Windows 11 or Onedrive has moved all my files into Onedrive. What is going on?

Anonymous
2023-10-04T10:54:25+00:00

A couple of days back I found that somehow all my files and folders on my Win 11 PC under C:\users.. have suddenly been moved into my Onedrive.
I keep many files under local storage intentionally so that they DON'T get uploaded into Onedrive. Now I see all these files being uploaded into Onedrive, which I DON'T want.
I have been using Onedrive for over 2 years.
How did this happen? How do I reverse it?
Microsoft, you are too much!

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

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Craig Long 18,550 Reputation points
2023-10-13T02:51:52+00:00

"So here is my supposition: OneDrive, by default, at some update in the last few months, automatically turned on SYNC, and my Documents folder (and Pictures and Desktop) all got moved to OneDrive folders.

I since then, used the info here to turn off the sync of these folders. But that did not move them back, so they continued to live in OneDrive and continued to sync."

Yes. The OneDrive folder is always there even when you uninstall OneDrive. However, if OneDrive is uninstalled, then it no longer syncs to the online OneDrive.

"PS - I am assuming that if you turn sync on, it moves those folders from the username folder to the OneDrive folder."

Yes, that's right. There is no problem leaving them in the OneDrive folder unless they start syncing again.

"But if you turn sync off, it does nothing, as it does not move the folders back again. And the only thing that will sync in OneDrive, are the actual folders and files in the OneDrive folder structure. Hence why you have to manually move the folders back again."

Yes

To stop the "Sync and Backup" of your folders, go to Manage Backup in the OneDrive Settings. In Windows 11, you will find Manage Backup at OneDrive Settings > Sync and Backup tab > Manage Backup.

"C:>Users>username>ManilaFolders" is a good location on the C drive to hide data from OneDrive**.** An external drive and a separate data partition are great ways to avoid OneDrive.

Create and format a data partition

If sync turns on by itself or OneDrive reinstalls without asking, you may want to avoid the Documents folder and the other standard folders.

A YouTube video explaining more about this is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yXgyrsqraE

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-16T16:44:00+00:00

    Are you fricken kidding me? Give more money to a multi billionaire to get our stuff out of their control program?? Thats just cruel!!!! That better not happen!

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-16T04:12:52+00:00

    Imagine if the 1.4 billion users of Microsoft Windows each HAD to pay $3 to be able to retrieve their data. Food for thought.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-09T04:54:00+00:00

    What the hell is this supposed to do?? NOTHING stops the POS one drive from stealing my stuff no matter what I do! MICROSOFT IS A CONTROL FREAK AND GTH!

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-08T15:30:42+00:00

    Yes. We fed AI for Microsoft.

    And any other platform we went on as the Millionaires were in a contest to see who could build the best AI platform and make the most money with it first... and there's more, but that's that

    It's done, and we keep moving forward unless we figure out how to have our own platform and become billionaires together and just be us not in competition and live a more Godly Love Life

    Amen

    I hear you & agree 100%. One Drive is insidious with its tentacles into everything stored on your computer - regardless of whether you want it or not. Cannot understand how this is legal [yeah, yeah I know we agree to a whole lot of stuff when we start using MS] when you purchase the desktop, laptop, phone whatever, then purchase the subscriptions then they go into your info to steal & move your files without your permission. Microsoft is an unethical company & I rue the day I ever started with MS decades ago. Too naïve back then to see what would come. Have been toying with the idea of Linux too but the fact that I don't know what I'm doing with that has worried me. All I can do for now is unlink all computers from One Drive & leave them disconnected.

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