OneDrive Desktop App - Unlink OneDrive on your Windows PC

How to Unlink OneDrive on your Windows PC with OneDrive Desktop App

information   Information
SkyDrive 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 unlink OneDrive on your Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 PC to sign out of the OneDrive desktop app, stop syncing files in the OneDrive folder on your PC, and no longer fetch files on your PC from OneDrive.com until you setup the OneDrive desktop again.

Note   Note
When you unlink OneDrive, it will not remove the PC from OneDrive.com.

If you are signed in to Windows 8 with a Microsoft account that is the same one used to sign in to OneDrive.com when setting up the OneDrive desktop app, then you will not be able to unlink OneDrive. However, you will still be able to start and close OneDrive when you like.

To be able to unlink OneDrive in Windows 8, you must be signed in to a local account or a Microsoft account that is not the same Microsoft account used to sign in to OneDrive.com when setting up the OneDrive desktop app.


If you unlink OneDrive from your PC, you will be able to re-link OneDrive again by opening your OneDrive folder in explorer in your user account on the PC, and pick up at step 4 in OPTION ONE of the tutorial link below to setup the OneDrive desktop app and sign in to OneDrive again.

How to Install or Uninstall OneDrive Desktop App in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8

warning   Warning
The OneDrive desktop app has been replaced by new "OneDrive" app features that are built into Windows 8.1.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.
  • 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.
Tip
You might want to move any folders you already have on OneDrive to the Documents and Pictures folders on OneDrive to make them easier to work with in your apps.

See: OneDrive desktop app for Windows: FAQ - OneDrive Help


EXAMPLE: Linked and Unlinked 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.
Linked_SkyDrive.jpg
Unlink_SkyDrive.jpg


EXAMPLE: Linked and Unlinked OneDrive folder on PC
NOTE: This is the "OneDrive" folder that is a copy of your OneDrive downloaded to and synced on your PC.
Linked_SkyDrive_Folder.jpg
Unlinked_SkyDrive_Folder.jpg


Here's How:

1. Sign in to your user account on the Windows PC that you want to unlink OneDrive from.

2. Right click on the OneDrive icon SkyDrive_signed-in.jpg in the taskbar notification area, and click on Settings. (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 OneDrive icon may be hidden there.
Unlink_SkyDrive-1.jpg

3. In the Settings tab, under Unlink OneDrive, click/tap on the Unlink OneDrive button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If the Unlink OneDrive button is grayed out, then see the blue note box at the top of the tutorial.
Unlink_SkyDrive-2.jpg


That's it,
Shawn


 

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