OneDrive infiltration

Hi
It has taken me 5 days to set up my new Windows PC, and I don't wish to re-format it.
However I have a serious problem.
I think I selected One Drive when setting up my new Windows 11 PC, lured in by $3 offer... instead of waiting until after everything installed as with previous PC.
I assumed that it would only make reference to One Drive, in the One Drive folder in Windows Explorer... nowhere else unless I specify so.
However it infiltrated everywhere, and I have troubles fixing it:
-The easier fixes are when I do short-cuts on desk top, and find the OneDrive has been in properties which I can remove.
-The much harder fixes are in other not critical places like ThisPC -> Pictures, where I can't remove One Drive from it's path. I just want Pictures to look in C: not One Drive.
I have tried Control Panel / Programs & features / MS One Drive (right click)... then Uninstall... but that didn't fix problem.
Any suggestions to remove One Drive references (other than 5-day re-format & reinstall)?
Thanks

Disable "Files on-demand" to make sure, that all your files are available locally. Then disable/uninstall onedrive.

Unfortunately in my desperation, I already disabled One Drive beforehand, which didn't help. Anything else?

sidr said:

Unfortunately in my desperation, I already disabled One Drive beforehand, which didn't help. Anything else?

Click to expand...

To relocate/move files from Onedrive to local PC, visit the link below.

I'm sorry, I didn't explain my problem properly.
I don't need to move files from One Drive to my hard drive.
I need to not only uninstall/disable completely One Drive (done), but remove all references of One Drive from my PC
eg in ThisPC folder, I want "Pictures" folder to point to C: not One Drive.
This was the case on my old PC, when I entered No to One Drive during initial setting up PC.

If this is not possible, I will have to reformat my PC and reinstall everything (including answering No to One Drive) taking 5+days.

sidr said:

I'm sorry, I didn't explain my problem properly.
I don't need to move files from One Drive to my hard drive.
I need to not only uninstall/disable completely One Drive (done), but remove all references of One Drive from my PC
eg in ThisPC folder, I want "Pictures" folder to point to C: not One Drive.
This was the case on my old PC, when I entered No to One Drive during initial setting up PC.

If this is not possible, I will have to reformat my PC and reinstall everything (including answering No to One Drive) taking 5+days.

Click to expand...

You want to have the folder location in the User account, which would be the default without Onedrive, correct? If that's correct, you need to change the path. If you watch the video in the link all the way through, I believe you will achieve the result you are attempting.


As you state, you have already completed the first few steps, you just need to keep going.

sidr said:

I think I selected One Drive when setting up my new Windows 11 PC,

Click to expand...

I think you may not have been given the option, MS has made it very difficult to avoid OneDrive. I fear your best bet is to bite the bullet > reinstall the OS > stop OneDrive sync (there is a tutorial) > uninstall OneDrive

1. Unlink PC from Onedrive In task tray, click Onedrive icon. Click gear icon to get into Onedrive Settings. Under Account tab, select "Unlink this PC"
under Settings tab - Uncheck start Onedrive automatically with Windows.

2, TO MOVE PERSONAL FOLDERS TO THEIR DEFAULT LOCATION ON C: DRIVE see the following tutorial.
I suggest you you option 3. (bat file method) This tutorial is for your documents folder but at the bottom are links for moving all you other personal folders to their default location as well.
You will want to move documents, desktop, pictures, videos, downloads, and music folders.
Move or Restore Default Location of Documents Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial

2. HOW TO CHANGE LOCATION OF PERSONAL FOLDERS TO A NEW STORAGE LOCATION SUCH AS A SECONDARY DRIVE TO SAVE SPACE ON PRIMARY DRIVE

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to your storage drive
3. Create new folders there named Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos

TO MOVE FOLDER LOCATION
In the left file explorer navigation pane, RIGHT click on 'documents' folder, select properties. (NOTE: If you don't see the Documents folder in the navigation pane, then type shellersonal into the address bar of File Explorer, and press Enter to open the Documents folder no matter where it may be located.)
Click location tab
Click Move button
Click the Select Folder button.
In the explorer window that pops up, browse to the secondary drive and select the DOCUMENTS folder you created.
Click Select Folder, Click Move. click Ok
You'll see a prompt asking whether you want to move files from the old location to new location. Select YES.
To prove to yourself that it worked, when you now go to properties of the documents folders it should show location as your secondary drive.
Repeat this process for the other 5 folders you want to move to your secondary drive.
Make sure that all the files that were originally in the folders that defaulted to Onedrive are there in the new location.

Haydon said:

I think you may not have been given the option, MS has made it very difficult to avoid OneDrive. I fear your best bet is to bite the bullet > reinstall the OS > stop OneDrive sync (there is a tutorial) > uninstall OneDrive

Click to expand...

Great answer, Haydon !

Is it necessary stop OneDrive sync if you plan to uninstall ?

Also, I believe I have seen a tutorial on how to delete OneDrive files that have been accumulated ?

Hi all, thanks for your help. I will re-install

sidr said:

Hi all, thanks for your help. I will re-install

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's best

FWIW, I uninstalled OneDrive (using the tools built into the OS) and I had to clean up the mess in the File Explorer navigation pane afterwards. One very believable comment said that I should have stopped OneDrive sync first.

After uninstalling the OneDrive app on your computer, you can access your OneDrive files in the cloud with a browser, including adding, deleting, and editing them. And in fact, I like to have a 'USB stick in the cloud' although I rarely use it.

