Stop Office BACKUP THIS DOCUMENT prompt

This is fantastic, thank you!

I've set up something similar, but simplified/modernized the code by using Powershell, as shown below. Of course in a corporate environment policies for batch scripts vs. Powershell scripts may drive the decision, and of course the extra security measures provided via Powershell mean that the local computer's script execution policy needs to allow this to run. For me this is easier to read and maintain, and I simply sign the script so I know it's secure and have configured my computer to allow running signed Powershell scripts; others may simply allow running all Powershell scripts, despite the vulnerabilities that opens.

Here's the Powershell equivalent of the above batch script:

$regPath = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\KFM"

$regName = "KFMLastDismissTimestamp"

$epochMicroseconds = Get-Date (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime() -UFormat %s

$epochSeconds = [Math]::Floor($epochMicroseconds)

New-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name $regName -Value $epochSeconds -PropertyType DWORD -Force > $NULL

I did a bit more research on this today. The banner message does seem to be a "timed nag" encouraging users to move all their documents to Onedrive.

The nag banner appeared for me in Excel again today. I started recording registry activity and then dismissed the banner. The following entry was updated:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\KFM]

"KFMLastDismissTimestamp"=dword:655baf0b

That hex 655baf0b converts to today's date and the time I dismisssed the dialog. So, the time is being stored, presumably so that (after some period of time passes) the nag banner can be displayed again.

The "KFM" abbreviation refers to a OneDrive feature called "Known Folder Move" -- a simplified, one-step process that moves all user folders to OneDrive when activated. I found more information about KFM here:

Migrate Your Files to OneDrive Easily with Known Folder Move - Microsoft Community Hub

That information is targeted at businesses with domain-joined machines and provides an automated way, via group policies, to migrate user files to a "OneDrive for Business" account.

KFM is also used on personal (non-domain) machines and Onedrive Personal when a user chooses the OneDrive "backup" option, thus moving all the user's folders to OneDrive. There is no mention of the "nag" feature for KFM being built into Office, nor any mention of a way to block that banner. There is mention that if the group policy prohibiting users from redirecting user folders is set, then KFM will not work. But that may not prevent the nag banner from appearing within Office applications.

The answer MAY be this setting::

[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\OneDrive]"KFMBlockOptIn"=dword:00000001

I have added that policy to my machine to test, but it will be a few days before I know if it worked (seems like the "delay" period between dismissing the dialog and it being shown again is around 2-3 days -- but I haven't tracked it so I am not sure of the precise period.)

If anyone else wants to test it, the documentation for that setting can be found here:

IT Admins - Use OneDrive policies to control sync settings - SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn

ARRRGGGHHHH.... 5 days without the nag banner, but it returned this evening. Opened an Excel file and got the stupid "BACKUP THIS DOCUMENT" banner again. So that policy setting did NOT fix this.

It seems like every company is trying to push "subscription" services, as they want sustained monthly profits. My cable company wants me to buy cloud DVR storage, Apple wants me to buy more iCloud storage, and Microsoft wants me to pay monthly for increased OneDrive storage. And all of them will do everything they can to make it the "path of least resistance" with repeated nag screens. <sigh> I get closer every day to just ditching Windows and using Linux (not perfect either, but tired of being nagged and coerced into services I don't want).

I apologize for sounding like Eeyore, but it's just a matter of time before Microsoft devises a means to negate the scripts to get rid of that idiot nag.

It is much like how they tried to push Internet Explorer on us, and now Edge. There is a reason they want to make everyone use their cloud services specifically and it isn't for our good health.

As long as Microsoft can, they will take what were once good programs for which in good faith we paid with reasonable expectation that only modifications patently user beneficial would be made in upgrades, and instead infect them like any other malicious virus with proprietary attempts to increase Microsoft "on-board income" (if you ever took a cruise you will well know what that means).

Microsoft knows despite all the threats, the vast majority of users will not switch to an open source platform. I myself have far too many lines of VBA code in my central business use Excel project to switch at this point.

Since Excel has done all i need it to do for some time (years) now i suspect my best solution is to roll it back or convert to a prior "standalone" version and attempt to freeze out any "upgrades" which Microsoft offers, cancel their 365 product entirely - i have no use for anything else they dream up to embed more useless intrusions on me masking malicious code. I have not looked into this avenue in a long time, but i guess the time once again has come - i do not think for a moment that this is the last time they will pull this unethical slime ball disgusting sewer stench fecal matter (...) garbage on the population-

I'm sure i can find prior versions of Excel, Word and Outlook somewhere around here.

Sad thing. Seemed under Gates originally they were an ethical company for many years, but once they had a virtual monopoly on a large enough population they just had to use corrupt practices. Never would have thought i would say this, but i was a fool for opposing government moves to intervene years ago; i can only hope someone who can bring forth legislation reads this - there are probably a lot of people who, given how Microsoft has changed over the years, would back legislation to break them up.

Answering my own question: The "Save" settings I'm using now for Word that seem to have cured this defect are below (user name and paths redacted for privacy).

I don't think that's it.... Because those are the same settings I already have in Excel and Word. I still get the banner saying "Backup this Document" from time to time.

It doesn't happen every time a document is opened/changed. Almost like some kind of "timed nag screen", that goes away temporarily when dismissed, but comes back again some number of hours/days later.