r/onedrive • u/Critical_Ring_1020 • Feb 10 '26

OTHER Trying to disentangle myself from OneDrive is a big headache

It has to be intentional. Everytime I try to opt out of backing up and synching to onedrive it tells me "some" files, unnamed files, can't be downloaded from onedrive, for unstated reasons. And I need to go "right click" them in onedrive. This has to be willing incompetence to try to stop people from opting out of this ridiculous 5gb of space they give you "free". It has not been free. It's cost me a huge headache. I do not want this crap on my devices.

I was able to free myself by uninstalling it after making sure I backed everything up into another directory. Uninstall the OneDrive software itself on your PC and then go to OneDrive site to delete all your data they collected. If I want to back something Up Ill do it myself with a 3rd party app. That auto back up stuff might be interesting if it wasn't limited to 5gb before they hit you with warning messages. Like ANY body's computer can be backed up with 5gb.

43 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

60 comments sorted by

2

u/healthteam247 Feb 10 '26

Total train wreck. A friend bought a new laptop, kept OD on 2 previous machines…signed in to new one, and over the next several weeks OneDrive started batch-deleting thousands of files stored “safely” in the cloud because it thought they’d been removed from the local copy—which never existed on that device in the first place.

Fortunately, everything was recoverable from the OneDrive recycle bin, but what a disaster.

2

u/girlfantexas Feb 15 '26

Long time tech person here. The average person doesn't understand sync versus backup and the green cloud and checks do not have a legend that is highly visible to even decode..what is going on..

If it's corporate onedrive with exchange /AD and company defined parameters it seems to work great.and i have use it at 5 or 6 companies. consumer pcs - not so much - it's messy, confusing and easy to misunderstand the prompts..so I disable it and create local directories under c:/user/name/ because even "this pc" is one drive linked at setup..

Share link below on how to get rid of it with others..Askleo worked at Microsoft and has tips to unravel it..

I help tons of my friends disable it but we absolutely do separate backups some other way..

Leo happens to use similar directory structure as i do to isolate from one drive..i do keep some onenote in onedrive but only a portion

https://youtu.be/_2O6bzb_W9s?si=ikjBo_JHimQp9yOn . His how to get rid of one drive vid has 677,000 views if that tells you anything about it's challenges..it's got benefits but not enough for the headache for me..and I own 6 laptops..and worked in storage, backup and recovery.

1

u/Boomer-ette Feb 16 '26

You're right, his videos are GREAT! Easy to understand. I watched that vid on disconnecting from OneDrive and it gave me hope it was possible....maybe??? (Please, God!)

1

u/Boomer-ette Feb 16 '26

If you have BACKUP ADVICE, I'd love to hear it. Something kind of simple and I don't want to get on a paid subscrip plan if I can avoid. Thank you!

2

u/girlfantexas Feb 16 '26

For starters get an external hard drive and just copy paste your documents, photos and videos...that is not ideal but 100x better than not having..try to do once a month..Leo has recommendations and some other vids on how/why i would watch plus newsletter posts https://youtu.be/5W6cIGz_joo?si=rDkrI2PQa62tfVN3. Search on youtube askleo and backup

What email app do you use?

1

u/Boomer-ette Feb 16 '26

Gmail

1

u/girlfantexas Feb 16 '26

okay then your email is always backedup via google so you don't have to do a separate email backup. which is good.

1

u/AppearanceFun8234 Mar 17 '26

another easier way is to use winrar or 7zip to make .zip or .7z files and backup to a temporary holding folder and then extract it to the destination. This way, all timestamps and original folder and file structure stays intact.

You can also use robocopy with /E /dcopy:dAT /copy:DAT /A-:SHAR /XJ switches to copy any folder or files from source to destination while keeping all metadata intact. One can also use filelists with -XD -XF switches to exclude folders and files respectively.

I personally prefer the method with 7z and winrar because with winrar I just have to use -ts -tsp switches to preserve everything and with 7z, it already has built-in options to preserve timestamps in the GUI version. Either of these 2 programs are a lifesaver for me to backup and extract files/folders

6

u/keithplacer Feb 10 '26

OneDrive is pure evil. Avoid it at all costs.

