Seeking a second opinion... Is OneDrive malicious malpractice ?

DJNelson · Apr 1, 2026

antspants said:
Nice statistics.

I don't think anyone complains about Microsoft as much as you do. You must hate using your computer, kicking and screaming. I love using mine.
Not everyone has the same issues you have. Gary isn't dishing anything out, he's just stating facts, is all I see.

I complain, but I have solutions that work. I'm trying to help people with real problems instead of pretending they don't exist. I don't state things I know to be false. Unlike quite a few people who have been working for Microsoft, Google, Intel, NVIDIA, Meta, and a lot of other multi-national corporations that seem to have a mindset similar to Nadella, who appears to be deliberately trying to drive Microsoft into bankruptcy. I don't want to see that happen, because there's no turn-key OS that can be easily used by an average person to run some windows-ported applications other than windows. If that's also something you might be interested in doing, what's the problem? If it's not, why? I'm all ears.

SgtStanko · Apr 1, 2026

Personalty, I barely use One Drive or any cloud drive for that fact and when I access them it is always on the web, One Drive has no place on my system, It's one of the first things I disable and remove when I do clean or re-installs.
Anything I may have stored on any cloud drive isn't anything I cannot afford to lose, nothing is identifiable back to me. Anything of any real importance I have backed up locally and in some instances , multiple times, anything critical or identifiable is encrypted.
I don't pay for cloud services and never will. Do I trust cloud services not to look at my stuff ? No . Do I trust cloud services to keep my stuff safe? No. Cloud services are too flighty to pay for , through the years I have seen so many of them come and go and as flighty as Microsoft is when changing things up , I can see One Drive going the way of the Do-Do bird somewhere down the road.

idgat · Apr 1, 2026

DJNelson said:
because the OS they paid for broke their machine.

Something about "bad workman/poor craftsman" ... "tools" ... something to do with blame ... I wish I could remember what it was?

DJNelson said:
Including the millions of people who have left windows and switched to linux

And what about the 80% who came back to Windows because of the inadequacies of another OS? (See, I can make up imaginary statistics as well as you can)

Winuser · Apr 1, 2026

One thing I do see that MS is doing wrong with OneDrive is making it the default location for the Users Folders. IMO, MS is trying their best to make users setup the OS with an MS account so they can make OneDrive the default. And that's so they can eventually convince users that they need to buy more OneDrive space or subscribe to MS 365. As for OneDrive I have my computers set so that my Document and Picture folders are on OneDrive. The other User folders except the Desktop folder are on my D: drive. I also have a few folders that I created that are only on OneDrive.

Edit: I love being able to take pictures with my Samsung cell phone and having them immediately uploaded to OneDrive

Marcus Vinicus · Apr 1, 2026

I've used OneDrive for years, currently use the one in Windows and have the business version in my Microsoft 365 Business. I've never had a security or privacy issue with either of them. Is OneDrive Personal the greatest file storage app ever, probably not. Got to say the Business version is better by a decent amount.

But I must be different to many online who fuss and fume endlessly about Microsoft and Windows. I don't have obsessions with the Windows start menu and taskbar, nor OneDrive, AI et al. And life is too short for me to become a PhD in Microsoft related conspiracy theories.

gunrunnerjohn · Apr 1, 2026

I gave OneDrive the boot. I suppose it works, but their handling of my important documents just didn't do it for me. I have been handling my own backup since the 1970's, and I see no reason to change what works.

As for stuff like photo sharing, I have Dropbox and it immediately uploads anything I snap with the phone to my desktop and my laptop. So if I'm home or on the road, I have cloud storage of anything my camera sees.

cheaterslick · Apr 1, 2026

No point in being obsessed about it. I delete OneDrive everytime I buy a new machine (and/or do a fresh install) and before anything has been uploaded to their cloud.

Once gone, it is out of sight, out of mind. The only time I remember it is when I visit threads like these.

DJNelson · Apr 1, 2026

idgat said:
(See, I can make up imaginary statistics as well as you

https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/windows-11-update-breaks-onedrive-edge-and-more-heres-what-to-do-if-youve-been-hit-by-this-confusing-bug

windows 11 2026-03 Update (KB5085516) (26200.8039) will not install. - Microsoft Q&A

windows 11 2026-03 Update (KB5085516) (26200.8039) will not install.

learn.microsoft.com

Microsoft issues emergency update for Windows 11 — fixes broken March preview update rollout from last week

Out-of-band patch addresses installation failures.

www.tomshardware.com

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/2025-has-been-an-awful-year-for-windows-11-with-infuriating-bugs-and-constant-unwanted-features

Windows 11's growth was a fluke as market share falls again in December

Some of it was picked up by Windows 10 and Windows 8, but it seems users are starting to leave the Microsoft platform.

www.pcworld.com

How the hell is Microsoft already screwing up Windows 11 this badly?

What should've been an exciting run up to Windows 11's launch has instead been frustrating, messy, and vague.

www.pcgamer.com

By all means. tell me which of my opinions do you think is based on an "imaginary statistic?" Nothing says "I'm a troll" quite like telling someone they're not seeing what they're seing with their own eyes. There's nothing imaginary about Microsoft's falling market share. Speaking of delusions.. Are you a chess player? Because if you think winning involves knocking the pieces off the board and strutting around like you won, that means you're actually just a pigeon.

