files, right-click the folder and select Always keep on this device, then wait for the download to finish. Moving a folder outside OneDrive removes it from the OneDrive sync relationship; it does not preserve a cloud copy unless you have copied the files elsewhere first.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reset OneDrive if the controls do not work
Resetting OneDrive is a troubleshooting step, not a way to exclude a folder. It disconnects all sync connections, including personal and work or school accounts, then performs a full synchronization. You may need to configure selective-folder choices again afterward.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Press Windows key + R to open Run.
- Try this command:
%localappdata%MicrosoftOneDriveonedrive.exe /resetIf Windows cannot find that file, try:
C:Program FilesMicrosoft OneDriveonedrive.exe /resetThen try:
C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OneDriveonedrive.exe /resetAfter the reset, open Start, type OneDrive, and select the OneDrive desktop app. For the Microsoft Store version, press Start, enter apps:onedrive, select App settings, scroll down, and select Reset. Microsoft’s OneDrive reset instructions contain the current alternatives.
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Options that do not permanently remove a folder
| Option | Why it is not the solution |
|---|---|
| Pause syncing | Pauses synchronization temporarily for 2, 8, or 24 hours. It does not exclude a folder. |
| Free up space | Makes files online-only but leaves the folder visible and stored in OneDrive. |
| Unlink this PC | Disconnects the complete account rather than one selected folder. |
| Delete in File Explorer | Deletes the item from OneDrive when it is inside a synchronized OneDrive location. |
| Remove shortcut | Works for shared-folder shortcuts, not ordinary folders in your own OneDrive. |
FAQ
How do I remove a OneDrive folder from File Explorer but keep it online?
Open the OneDrive cloud menu, select OneDrive Help and Settings → Settings → Account → Choose folders, then clear the folder’s checkbox. It will be removed from this PC but remain in OneDrive online.
Does Free up space delete a OneDrive folder?
No. Free up space makes the contents online-only. The folder remains visible in File Explorer and remains stored in OneDrive.
What is the difference between Unlink this PC and deleting OneDrive files?
Unlink this PC disconnects the account from the computer without deleting cloud files. Deleting a synchronized file or folder sends the deletion to OneDrive and other synchronized devices.
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Select the OneDrive cloud icon → OneDrive Help and Settings → Settings → Sync and back up → Manage backup. Turn off Documents and choose whether the files should remain only in OneDrive or only on the PC.
Can I remove a shared folder without deleting it for everyone?
Yes. Right-click the shortcut, select OneDrive, and choose Remove shortcut. Do not use ordinary Delete on an expanded shared-folder shortcut.
How do I keep a folder on my PC but remove it from OneDrive?
Move the folder outside the OneDrive directory. If files are online-only, first select Always keep on this device and wait for them to download.
The Bottom Line
For one ordinary folder, use Choose folders to remove it from this PC while keeping it online. Use Free up space when you only need to reclaim disk space, Manage backup for Desktop/Documents/Pictures, and Remove shortcut for shared folders. Use ordinary Delete only when you genuinely want the folder removed from OneDrive and synchronized devices.
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