Six ways to prevent Windows from automatically saving files to OneDrive

Although OneDrive is convenient for file sharing and synchronization, not all files are suitable for cloud storage. What if you want to save files locally instead of cloud? This article will provide six ways to help you prevent Windows from automatically saving files to OneDrive.

Method 1: Temporarily pause OneDrive synchronization

This method temporarily stops Windows from saving files to OneDrive.

Step 1: Click on the OneDrive icon in the system tray and select the Help and Settings icon.

Step 2: In the drop-down menu, select "Pause Sync" and select the pause duration.

Method 2: Stop backup folder

This method is to permanently stop specific folders from syncing to OneDrive.

Step 1: Click the OneDrive icon and gear icon and select "Settings".

Step 2: In the Sync and Backup tab, close the following two options:

• "Save photos and videos from the device"
• "Save the screenshots I took to OneDrive"

Step 3: Then click "Manage Backup" to close the folder you don't want to back up to OneDrive. Click "Save Changes".

Method 3: Change Microsoft Office document settings

If you want to prevent Office documents from being saved to OneDrive, you can change some settings in Office.

Step 1: Open your Office application and go to File > Options > Save .

Step 2: Select the "Save to computer by default" option and select the path below where you want to save the Office file. Click OK to save the changes.

Method 4: Use the Group Policy Editor to stop automatically saving to OneDrive

This method requires the use of the Group Policy Editor.

Step 1: Press Win R to open "Run", enter gpedit.msc and press Enter.

Step 2: In the left panel, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > OneDrive .

Step 3: In the right panel, double-click "Save document to OneDrive by default" and select "Disable". Click Apply and OK. Repeat this step to disable "Block file storage with OneDrive".

Method 5: Unlink OneDrive’s Microsoft Account

This method will completely disconnect OneDrive from your Microsoft account.

Step 1: Click the OneDrive icon and then click the gear icon.

Step 2: Select Settings, and in the Accounts tab, click the "Unlink this computer" option below your name.

Step 3: In the pop-up window, select "Unlink Account" to confirm, and then restart the computer.

Method 6: Uninstall OneDrive

This is the most straightforward way, but will completely remove OneDrive.

Step 1: Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps and Features .

Step 2: Locate and click Microsoft OneDrive and select Uninstall > Uninstall .

Local backup: MiniTool ShadowMaker

If you prefer local storage over cloud services, for data security, we recommend using MiniTool ShadowMaker for file backup. The software can help you perform automatic backups and configure backup plans.

You can download and install the program to get a 30-day free trial.

Summarize

This article provides six ways to prevent Windows from automatically saving files to OneDrive, and you can choose the right method according to your own situation. Hope this article helps you.

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