Edwin · Apr 1, 2026

I don't have OneDrive, I don't use OneDrive, I don't need OneDrive..., is it malicious? I don't think so, although, it's a bit sketchy the way MS implements it!

Let's put it this way..., there's probably millions of satisfied OneDrive users..., then, there's a few unsuspecting users who never took 'OneDrive 101', and they get caught with their pants down! Sh*t happens!

FrancoDT · Apr 1, 2026

Edwin said:
I don't have OneDrive, I don't use OneDrive, I don't need OneDrive..., is it malicious? I don't think so, although, it's a bit sketchy the way MS implements it!

Let's put it this way..., there's probably millions of satisfied OneDrive users..., then, there's a few unsuspecting users who never took 'OneDrive 101', and they caught with their pants down! Sh*t happens!

I unlinked Onedrive from my MS account and removed it on three machines with Revo Uninstaller as I don't need or want it. I did have it reinstall on one machine after I had to do a repair install but I quickly removed it again. One of my biggest pet peeves was all the Onedrive nags in settings and the start menu even though it was removed. Thankfully the latest Windows updates have removed Onedrive, MS 365, and Xbox ads it seems so my systems look a lot cleaner and not like a billboard when I use them now.

john1955 · Apr 1, 2026

antspants said:
Nice statistics.

I don't think anyone complains about Microsoft as much as you do. You must hate using your computer, kicking and screaming. I love using mine.
Not everyone has the same issues you have. Gary isn't dishing anything out, he's just stating facts, is all I see.

Yeah . . . Ive been using windows since it's inception and it's never broke my machine. If anything, it's the other way round. but Ive never lost anything because of a crash, If I ever lost anything it's because I deleted something before backing it up and then later wished I had not deleted it. I also do not use cloud storage for anything but books I buy that are stored there by the company I buy them from.

cheaterslick · Apr 1, 2026

FrancoDT said:
I unlinked Onedrive from my MS account and removed it on three machines with Revo Uninstaller as I don't need or want it.

FrancoDT said:
I did have it reinstall on one machine after I had to do a repair install but I quickly removed it again.

Be ever vigilant. The same holds true with Bitlocker as well. For those who don't want it.

FrancoDT said:
Thankfully the latest Windows updates have removed Onedrive, MS 365, and Xbox ads it seems so my systems look a lot cleaner and not like a billboard when I use them now.

Removed the ads? Really? I wasn't aware of that.

I knew they were talking about doing that but I didn't know they have actually taken place.

FrancoDT · Apr 1, 2026

cheaterslick said:
Removed the ads? Really? I wasn't aware of that. I knew they were talking about doing that but I didn't know they have actually taken place.

All three of my machines with beta and RP builds are clean now much to my surprise and pleasure. It looks so much better now. Don't know if it will last but I remember hearing they were cutting down on the ads as well as several other upcoming improvements like MS plans a major shift away from web wrappers to 100% native Windows 11 apps.

TraderGary · Apr 1, 2026

I've used Microsoft operating systems since 1981. I've used Windows since Windows 3.0. I've used OneDrive for the past 20 years. OneDrive is a key offsite component of my 3-2-1 backup strategy. I've made a nice living with Microsoft for the past 45 years and Microsoft has always worked well for me.

Cromax · Apr 1, 2026

TraderGary said:
I've used Microsoft operating systems since 1981. I've used Windows since Windows 3.0. I've used OneDrive for the past 20 years. OneDrive is a key offsite component of my 3-2-1 backup strategy. I've made a nice living with Microsoft for the past 45 years and Microsoft has always worked well for me.

Then say you are Microsoft glazer bc you used it since 3.0.. thats fine i just dont want ads tailored to me in explorer based on my data thats all

corneliy · Apr 2, 2026

TairikuOkami said:
P.S. OneDrive is not a backup, it is mirroring, if a hacker or a malware removes your cloud files, you are done for it.
OneDrive is useful to sync recent files, but it is more practical to use it as an offline cloud backup, via copy/paste.

My thoughts exactly, can't rely on it solely.

cheaterslick · Apr 2, 2026

FrancoDT said:
All three of my machines with beta and RP builds are clean now much to my surprise and pleasure. It looks so much better now. Don't know if it will last but I remember hearing they were cutting down on the ads as well as several other upcoming improvements like MS plans a major shift away from web wrappers to 100% native Windows 11 apps.

Well finally some good news. I haven't seen that happen (to me) yet, but I look forward to it if and when it does.

john1955 · Apr 2, 2026

Cromax said:
Then say you are Microsoft glazer bc you used it since 3.0.. thats fine i just dont want ads tailored to me in explorer based on my data thats all

I dont understand this complaint, I dont get adds, there may have been some suggestions when I first installed it but I tuned them off at the beginning

FrancoDT · Apr 2, 2026

john1955 said:
I dont understand this complaint, I dont get adds, there may have been some suggestions when I first installed it but I tuned them off at the beginning

Even with all the ad settings set to off and trust me I got them all with Winareo Tweaker and MS Wintoys

you would still get OneDrive, MS 365, and/or Xbox nags on the settings Home Screen (and top of a couple other settings pages), Start Menu sign out screen and search page etc. The last couple of Windows builds those have all disappeared now and everything is clean of those nags. At least for me they are on all my machines.

Edwin · Apr 2, 2026

All I get is Windows Update
Last checked: ...

Seeking a second opinion... Is OneDrive malicious malpractice ?

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