Files not synced - OneDrive

That is true, except, I too believe, for what Craig said about the "Auto Save tab, Update Folders button"...

If you stop protecting them, they will become computer resident only. The folders will move out of the OneDrive folder, I think, & up a level into the User folder probably. But you may also need to go online & delete the folders there - afterwards. Chances are, if you delete them at the site first, they disappear on the computer too. But likely they end up in the Recycle Bin at the site.

Edit 10/29:  Turning off Protection does not move the files currently on OneDrive. It just sets new files to go to the old (unprotected) location they came from. That's in C:\Users<Username><Foldername>. One must move the existing files/folders oneself, if desired; then, they also end up in the online RecycleBin. Sheesh.

I wish they had a "Local-only file" option but they don't.

(1) I don't have Office & I don't have two separate devices (or even two Microsoft User Accounts) linked to a single OneDrive account. Is your Microsoft Office account like a separate device accessing the same OneDrive account as your Windows account does? Sounds like CraigLong knows more than me about that. But, I think, in that case, the separate devices (or accounts) would coordinate their files through OneDrive. I guess the folders that both of them have chosen in common at the OneDrive settings' Accounts tab would seek to be identical in terms of the files contained & the contents of the files. Anything changed on one would soon change on the other. Anything changed at the OneDrive site would soon change on both devices.

(2) Regarding those Status icons, both a "circled check" & an "empty cloud" can exist in a fully synced state when Files On-Demand is in effect. Fully synced means the files are identical on the computer & at the OneDrive site. But - with On-Demand - files may actually exist only at the OneDrive site & will download when accessed.  The circled check means a file has been downloaded into the computer (& will be available while offline). An empty cloud means the file is currently only at the OneDrive site (& can be accessed only while online)...

 https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Learn-about-OneDrive-Files-On-Demand-0E6860D3-D9F3-4971-B321-7092438FB38E

Learn about OneDrive Files On-Demand

"

Your files will have these statuses in File Explorer:

<br><br>Online-only files	Online-only files don’t take up space on your computer. You see a cloud icon for each online-only file in File Explorer, but the file doesn’t download to your device until you open it. You can’t open online-only files when<br> your device isn’t connected to the Internet.
<br><br>Locally available files	When you open an online-only file, it downloads to your device and becomes a<br>locally available file. You can open a locally available file anytime, even without Internet access. If you need more space, you can change the file back to online only. Just right-click the file and select “Free up space.”
<br><br>Always available files	Only files that you mark as "Always keep on this device" have the green circle with the white check mark. These<br>always available files download to your device and take up space, but they’re always there for you even when you’re offline.

"

Ah - the green one means it's been made "always available".

"Free up Space" means "free up local space only" not "free up cloud space".  You can choose to make individual files not locally available to save local storage space.

You can however turn off the syncing of the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders at the AutoSave tab in the OneDrive Settings but then you will have to manually remove the files from OneDrive.