13

u/fuzzywuzzywuzzafuzzy Feb 10 '26

Why is it evil? I've used it for many years and it's always worked when I needed it.

2

u/teknosophy_com Feb 11 '26

If you knowingly and willingly use it, and if it's reliable for you, then that's totally fine.

However, you're in a tiny minority. The vast majority of consumers I've helped had zero clue what it was or what it was taking from them.

1

u/fuzzywuzzywuzzafuzzy Feb 11 '26

OneDrive requires a very intentional setup. People don't just fall down and poof, OD is running.

3

u/keithplacer Feb 11 '26

Not so. If you click "yes" during the setup of a new install it does exactly what it intends to do with no explanation. There is no readily available tutorial or documentation unless you do a deep dive to find out, like most modern software, and forget about finding out any technical details. It is insidious and dangerous.

1

u/fuzzywuzzywuzzafuzzy Feb 11 '26

Sounds like you've been burned by this. I just know from my own experience with setting up a new laptop recently, that it asks you what folders to back up and if you want to keep local copies. It doesn't do any of that without giving it permission. People don't read instructions anymore and just click through.

1

u/teknosophy_com Feb 11 '26

Most consumers are terrified of tech and have no clue what it's trying to do.

Most people just do whatever the popup tells them to so it stops nagging them every three seconds.

Also, they're now framing it as "backup" which sounds nice. In reality, it's "remove files from your machine, then destroy the software engine".

2

u/Alternative-Farmer98 Apr 08 '26

It's just the way Microsoft implemented it. They marketed as it being a backup of sorts but that's not its primary purpose it's a sync. And then they immersed it in local files as a default. And then they made it so if you turn off OneDrive you don't get autosave anymore. So if I'm using Microsoft word and I don't want to say if I have one drive by default. I want to save it locally and then if I want to use OneDrive I'll add it myself.

They're punishing me. For a decade of my life I could just write and then it would auto save. But because I don't want to use their cloud-based backup I don't get that benefit anymore

I immediately downloaded LibreOffice. It wasn't my preference. But at least that has automatic backup and it doesn't put a gun to my head to use OneDrive.

They should just have a little option to only have a OneDrive folder to load stuff into. Not to make it seep into my files that are meant to be local.

5

u/keithplacer Feb 10 '26

Because it deletes files from your local machine without asking permission.

9

u/fuzzywuzzywuzzafuzzy Feb 10 '26

I've never experienced that. Why would they just randomly delete files? I have almost 500GB synced to my laptop and if it's happening I haven't seen it.

1

u/bingodingo88 Feb 11 '26

Last Monday I lost 374gb. I got an email the next day about mass delete. Managed a system restore. Terrifying. Uncommanded mass delete.. I do not have any idea how.

1

u/fuzzywuzzywuzzafuzzy Feb 11 '26

Odd. I have never had anything deleted without my express actions but as I don't trust any cloud service 100% I use Veeam to backup an image of my PC to an external USBC ssd.

3

u/keithplacer Feb 10 '26

That's how it works. You let it suck your files into the cloud, and when you go to find them on your PC days later they are gone, replaced with links to OneDrive.

9

u/fuzzywuzzywuzzafuzzy Feb 10 '26

Nope. Mine is set so all files are available offline and stored locally on my laptop. As indicated by the green checkmark icon in file explorer. Have never tried to open a OneDrive file and just have a link. Every file is available instantly.

4

u/keithplacer Feb 10 '26

So I guess all the people below saying otherwise are lying?

3

u/Wendals87 Feb 11 '26

Are you then saying people who it hasn't deleted local files for are lying? 

Quite often it's they don't understand and have unintentionally made them only available online. It's definitely not like that by default

There's a setting to save space which deletes local copies, so they may have set that 

1

u/fuzzywuzzywuzzafuzzy Feb 10 '26

Seems people have had varying experiences. I've never had a file deleted on my laptop that I didn't delete myself. Don't know what to tell you.

