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

Anonymous
2022-08-26T22:34:31+00:00

I recently got a new laptop and I'm not sure how windows 11 works. I noticed that my documents folder was just my OneDrive, which i don't want.

When i tried to redirect it to the main storage, i get:

I'm not sure how to get it to work.

I don't want to unlink my onedrive completely because i use it often to transfer files.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
Brian Tillman 27,030 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2022-08-26T23:08:01+00:00

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.

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments

93 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
  1. Anonymous
    2023-10-15T02:21:55+00:00

    I want to know why in the world would microsoft do this????

    Why would one buy 2TB of hard drive and microsoft would assume that they would want to sync to onedrive without asking them??

    I did all the steps to stop syncing it to onedrive and the damn thing goes back to it. Microsoft.... a feedback regarding this. If this issue is not fixed soon I will switch to linux distribution. Free, better privacy and no assumptions on their part.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2023-09-21T18:52:31+00:00

    I don't have "Location Tab"

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2023-09-11T14:04:11+00:00

    I had unlinked One Drive when I first got my computer so I'm surprised when Outlook said my storage is full. I went to settings in One Drive and there is no Backup tab.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2023-08-13T20:27:24+00:00

    I'm in the exact horrible predicament as the OP. I finally bought a new PC with Win 11 OEM pre installed. Opted for the regular (not customized) windows OS setup when fired up system. Then spent THE ENTIRE DAY yesterday downloading my Steam library which is 1.2 TB of game data. Most of this ended up in the traditional/default

    C:\Users\username\Documents path where 3rd party software typically gets directed. Except THIS time around for Win 11, Microsoft has now decided to hold PC users HOSTAGE. By unwittingly tricking them into installing software data in this location which is actually UNWANTED PAYWALL aka

    C:\Users\username\OneDrive\Documents

    A migraine inconvenience which I just noticed a couple hours ago. When I tried to copy some 800MB+ game data files to my local storage in the Documents folder. Only to find that I'd unwittingly exceeded the 5GB OneDrive paywall??? I paid $5,000 USD plus sales tax for my new gaming system. And of the 3 existing M.2 SSDs, I dedicated a secondary 4TB SSD exclusively to my Steam library. And installed all my games on this secondary drive. Only to find out some games (ESPECIALLY LEGACY PRE 2010 GAMES) typically dump a minority of files all over the place. Like to the primary 1TB C:\ SSD drive which I'd exclusively dedicated to Win 11 OS programs and it's unwanted infinite dumping of updates. The same C:\ drive which has forced a OneDrive paywall feature which I DO NOT wish to use. Never mind being forced to pay a costly monthly sub for an UNWANTED & TOTALLY UNECESSARY cloud storage service.

    And now I find that even after unlinking & uninstalling OneDrive off the primary C:\ drive, the blasted path for OneDrive STILL remains in the registry. Which means I CAN'T PLAY MY GAMES WITHOUT REINSTALLING THE ENTIRE STEAM LIBRARY. WHY MICROSOFT? WHY???

    The only other possible workaround is liberating the Documents folder (which contains many Steam games) from the obsoleted OneDrive folder. aka manually moving the Documents folder back to the traditional path

    C:\Users\username\Documents

    But that doesn't fix all the registry url paths I'd have to update!!! How the hell am I supposed to remedy this issue without having to redownload my Steam library ALL OVER AGAIN???

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments