How to Stop Onedrive From Syncing

Microsoft’s Onedrive is a very useful program with a backup sync feature. However, sometimes it syncs files and folders that we do not want. So, if you’re trying to cut down on your OneDrive usage or don’t want certain folders to sync automatically, you can change your OneDrive settings.

There are several ways you can stop Onedrive from syncing. Let’s discuss some of the methods in detail.

Why Stop Onedrive From Syncing?

Onedrive syncing is a very useful tool. But sometimes, the files that belong to the recycle bin get synced, which takes up unnecessary space in the already limited cloud storage. Onedrive syncing also runs in the background and takes up quite a bit of memory.

So, if you are using resource-intensive programs, it’s better to stop the sync or pause it for the moment.

How to Stop Onedrive From Syncing

There are a number of ways you can stop Onedrive from syncing. You can try any of the following methods and get the result you want. Let’s discuss them in detail.

Unlink Your PC

You can unlink or disconnect your PC from your Onedrive account. This will terminate any running process related to Onedrive syncing. To stop Onedrive from syncing from your PC, follow these steps.

1. Click on the Cloud logo on the right-hand side of the taskbar.
   
2. Click on the Settings logo on the top right corner of the window.
3. Go to Settings.
   
4. Click on Unlink this PC.
5. Click on Unlink account.
   

This should stop any ongoing sync process.

If there is no cloud icon on the taskbar, follow these steps:

1. Click on the upwards-facing arrow symbol.
2. You should find Onedirve’s logo there. If you do not, use the search bar to find and open the application.
3. Onedrive’s folder should open up. 
4. Right-click on the empty space of the folder.
5. Click on Settings.
   
6. Under Account click on Unlink this PC.
7. Click on Unlink account.
   

Pause the Onedrive Sync

There are times when you do not want to stop the sync completely. In that case, you can pause it for a set period of time. To pause Onedrive from syncing from your PC, follow these steps.

1. Click on the Cloud logo on the right-hand side of the taskbar.
2. Click on the Settings logo on the top right corner of the window.
3. Click on the Pause Syncing option.
   
4. Select the timing from the drop-down menu.

You can also set your Onedrive to stop syncing when your device’s power-saving mode is on or when your device is connected to a metered network. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Click on the Cloud logo on the right-hand side of the taskbar.
2. Click on the Settings logo on the top right corner of the window.
3. Click on Settings.
4. Head over to the Settings tab.
5. Under General check the options to automatically pause sync in battery saver mode and metered network connection.
   

Turn Off Auto Backup

You may have turned on the automatic feature which syncs photos and videos automatically whenever you connect a device to your device. This starts unnecessary syncing and can be a bit annoying. To stop this from happening, follow these steps.

1. Click on the Cloud logo on the right-hand side of the taskbar.
2. Click on the Settings logo on the top right corner of the window.
3. Click on Settings.
4. Go to the Backup tab.
5. Uncheck the option under Photos and Videos.
   

Cut Off the Internet Connection

This is a rather unorthodox method, but it works very well most of the time. Simply turning off the Wi-Fi or the ethernet connection will disrupt the ongoing syncing. The sync will not continue until the internet connection has been restored.

Close Onedrive Application

Onedrive is one of those applications that run in the background. You will not even notice that it’s running until you open the application and see the sync progress bar. Fortunately, Microsoft has added the option to stop background syncing. To stop Onedrive from running in the background, follow these steps.

1. Click on the Cloud logo on the right-hand side of the taskbar.
2. Click on the Settings logo on the top right corner of the window.
3. Click on the Close Onedrive option at the bottom of the menu.
   
4. Click on Close Onedrive.

Uninstall Onedrive

This method seems a bit unusual at first glance, but it’s actually a great choice if you do not use Onedrive that much. To uninstall one drive from your PC, follow these steps.

1. Go to the start menu.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Click on Apps.
4. Scroll down to Microsoft Onedrive.
5. Click on Uninstall.
   
6. Click on Uninstall again.
7. If a prompt appears on your screen, click on the Yes button.

Depending on your device, it will take a few minutes to uninstall. Unlike other programs, Microsoft Onedrive does not have an uninstallation window that shows the uninstallation progress.

FAQs

How Do I Unsync Onedrive Without Deleting Files?

To unsync OneDrive without deleting particular files, follow these steps.

1. Go to your Onedrive folder.
2. Right-click on the folder you want to keep.
3. Select the Always keep on this device option.