How to Start and Close OneDrive Desktop App in Windows
InformationSkyDrive is now called OneDrive instead.
OneDrive is Now Available Worldwide: Free Cloud Storage for Microsoft, iOS, and Android Devices | OneDrive Blog
OneDrive is cloud storage where you can view and browse the files you saved online to OneDrive.com.
When you install and setup the OneDrive desktop app on a Windows PC, a copy of your OneDrive is downloaded to your PC and put in the "OneDrive" folder. This folder is kept in sync with your online OneDrive. If you add, change, or delete a file or folder on OneDrive.com, the file or folder is added, changed, or deleted in your OneDrive folder on your PC and vice versa. You could also fetch files (if turned on) on your PC from any computer on OneDrive.com
This tutorial will show you how to start and close the OneDrive desktop app at will on your Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 PC to stop syncing files in the OneDrive folder and fetching files on your PC from OneDrive.com until you start the OneDrive desktop app again without having to unlink OneDrive.
OneDrive is Now Available Worldwide: Free Cloud Storage for Microsoft, iOS, and Android Devices | OneDrive Blog
OneDrive is cloud storage where you can view and browse the files you saved online to OneDrive.com.
When you install and setup the OneDrive desktop app on a Windows PC, a copy of your OneDrive is downloaded to your PC and put in the "OneDrive" folder. This folder is kept in sync with your online OneDrive. If you add, change, or delete a file or folder on OneDrive.com, the file or folder is added, changed, or deleted in your OneDrive folder on your PC and vice versa. You could also fetch files (if turned on) on your PC from any computer on OneDrive.com
This tutorial will show you how to start and close the OneDrive desktop app at will on your Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 PC to stop syncing files in the OneDrive folder and fetching files on your PC from OneDrive.com until you start the OneDrive desktop app again without having to unlink OneDrive.
WarningThe OneDrive desktop app has been replaced by new "OneDrive" app features that are built into Windows 8.1. The desktop app settings and status info are no longer available from the notification area, at the far right of the taskbar. If you install the OneDrive desktop app, it will look like nothing happened. The desktop app features won't be reinstalled.
Syncing only selected folders works a little differently.
You might want to move any folders you already have on OneDrive to the Documents and Pictures folders on SkyDrive to make them easier to work with in your apps.
See: OneDrive desktop app for Windows: FAQ - OneDrive Help
Syncing only selected folders works a little differently.
- If you chose to keep your files and settings when you updated Windows, everything you originally synced in your OneDrive folder will be available offline. Anything you add to OneDrive from another location will be online-only by default. To make sure that the files you want are available offline on your PC regardless of where you create them, use the steps earlier in this topic to make items available offline.
- If you didn't keep your files and settings when you updated Windows, everything in your OneDrive folder is online-only. To make sure that the files you want are available offline on your PC, use the steps earlier in this topic to make items available offline.
You might want to move any folders you already have on OneDrive to the Documents and Pictures folders on SkyDrive to make them easier to work with in your apps.
See: OneDrive desktop app for Windows: FAQ - OneDrive Help
EXAMPLE: Started and Closed OneDrive at OneDrive.com
NOTE: This is if you have your OneDrive desktop app set to allow fetching files on your PC from OneDrive.com.
EXAMPLE: Started and Closed OneDrive folder on PC
NOTE: This is the "OneDrive" folder that is a copy of your OneDrive downloaded to and synced on your PC.
OPTION ONE
To Start OneDrive Desktop App after Closed on your PC
1. You can do either step A, B, or C below to quickly start the OneDrive desktop app again after being closed using OPTION TWO below.
A) Run or open %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe
NOTE: This is the hidden folder: "C:\Users\(user-name)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive".
B) Sign out and sign in to your user account in Windows.
NOTE: This only works if OneDrive is set to start automatically when you sign in. Otherwise, you will need to use step A.
C) Restart the PC and sign in to your user account in Windows.
NOTE: This only works if OneDrive is set to start automatically when you sign in. Otherwise, you will need to use step A.
OPTION TWO
To Close OneDrive Desktop App on your PC
1. Sign in to your user account on the Windows PC that you want to do this with.
2. Right click on the OneDrive icon 
in the taskbar notification area, and click on Exit. (see screenshot below)
in the taskbar notification area, and click on Exit. (see screenshot below)NOTE: If you do not have Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar checked, then click on the Show hidden icons arrow in the notification area to see if the SkyDrive icon may be hidden there.
3. Click/tap on Close OneDrive to confirm. (see screenshot below)
4. The OneDrive desktop app will now be closed until you do OPTION ONE above.
That's it,
Shawn
Related Tutorials
- How to Unlink OneDrive on your Windows PC with OneDrive Desktop App
- Install or Uninstall OneDrive Desktop App in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
- How to Add or Remove PCs with OneDrive Desktop App from OneDrive
- How to Allow or Prevent Fetch Files on your PC with OneDrive Desktop App from OneDrive
- Turn On or Off OneDrive Desktop App to Start Automatically at Sign in to Windows
- How to Choose Folders to Sync on your PC with OneDrive Desktop App
- How to Turn On or Off Using OneDrive Desktop App with Office 2013
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