OneDrive

[KaidensMommy]

I have OneDrive on my computer, but since it comes automatically on Windows computers I guess that isn't a surprise. Anyways, I didn't really use it before, I just let it do whatever it did, as long as the files I needed where on my computer I didn't really care. A while back, I made an autosaved file for Word documents to go as they were autosaved while I was working on them, which was a quick and easy place for me to find them. I had the file on my Desktop. I wanted it to also save it to OneDrive. I couldn't figure out how to do that, and am not sure exactly how I did it, but I remember I read some article and went through the steps and I named the documents and pictures folders "My Documents" and "My Pictures" then I named a file "My Files" and I put "Desktop" in there. I moved "Desktop" into there. I changed the settings in OneDrive to save documents and pictures to the PC and Desktop files to save online. Yesterday, I got an alert that said that there was not enough space for my documents to upload, which was crazy since I have 1,029 and it said I was only using 13 GB. But, I went to look online, and it showed me the biggest files on OneDrive. I figured since they were also on my PC I could delete them online, but deleting them took them from my computer also, so I restored them. I still have no idea why it said I was out of space, but that issue seemed to be fixed by unlinking the computer and re-linking it. But, I want to stop saving all my desktop files to OneDrive and start only saving certain desktop files to OneDrive and the rest to my PC only. I cannot figure out how to do that. Everything I read online is telling me how to save files to OneDrive or how to how to save them to OneDrive but have them available for offline use as well. Is there a way to not save them at all to OneDrive and only save certain folders in my Desktop to OneDrive? 

Sorry this was so long to get to one question, but I figured all the info is best! I'd appreciate any advice!! Thank you!

 

[nukecad]

Maybe one of these is what you are looking for:

https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0?ui=en-US&rs=en-GB&ad=GB

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-windows-10

[KaidensMommy]

I checked them out, but that just disables OneDrive. How do I get the files that are being saved there back to my PC? When I unlinked my PC from OneDrive, it was as if the files disappeared because they were being saved on OneDrive. I had to link the PC again to get them back on my desktop.

An article I just read kind of helped me - It was about restoring default location of personal folders. It said to go into file explorer and to copy and paste "shell:UsersFilesFolder" into the address bar. There, I found the "Desktop" that is on my PC. The folders haven't been updated since I started saving the desktop files to OneDrive, but they were there. So, from what I am starting to understand, the files are being automatically saved to C:\Users\MyName\OneDrive\My Files\Desktop. So, if I want them to be on my PC, I need to start saving them to C:\Users\MyName\Desktop. 

So, I guess I have to update the folders on my PC desktop with the documents that are missing (since they were being saved to the OneDrive desktop folder), and then just start saving things to C:]\Users\MyName\Desktop. I can't seem to find any other way to do it. I kind hate OneDrive at this point!!

But thanks for the links anyways!

 

 

[nukecad]

It sounds like you are on the right track. (But I'm not sure now if you want to keep OneDrive or not?)

From what you say it's just going to be a matter of moving (copy/paste) things to where you want them and then changing the default save paths.

I strongly suggest that if you haven't already you should make a backup of your files onto an external disk or USB stick(s) before you start moving things about.
Better to be safe than sorry.

I'm also not sure just what you did in the past (and you say you can't remember either) so am reluctant to get too specific here and maybe tell you the wrong thing.
I suspect it was one of these, they do the same thing but in slightly different ways, maybe they'll ring a bell?:
You'll want one of these methods anyway to change your default save path(s)
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-move-default-user-folders-new-drive-windows-10
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/change-default-save-location-windows-10

And sorry I gave an out of date link in the post above; things have changed since that Windowscentral link was written.
Since the April 2017 Creators Update you can now uninstall OneDrive just like any other app, which should make things easier.

If you are going to do this then don't forget to copy your files from OneDrive before uninstalling it.
Again I'd make a backup of your files onto an external disk or USB stick(s) before you start getting rid of OneDrive.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Once you have the files where you want them (and an external backup) you can uninstall OneDrive:
https://www.howtogeek.com/225973/how-to-disable-onedrive-and-remove-it-from-file-explorer-on-windows-10/

As I say it's a few years since I got rid of mine (which was even more of a faff because you couldn't just uninstall it back then) and it has not come back, not even during the 'Feature Updates'.
(I actually got rid of my whole Microsoft account at the same time; but that's a different story).

 

[KaidensMommy]

I think this was the original article I used from a while back https://www.windowscentral.com/how-move-default-user-folders-onedrive-windows-10

Not sure if that helps. I recently did the April 2018 update, not sure if that's important either. 

I wasn't going to keep OneDrive, but it seems fixed now. I hate to start messing with it again! Lol! 

But if I get rid of it, I should just copy my files to USB, then use that link to uninstall OneDrive and set up my files to save to my PC?

[nukecad]

Yes, that's similar to one of the links I gave above. (and I find it's the easier method of the 2).

Quote

But if I get rid of it, I should just copy my files to USB, then use that link to uninstall OneDrive and set up my files to save to my PC?

That's how I would do it if I was removing Ondrive now.
NOTE that I have not actually done it this way, I did mine a few years ago and things were different then. And of course I no longer have Ondrive to try this method.

There are a couple of ways you could move the files about, but getting them onto external storage, a disk or USB(s) is the safest.
You then have them backed up if anything goes wrong.

Get ALL your files from Ondrive onto external storage (copy/paste) so that they are safely backed up. (Double check they are all there, try opening a few from the USB).
Don't delete the files from Onedrive, just copy them to external storage. (Then unplug the external storage from your computer to keep it doubly safe).
Uninstall Onedrive.
This uninstall should reset your default save paths, but you may want to double check.
This may also move any existing files from 'users\yourname\onedrive' to your default user profile - but I've never used this Onedrive uninstall so I don't know for sure.
(It may ask you if/where you want to keep the files as part of the uninstall process).
If it doesn't move the files for you then you copy the files from your external storage back onto your computer, at the new default save locations.
(At this stage you may want to check to see if the 'users\yourname\onedrive' directory has been removed).
Once you are happy that things are now as you want them put the external storage with you backup files somewhere safe, or keep using it to make weekly backups of any changes to your files.

It will be a bit of work, but if you are careful it should go OK.
Usual advice is to backup your files to external storage before starting, think about every step twice before you do it, and check that each step has done what you expected before doing the next step.
Take things slowly, most mistakes get made by people in a hurry.

 

Edited June 18, 2018 by nukecad