Windows 11 - documents folder is linked to onedrive instead of the pc storage. can't unlink it.

Ty Brian, I've dine what you said unchecked the tabs in the backup folder. But all my photos are still in documents and visa versa.

Please don't insert false information into this thread. The subject is confusing enough for most people.

The Location tab in Properties is exactly the same in Windows 11 as in Windows 10. As in Windows 10, it only appears in the Properties panel of a system folder, so if you don't see it, you're not looking at the right folder.

This is very curious:

In Win 11, File Explorer / Home appears to show folders, such as:

-Downloads, that show labeled as "Stored Locally" and properties\location says C:\

-Documents which has a checkmark, but no cloud next to it and properties\location says C:\

-Pictures which has a clout next to it, but properties\location says C:\

This suggests that properties\location does not indicate location actual location, and might mean logical storage structure?

If I go to the C: drive,

-Downloads has files in it

-Documents is listed, but empty

-Pictures is not listed, so the cloud symbol appears to mean cloud only?

If I open OneDrive with the system tray icon, click the gear icon, select settings, select Sync and backup, manage backup, it shows Documents, Pictures & Desktop backed up. But they are treated differently as the listed evidence shows.

I prefer Documents to exist locally and in OneDrive, which I would call synced. The evidence does not show I am there. How can get there?

Hi. I'm Brian and I will do my best to help you.

Go into the Settings on OneDrive, select the Backup tab and uncheck Documents (and Desktop and Pictures if you wish) and those folders should get moved back to their position under C:\Users<youraccount>, unless you've manually created folders of the same name, which is not the correct approach.

Brian, This seems like good simple advice.

"Go into the Settings on OneDrive, select the Backup tab and uncheck Documents (and Desktop and Pictures if you wish) and those folders should get moved back to their position under C:\Users<youraccount>, unless you've manually created folders of the same name, which is not the correct approach"

But, I want two copies, one on Onedrive & one on local storage.

Your direction makes it sound like my files are already local and the just appear to be onedrive. But, when I look under C:\users\ownername\Documents, there is nothing there.

FIRST, MAKE SURE YOU LOG INTO ONEDRIVE.COM WITH THE SAME EMAIL YOU'LL USE ON YOUR PC AND SAVE ALL THE FOLDERS TO AN EXTERNAL DRIVE, LIKE A USB, OR A SECONDARY DRIVE IN YOUR COMPUTER SO YOU DON'T LOSE ANY DATA.

I know, it's like a virus you can't get rid of. I racked my brain for several days, trying to find a solution. After a LONG time I finally came up with this...

Windows 11

While trying to uninstall OneDrive I tried about forty links and about as many videos. All to no avail! There was so much junk - from modifying the Registry to running multiple scripts in Powershell - and Command Console - and walking through sometimes twenty steps in various windows functions and apps and on and on. It made me sick.

I did come up with a solution that INVOLVES RE-INSTALLING WINDOWS and it worked for ME!

1. I went to the website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11  a. I downloaded Windows 11 Installation Assistant and created Windows 11 Installation Media on a USB Drive
2. I reinstalled Windows 11 using this media a. I clicked the link on one of the dialogs - "Set up as new PC" - watch for it so you don't miss it
3. After the OS was fully installed I went to OneDrive.com and logged in with the Email that I used to install Windows a. Windows had set everything up and I had a working OneDrive.com instance in the cloud - (If you had installed Windows previously

   with this same Email this OneDrive.com instance would have already been there)

   b. Multiple directories and the Personal Vault folders were visible

4. I deleted every folder and disabled Personal Vault Folder (it can't be deleted but if you right-click it you can disable it)
5. I signed out of this instance of OneDrive.com
6. I went to my installation of Windows 11 and signed in to the OneDrive app using the same Email a. I clicked "Unlink this PC"

   b. I clicked "Choose folders" in the dialog that came up

   c. I was able to UNCHECK EVERY SINGLE FOLDER IN THE DIALOG!!!

7. I quickly exited from OneDrive and rebooted the computer :)
8. ALL TRACES OF ONEDRIVE WERE GONE!!! a. When I right-clicked my Documents folder it looked like this: (C:\Users[MyUserName]\Documents)

b. OneDrive was not in the string

9. Try it - you'll like it!