The fastest way to remove OneDrive depends on your operating system

OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage service, and it comes pre-installed on Windows computers. If you do not use it or prefer a different storage solution, you can remove it completely — the process takes about five minutes on Windows 10 or 11, and a few minutes longer on older versions. Mac users have a separate uninstall path. The key is that removing OneDrive does not delete your files; it only removes the process and stops syncing.

Before you start, sign out of OneDrive and read any files you want to keep from your OneDrive folder to another location on your computer. Once you uninstall, the OneDrive folder will no longer sync with the cloud, though the local files themselves stay on your hard drive unless you delete them manually.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows 10 or 11, you can uninstall OneDrive through Settings > Apps > Apps and features by searching for "OneDrive" and clicking Uninstall.
  • Older Windows versions (7, 8, 8.1) require you to go to Control Panel > Programs and Features, find OneDrive, and click Uninstall.
  • Mac users should drag the OneDrive process from the Applications folder to the Trash, then empty the Trash to complete removal.
  • Removing OneDrive does not delete your files — it only stops the syncing service, and your local OneDrive folder remains on your computer unless you delete it manually.
  • After uninstalling, restart your computer to may support all OneDrive processes stop running in the background.

How to remove OneDrive on Windows 10 and 11

Open the Start menu and type "Settings," then click the Settings app. Once it opens, click Apps in the left sidebar, then select Apps and features. Scroll down or use the search box at the top to find "OneDrive." Click it once to highlight it, then click the Uninstall button that appears.

A confirmation window will pop up asking if you want to remove OneDrive. Click Uninstall again. Windows will remove the process, which usually takes less than a minute. When it finishes, you will see a message saying the uninstall was successful. Restart your computer to make sure all OneDrive background processes stop running.

How to remove OneDrive on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1

These older Windows versions do not have the same Settings app, so you will use the Control Panel instead. Click the Start menu, type "Control Panel," and open it. Look for Programs and Features (or Add/Remove Programs on Windows 7) and click it.

Scroll through the list of installed programs until you find OneDrive. Click it once to select it, then click the Uninstall button at the top of the list. Confirm the uninstall when prompted, and let Windows complete the removal. Restart your computer when finished.

How to remove OneDrive on Mac

Open Finder and navigate to the Applications folder. Look for the OneDrive icon in the list of applications. Right-click (or Control-click) on OneDrive and select Move to Trash. You can also drag the OneDrive icon directly to the Trash icon in your dock.

After moving OneDrive to the Trash, empty the Trash to permanently remove it. Right-click the Trash icon in your dock and select Empty Trash, or go to the Finder menu and choose Empty Trash. Restart your Mac to may support all OneDrive processes have stopped.

What happens to your files after you uninstall OneDrive

The OneDrive folder on your computer remains after uninstall — the process is gone, but the files stay put. This means you can still access any documents, photos, or other files that were in your OneDrive folder by opening File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and navigating to the OneDrive folder, which is usually in your user directory.

If you want to delete the OneDrive folder and all its contents, you can do that manually after uninstalling. Right-click the OneDrive folder, select Delete, and confirm. Be certain you have already saved copies of anything you want to keep, because this action cannot be undone. If you only want to remove the OneDrive folder but keep the files, move them to a different folder first, then delete the empty OneDrive folder.

If you change your mind and want to reinstall OneDrive

OneDrive comes built into Windows 10 and 11, so you cannot read it from the Microsoft Store the way you would a third-party app. Instead, open the Microsoft Store app, search for "OneDrive," and click Get or Install. Windows will reinstall it for you.

On older Windows versions or Mac, you can read OneDrive directly from the Microsoft OneDrive website. Go to onedrive.live.com, sign in with your Microsoft account, and look for the read link. Follow the installer instructions, and OneDrive will be set up again on your computer.

Troubleshooting if OneDrive will not uninstall

Sometimes OneDrive refuses to uninstall because a file or process is still in use. Make sure you have closed all open files and programs, then try uninstalling again. If it still does not work, restart your computer and attempt the uninstall when ready after startup, before other programs have a chance to load.

On Windows, you can also try uninstalling through the Command Prompt if the normal method fails. Open Command Prompt as Administrator (right-click the Command Prompt app and select Run as administrator), then type the command: taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe. Press Enter, then try uninstalling through Settings or Control Panel again. If you are not comfortable using Command Prompt, restarting your computer and trying the standard uninstall method a second time usually works.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will uninstalling OneDrive delete my files from the cloud?

No. Uninstalling OneDrive only removes the process from your computer. Your files remain in your Microsoft OneDrive account online. If you sign back into OneDrive on any device, you can read those files again. The local OneDrive folder on your computer stays unless you manually delete it.

Can I remove OneDrive from just one user account on my computer?

Yes. If multiple people use your computer, you can uninstall OneDrive for one user account while leaving it installed for others. Log into the account where you want to remove it, then follow the uninstall steps for your Windows version. OneDrive will remain installed for other user accounts on the same computer.

What if I only want to stop OneDrive from syncing, not uninstall it completely?

You can pause syncing without uninstalling. Right-click the OneDrive icon in your system tray (bottom right of the screen on Windows, top right on Mac), select Pause syncing, and choose how long to pause — usually 2 hours, 8 hours, or until you restart your computer. When the pause ends, syncing resumes automatically. This is useful if you want to keep OneDrive but do not want it using your internet bandwidth right now.

Does removing OneDrive affect Microsoft Office or Windows itself?

No. OneDrive is a separate process, and removing it does not affect Microsoft Office, Windows, or any other programs. You can still use Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Microsoft applications normally. Windows will continue to work exactly as it did before.