One drive has messed up my whole PC. How do I get my files back on my PC, and switch off one drive forever. (Please dont answer a question I did not ask)?

Anonymous
2024-01-12T07:27:02+00:00

One drive asked me if I wanted to back-up my files, it does not back up, it steals them and puts them online and in the process loses lots of them and makes your whole document opening slower.

This is not what I wanted, and its not what it said it would do (back up)

I dont want it, it has messed up my whole PC.

How do I get my files back on my PC, and switch off one drive forever?

Please dont answer a question I did not ask, don't tell me about where they are stored and an online recycle bin, or green ticks or always keep on this device.

I just want to COMPLETELY reverse the operation.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-07-10T23:01:17+00:00

    biggest pies of crap software. so unintuitive .... just use google one drive and store ur files there or a usb drive. it installs files i had like 6 years ago. just uninstall it as soon as windows boots up so it doesnt start syncing random files. it started to sync program files folder for me... WHY WOULD YOU MAKE IT DO THAT. it syncs random files from programs not even installed

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-07-05T16:01:52+00:00

    Absolute disaster here too and at risk of losing a lot now. Time to get off OneDrive.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-06-09T06:13:47+00:00

    I have had the same problem: I arranged my computer in a manner that suits me. I changed the location of the general folders (my documents/ my pictures/ etc.) to a location that is convenient to me. When I responded to a pop-up that suggested that I backup my computer using OneDrive, this action changed all my setup and moved my files and folders. I also have the impression that it slowed my work.

    When I tried to re-define the location of these folders to my preferred location I received an error message. I unlinked my computer from one drive but I was still unable to re-define the location but received the same error. The only solution was to manually change the registry keys and then manually moving all the files that OneDrive moved without my permission and even without any notification/ explanation.

    Microsoft: don't call it "backup" when it does something entirely different; and don't change settings in a person's computer without first notifying him of the exact changes and then attaining his permission!

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-06-08T08:08:29+00:00

    Hardly a day goes by without Microsoft interfering unnecessarily with my work.

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-06-08T04:02:31+00:00

    What you are requiring to do to keep the PC and external harddrive backups on the computer once the automatic installation of OneDrive is totally insane. Microsoft should not make it so difficult to keep your files on your own hard drive backups! This is not even explained when you install 365 professional software! One drive takes over your computer before you can even stop it. What happened to SELECTING the SOFTWARE I WANT not What some need at Microsoft wants. Give is our control back.

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