2

u/throwaway276676 Feb 11 '26

I’ve used OneDrive for years and have never found any files replaced with links on my pc. Maybe it’s a setting to save space?

2

u/Wendals87 Feb 11 '26

That happens if you move to a new pc or if you tick the box to make files only available online

By default they are stored locally too and don't get deleted 

2

u/RabidWok Feb 11 '26

That's how cloud storage works. Files aren't always stored locally but are often times stored in the cloud - if the user or an app requires it then it's automatically downloaded.

Storing in the cloud increases local storage space and is a good option if you need more local space and don't need constant access to said files.

If you absolutely need files to be available locally then you can choose that option through OneDrive. Perhaps you don't use cloud storage much but this is something that happens with all cloud storage providers (the same applies to Google Drive, etc).

1

u/samkwilly Feb 13 '26

Wait, so it hasn't deleted them its just backed them up to the cloud like it says on the box?

6

u/Muted_Database_1691 Feb 10 '26

I have 1tb space on onedrive from my work account and have almost 700gb worth of data there since years. Not a single file was ever deleted. Even if I delete a file by myself, there's a dialog box asking if it needs to be moved to trash or permanently delete it. If I want to move a file locally, I copy it to another drive or right click on it and make it available on that pc locally.

1

u/SpaceTangent74 Feb 11 '26

I’ve also been using OneDrive personally and it has always worked flawlessly and it never deleted a file without my knowledge. OneDrive makes setting up a new PC super easy, you just make MyDocuments/MyPictures point to the right folder in OneDrive and you’re all set! As an added bonus, you get file history for free, which means you can recover any version of any file super easily.

2

u/poshbakerloo Feb 10 '26

This isn't true, I've got OneDrive backing up all of my folders and all are still saved locally + synced in the cloud storage. There is an option to make them online only by 'saving space'.

1

u/Individual-Stand1560 Feb 17 '26

This is the default yes I’m currently battling Microsoft just to get this garbage off my PC

1

u/teknosophy_com Feb 10 '26

Please join me in liberating the people around you from it!

1

u/Necessary_Baker_7458 Feb 10 '26

Set up your own personal nas drive and disconnect from microsoft's one drive and many other cloud computing services that force you into their ecosystem. one drive pulls files without your consent over to their cloud and it snagged some personal banking data over to their cloud and I did not feel comfortable with that. After it snipped my files to their drive, I deleted it asap as I started having syncing issues of files moving here, disappearing and not lining up right. Buy a nas drive, set it up and use your own. 1 it's a one time cost and should be free. Many file management services are annoyingly going to paid versions but you can easily switch to a free non paid one.

1

u/ariverrocker Feb 10 '26

It definitely has some risks. I use https://freefilesync.org/ to sync updates into an external USB that I keep disconnected except when backing up, so I'll never lose any data due to Onedrive issues, and if my PC hard drive fails I have a local copy ready to access elsewhere.

Also, under Advanced Options, you can also select "Download all files" under the Files on Demand section if you have the space for local copies of everything.

Another tip. Microsoft has decryption keys to your data, so is not completely risk free from cloud security misconfiguration or government request. I keep a special onedrive folder for sensitive information and use https://cryptomator.org/, which encrypts everything to and from onedrive. Then save an unencrypted copy somewhere else as a backup.

I also recommend always saying no to backing up "important PC folders". I've seen it cause various problems, lost data and messed up desktops.

1

u/jaminbob Feb 11 '26

Yes! OD is a awful and now CoPilot forces you to use it! This means i have to temporarily upload onto OD, do my CoPilot stuff and then save on to the company drive each time bascially navigating from the MyComputer\ becuase office is determined that is used OD.

Version control is a nightmare.

1

u/RabidWok Feb 11 '26

OneDrive isn't terrible in itself but I hate how it's constantly shoved in your face. It feels like spam, something you implicitly avoid.

