OneDrive is useful if you store your data on the cloud and it comes pre-installed on your Windows PC. Whenever you start your computer, the OneDrive app starts automatically at the start-up. Whether you want to stop the app from starting every time your Windows PC starts or just want to get rid of OneDrive and use its web version to access your data, there are 3 ways to turn off OneDrive on Windows. Here they are.
1) Stop the OneDrive app from starting at Windows start-up
The first thing that you can do is to stop the app from running automatically at the Windows start-up. This will stop the app from using your computer resources and also data in the background. You can manually start the app and then access your data on the cloud.
The easy way to stop the app from starting is to use OneDrive’s system tray icon at the bottom.
- Step 1: Click on the OneDrive system tray icon and then click on the Settings gear icon as shown.
- Step 2: Click on the Settings tab, and in General, uncheck the box Start OneDrive Automatically When I Sign In to Windows.
- Step 3: Save your changes by clicking OK.
Now when you start your PC, the OneDrive app won’t start automatically.
2) Quit the OneDrive app from the notification tray
Another way to turn off the OneDrive app on your Windows PC is to quit the app. Doing so closes the app, removes the app from the system tray, and stops the file syncing. You can do it in a few clicks.
- Step 1: Click on the OneDrive system tray icon and then click on the Settings gear icon as shown.
- Step 2: Click on the Quit OneDrive and a dialog box will open asking you to confirm the move.
- Step 3: Close OneDrive in the popup.
3) Uninstall the OneDrive app from your PC
Lastly, if you are annoyed by the app, you can just remove it from the system and use its web version to access your data. If you don’t plan to use OneDrive anymore, you can simply uninstall the app from your PC and get rid of it completely. You can always get the app back by re-installing it.
- Step 1: Press the shortcut Windows + X to open the quick link menu and choose Apps and Features.
- Step 2: Search for OneDrive in the search box and click the three dots on the right side. Select Uninstall and follow the instructions.
This way you can remove the OneDrive app from the PC. Install whenever required.
You can also stop syncing with OneDrive to prevent the app from using your Wi-Fi or mobile data in case you just want the app to stop using your data. Click the app icon in the system tray and click on the Settings gear icon, choose Pause Syncing and time-frequency.
That’s all for now. You can head to our How-To Guides section for more about Windows stuff. Here are some useful Windows 11 tips and tricks for you.
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- How to play sound from two different audio outputs [Windows 11]
- How to disable app notifications in Windows 11
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