How to Stop OneDrive From Syncing (2026)
There are three different things people mean by “stop OneDrive syncing”: pause it for a few hours, stop syncing one folder, or turn it off completely. Here’s how to do each — on both Windows and Mac — without deleting any files.
Pause Syncing Temporarily
Best when you’re on a metered connection, on a slow network, or just want OneDrive to stop using bandwidth for a while.
- Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar (Windows, bottom-right) or menu bar (Mac, top-right). If you don’t see it, click the up-arrow to show hidden icons.
- Click the gear icon (Help & Settings).
- Hover Pause syncing and choose 2 hours, 8 hours, or 24 hours.
Syncing resumes automatically when the timer ends, or click the icon and choose Resume syncing.
Stop Syncing a Specific Folder
If you only want to keep certain folders off one device — say, a huge photo folder you don’t need on your laptop:
- Click the OneDrive icon > gear > Settings.
- Go to the Account tab.
- Click Choose folders.
- Uncheck any folder you don’t want synced to this device, then click OK.
The unchecked folders disappear from this computer’s OneDrive folder but stay safe in the cloud and on your other devices.
Turn Off OneDrive Completely (Unlink)
Unlinking stops all syncing on this computer but keeps OneDrive installed and keeps every file in the cloud.
- Click the OneDrive icon > gear > Settings.
- Go to the Account tab.
- Click Unlink this PC (or Unlink this Mac).
- Confirm with Unlink account.
OneDrive stops syncing immediately. The files already on your computer stay in the local OneDrive folder — they just become normal files that no longer update to the cloud. Nothing is deleted from OneDrive.com.
Stop OneDrive From Starting With Windows
Even unlinked, OneDrive may launch at startup. To stop that:
- OneDrive icon > gear > Settings > Settings tab.
- Under General, uncheck Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows.
Or use Task Manager > Startup apps > right-click Microsoft OneDrive > Disable.
Stop Backing Up Desktop, Documents, and Pictures
OneDrive often syncs your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders by default. That’s a separate setting from general sync — see how to turn off OneDrive backup for the full walkthrough of stopping folder backup without moving your files around.
Troubleshooting
Pause syncing keeps turning itself back on
Pause is always temporary (max 24 hours). For a permanent stop, unlink the PC or close OneDrive entirely (icon > gear > Quit OneDrive).
I unlinked but files are gone from my computer
They’re not deleted — they’re in the cloud. Unlinking can remove files that were “online-only” (cloud icon). Sign in to OneDrive.com to confirm they’re all there, then re-download what you need.
OneDrive reopens every time I restart
Disable it at startup (see above). Quitting OneDrive only lasts until the next reboot unless you turn off the startup setting.
I want to keep a local copy before stopping
Before unlinking, set the folders you care about to Always keep on this device (right-click > Always keep on this device) so they’re fully downloaded first.
Quick Reference
| I want to… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Pause for a few hours | Icon > gear > Pause syncing > 2/8/24h |
| Stop one folder | Settings > Account > Choose folders > uncheck |
| Stop all syncing | Settings > Account > Unlink this PC |
| Stop at startup | Settings tab > uncheck “Start automatically” |
| Stop Desktop/Docs backup | See the backup guide |
| Resume | Icon > Resume syncing |
Related OneDrive guides: How to fix OneDrive sync issues · How to turn off OneDrive backup · How to free up space in OneDrive · How to remove OneDrive from your PC · What is OneDrive Files On-Demand?
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