I don't believe in half measures (like start/stop sync) because MS takes every opportunity and every inaccuracy on your part to make you use OneDrive again and again, and MS does that in such an unobtrusive way that you often don't notice that it happens.

Hi all, Thanks for your help

I have reformatted from scratch, and starting to reinstall everything, but I have a problem which re-formatting should have fixed.
When I load Windows Explorer, and click on "Pictures" under both "Quick Access" and "This PC" the folder is empty.
However when I click on C:, then users, then <name>, then Pictures it isn't empty (it has all my restored backups).
Any suggestion?

I wonder the same thing. I also just reformatted and selected to keep documents and photos on ONEDRIVE and on my device. These files are in the ONEDRIVE folders but not in C: users. The folders are empty. Do I have to manually copy my documents and photos to that location as the 2 locations do not speak to eachother. What is the purpose of the Document, Pictures, Music and Video folders under C: Users? There are no files in them.

sidr said:

I have reformatted from scratch, and starting to reinstall everything, but I have a problem which re-formatting should have fixed.
When I load Windows Explorer, and click on "Pictures" under both "Quick Access" and "This PC" the folder is empty.
However when I click on C:, then users, then <name>, then Pictures it isn't empty (it has all my restored backups).
Any suggestion?

Click to expand...

Right after reformatting from scratch and setting up, and before reinstalling everything ...

... did you stop OneDrive sync and then uninstall the OneDrive app in your computer? While you were connected to the net / OneDrive in the cloud?

I hope you did ...

... is your Windows Explorer navigation pane now free of any OneDrive artifacts? Perhaps try rebooting a couple of times ... post a screenshot of your cleaned up (or not so cleaned up) Windows Explorer navigation pane ...

... after your Windows Explorer navigation pane is free of any OneDrive artifacts ... start restoring your files and folders. I suggest one folder at a time with reality checks in between, at least initially ,,, then install and configure your apps ... also one app at a time with reality checks in between.

CharmaineK said:

I wonder the same thing. I also just reformatted and selected to keep documents and photos on ONEDRIVE and on my device. These files are in the ONEDRIVE folders but not in C: users. The folders are empty. Do I have to manually copy my documents and photos to that location as the 2 locations do not speak to eachother. What is the purpose of the Document, Pictures, Music and Video folders under C: Users? There are no files in them.

Click to expand...

I think your case is quite different from the OP's and I have no suggestions, sorry! Other have given suggestions earlier on and perhaps will post more suggestions.

Hi Haydon, I am not sure what you mean by "stop OneDrive sync ", but before re-formatting, I did uninstall One Drive, so I hope uninstalling would stop OneDrive sync especially as I said no to installing OneDrive.. Note the highlighted Pictures folder is empty, but c:\users\name\pictures is not.

Here is photo. Even after uninstalling OneDrive before reformatting, there is still a OneDrive folder as above.

CharmaineK said:

I wonder the same thing. I also just reformatted and selected to keep documents and photos on ONEDRIVE and on my device. These files are in the ONEDRIVE folders but not in C: users. The folders are empty. Do I have to manually copy my documents and photos to that location as the 2 locations do not speak to eachother. What is the purpose of the Document, Pictures, Music and Video folders under C: Users? There are no files in them.

Click to expand...

You should look for a separate folder OneDrive and in that will be Documents, Pictures, etc. OneDrive has appropriated these folders to its own desires, not the users.

So to confirm, is it sufficient to:
-uninstall One Drive, then
-reformat completely?
I ask this because after all that I still have a OneDrive folder in Windows Explorer, as per above photo.

Either way, how do I now get Photos folder in Windows Explorer to point to c:\users\<name>\pictures?

sidr said:

Hi Haydon, I am not sure what you mean by "stop OneDrive sync ", but before re-formatting, I did uninstall One Drive, so I hope uninstalling would stop OneDrive sync especially as I said no to installing OneDrive.. Note the highlighted Pictures folder is empty, but c:\users\name\pictures is not.
View attachment 46757
Here is photo. Even after uninstalling OneDrive before reformatting, there is still a OneDrive folder as above.

Click to expand...

Yeah, there is a OneDrive icon in your Windows Explorer navigation pane, so chances are that you did not actually uninstall the OneDrive app. What happens if you click on the OneDrive icon?

Also, click on the Home icon (which is located above your screenshot) > do you see a OneDrive icon inside the Home folder? If so, click on that OneDrive icon and post what happens.

If during the setup (right after reformatting) you successfully said 'no to installing OneDrive' then the OneDrive icon(s) should not be in the navigation pane of Windows Explorer at all. So, chances are that you did not succeed in saying 'no to installing OneDrive' either.

If after the setup you successfully uninstalled OneDrive without stopping sync beforehand, then the OneDrive icon(s) in the navigation pane of Windows Explorer would be dead (produce an error message if you click on them) but the pinned icons would still sync to the OneDrive in the cloud and you cannot stop sync because the OneDrive app has been uninstalled. If that's what happened, then you could unpin the pinned icons and replace them with icons that point to your library folders, but that is really sweeping dirt under the carpet, it cannot possibly be a good long term solution.

I am not really sure what you did with your computer because what you say does not really jive with what the screenshot shows. But perhaps that can be clarified if you answer the questions, and post the corresponding screen shots too.