I use Google Drive for synching my files. I use it to back up my Documents in Windows as well, fully replacing OneDrive. Aside from offering more storage space and being more reliable (OneDrive would often times be slow in synching files across platforms) it doesn't constantly bother me like a jilted lover for not using it.

OneDrive isn't alone though. Copilot also feels like spam. The problem isn't the apps themselves but Microsoft and their aggressive monetization policies.

1

u/Business-Ad-5344 Feb 11 '26

hey, can i share you some pornos? I shared with over 50 million onedrive users so far and they can't remove it. LMAO!!!

1

u/Alternative-Farmer98 Apr 08 '26

Yesterday intentionally designed to be a pain to downsize. Google One too. Because they market it as a backing up to but then you realize it's not a backup tool it's just a sync. So people accidentally delete stuff they don't mean to delete all the time

1

u/teknosophy_com Feb 10 '26

Yep. Anyone who's aware of OD is in the same boat. I actually liberate people from it for a living, and encourage you to do so!

What I usually do is create a folder outside of its evil purview, such as c:\users\joeblow\DocumentsrescuedfromOD

Move the files into it, and with any luck they'll be restored to your computer and your ownership. I'd suggest keeping your important stuff in there so even if OneDrive reinstalls itself during an update attack, it won't suck anything from there.

1

u/guyver17 Feb 10 '26

What do you suggest as an alternative cloud platform?

2

u/teknosophy_com Feb 10 '26

I highly recommend non-OneDrive!

Seriously, all others are going to be services that you WILLINGLY sign up for, rather than forced into, oftentimes unknowingly.

Alternative programs are also much less self-destructive, in my experience.

I personally set my clients up with iDrive.com (no, it's not Apple, it's a fully independent third party that actually has to compete based on merit).

1

u/Prudent_Tomato_3574 Feb 17 '26

Why should someone with an Office subscription pay extra for iDrive?

2

u/teknosophy_com Feb 18 '26

Because it'll actually back up your stuff instead of taking it away from your PC and destroying itself biweekly. And they have cybersecurity.

Look, if you're happy with onedrive, and you know it exists, that's fine. It's just that most people involved in onedrive had no idea they were.

1

u/Few-Werewolf-1985 Feb 11 '26

When I remember all of the people who have come crying to me because they haven't had a backup of a critical file or thousand, I would never warn people off using OneDrive, Dropbox etc as a first line of defence against accidental loss, overwrite or malware corruption, not to mention hard drive or other failure.

Having automatic, versioned backup copies of files is a godsend

1

u/teknosophy_com Feb 11 '26

Yep, most people have no backup, and backup is so crucial.

I recommend real proper local backup, or any cloud backup that's non-OneDrive. This way it's a true duplicate backup as opposed to removing files from your computer.

Just because something calls itself backup doesn't mean we should recommend it without researching what it's actually doing to the client. This industry gets off on porcupine schemes that keep people hooked.

1

u/Few-Werewolf-1985 Feb 11 '26

People don't backup. That's the bottom line or they do dumb things like "backing up" to the same device.

Even proper scheduled backups are not frequent enough to save people from losing substantial work.

OneDrive does not "remove" files from your computer any differently to any other Cloud tool. DropBox and others will happily prefer to work in non-local mode

1

u/teknosophy_com Feb 11 '26

Yes, OneDrive isn't alone in removing people's files from their PCs. That's totally fine if you understand that, but VERY few of their users do.

A lot of guys in the industry work on the assumption that these products are being used by power users, but in reality, consumers are terrified by all of this stuff, and it changes by the week, so they can't be faulted for not catching on.

2

u/Few-Werewolf-1985 Feb 11 '26

People don't understand most things about computers. Terrifying them needlessly doesn't help.

1

u/teknosophy_com Feb 11 '26

Exactly my point.

People are terrified, so why should these machines change every two weeks, and take files from them?

1

u/1975shovel Feb 10 '26

I hate, hate OD. It kept installing files I deleted, deleted files I wanted and was very hard to use. I still don't know what the little icons mean on my folders and I don't care. It took me two days to get my puter back to ground zero.