Microsoft has been pushing harder to connect Windows and Microsoft 365 to its cloud storage services. The latest Windows 11 setup makes that extra obvious, because OneDrive Backup can switch on by default during a clean install, which is why many want to turn off OneDrive backup in Windows 11 right away.
That surprise from the Out of the Box Experience has led to a lot of angry posts online. I get it. If you expect your files in the usual folders and they suddenly aren’t there, it feels like something got taken.
The good news is this: your files usually aren’t gone. They’ve been moved, then synced to OneDrive. And Microsoft quietly improved the “turn it off” process, so getting your files back into local folders is less painful than it used to be.
Where My Files Went (And Why It Looks Worse Than It Is)
When I’m saving locally, my default folders live under my user profile, like:
c:Usersyour_nameDocuments folder
With OneDrive Backup on, the “real” working folders shift to something like:
C:\Users\your_name\OneDrive\Documents
The files still exist on the PC, and the sync process uploads them to OneDrive online. That’s the whole point of the backup.
The confusion comes from what Windows leaves behind. The original Local folders can still appear in File Explorer, but they may be empty. So I click Documents out of habit, and it looks like everything vanished.
It didn’t. The folder target changed.
Why Microsoft Is Doing This (The Helpful Reason And The Annoying One)
There’s a practical upside in Windows 11. Files that only live on a laptop are easy to lose. Theft happens. Drives fail. Ransomware hits. Cloud backup can save people from a bad day turning into a disaster.
There’s also the part that makes people roll their eyes. Pushing files into OneDrive pushes people toward paid storage. If you only get 5GB free, it doesn’t take long to hit the limit with cloud-only files.
From a security angle, this is where the debate gets real. Privacy matters, and so does choice. Some people don’t want personal data tied to their Microsoft account, leaving their device, and that’s valid.
I’ll say it plainly because it’s the heart of the frustration: Control and trust are the core issues. If I don’t want cloud backup, I should be able to say no, and I should be able to undo it without a scavenger hunt.
How OneDrive Backup Works Now When I Turn It Off
Microsoft changed something important recently. In the past, if I disabled OneDrive Backup, Windows would stop syncing and backing up, but my files often stayed stuck in the OneDrive folder. That meant I had to manually move everything back into my local profile folders.
Now, when I turn off OneDrive Backup in OneDrive settings, Windows can offer an option to move files back to local folders as part of the process. It’s still not as clear as it should be, but it’s better.
What follows assumes I’m on Windows 11 (newer releases), signed in with a personal Microsoft account, and OneDrive Backup is currently enabled.
How I Undo OneDrive Backup And Put Files Back In Local Folders
Step 1: Open The Backup Settings
I look for the OneDrive icon in the Taskbar‘s Notification area, right-click the OneDrive icon, then select Help and Settings and the Settings menu. From there, I go to the Sync and backup area and open Manage backup.
I can also open File Explorer, find my OneDrive (Personal) entry in the left pane, right-click it, go to OneDrive, then Settings, and open Manage backup from the Sync and backup section.
On some Windows 11 builds, I get there via Settings> Accounts> Windows Backup, then a button like Manage sync settings.
Either way, I end up on the Manage backup screen showing the folders that are being backed up. I pause here and check which folders are marked as backed up before changing anything.
Step 2: Turn Off Backup For Each Folder
In the manage backup screen, I use the toggle switch to turn off backup for the Documents folder first (then the Pictures folder, then the Desktop folder, if they’re on). Windows will prompt me with choices.
I pick the option that stops backup and lets me choose where files should live, then I choose Only on my PC.
I repeat that for each folder until they all show as not backed up.
One weird behavior I’ve seen is that a folder can flip back to “Ready to back up,” and the switch turns itself back on. If that happens, I close out instead of saving changes, because saving can re-enable backup.
Step 3: Check My Local User Folders
Next, I open File Explorer and type %userprofile% in the address bar. That brings me to my local profile folders.
I open Documents, Pictures, and Desktop and confirm my files are actually there. This matters because I don’t want to delete anything until I know the local copies look right.
Step 4, Confirm The OneDrive Versions Are Empty (Or Move Anything Left Behind)
I open a second File Explorer window and type %userprofile%OneDrive. I also quickly check the Account tab to verify connectivity.
I look inside the OneDrive versions of Documents, Pictures, and Desktop. If those folders are empty, great.
If I still see files there, I manually move them back. I copy them out of the OneDrive folder and paste them into the matching local folder under %userprofile%.
After I confirm everything is back where I want it, I can delete the now-empty duplicate folders inside OneDrive.
How to Stop The “Start Backup” Prompts In File Explorer
Even after I decide I don’t want OneDrive Backup, Windows may keep nudging me with the Start backup message. In File Explorer, I might see a Start backup button when I’m viewing folders like Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Music, or Videos.
I don’t click it!
If I want the nag to go away, I right-click that Start backup button and choose Stop backup from the menu. I may need to do it in each folder where Windows shows the prompt.
How I Turn Off Microsoft 365 Saving New Files To The Cloud
If I’m using a Microsoft 365 build that defaults new Word files to OneDrive, I change it in the app settings.
Inside Word, I go to Options, then I open the Save section. There’s a checkbox like “Create new files in the cloud automatically.” I cleared that checkbox.
Once I do, the option to save to a local location becomes available, and I set my default save location to local folders.
My Bottom Line
OneDrive Backup doesn’t usually delete your files, but the folder move is easy to miss, and that’s what causes the panic. If you want local storage only, you can turn off OneDrive backup in Windows 11 and, in newer Windows 11 versions, but some Windows update in the future might also move your files back for you. 😉
For those who want to completely avoid the service, advanced options include using “Unlink this PC” as a secondary method of disconnection or “Uninstall OneDrive” as a permanent solution. Professional users needing strict control can turn to the “Group Policy Editor” to “Prevent the usage of OneDrive,” while a quick “Stop backup” provides final advice for immediate relief.
