Deaithorize OneDrive to Close Your Microsoft Account Permanently

To deaithorize OneDrive and close your Microsoft account permanently, you'll need to remove all your files and data from the cloud storage service.

This is a crucial step, as having any files or data associated with your account will prevent it from being fully closed.

Microsoft requires you to sign in to your account and delete all your files and folders before you can request account closure.

To begin, sign in to your Microsoft account and navigate to the OneDrive settings.

Disabling OneDrive can be a good idea if you don't want to keep a cloud backup of sensitive files or if you have a low-spec system or metered network connection.

You can disable OneDrive by stopping it from running at startup, unlinking your account from it, or using the Group Policy Editor.

To disable OneDrive from running at startup, you can use the OneDrive system tray icon settings. This will prevent OneDrive from launching automatically when you boot your PC up.

OneDrive can be paused or turned off temporarily if you want to stop it from automatically backing up or syncing your files and folders.

To pause OneDrive, click the cloud icon, click the gear icon, and select Pause syncing. You can set the pause duration for two, eight, or 24 hours.

Alternatively, you can quit OneDrive by clicking Quit OneDrive in the OneDrive window, and then clicking Quit OneDrive again on the confirmation box that pops up.

If you want to disable OneDrive permanently, you'll have to uninstall the app. However, you can stop OneDrive from launching at startup, although it will still try to sync whenever you launch the app later.

Here are the steps to stop OneDrive from launching at startup:

If you're a Windows user who owns an Enterprise or Professional copy, you can use the Group Policy Editor to disable OneDrive. This involves navigating to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive and disabling the Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage policy.

Removing OneDrive can be a bit of a challenge, but there are several methods you can try. You can temporarily disable it or remove it from your computer entirely.

To remove OneDrive from Windows 11, you can use the Settings app. Press Win + I to launch the Settings app, then navigate to the left-hand side menu and click on Apps. From there, click on the Installed apps option, scroll down, and locate Microsoft OneDrive app in the list. Click on the three dots and select the Uninstall option.

Alternatively, you can use the Command Prompt to remove OneDrive. Press the Win key and search for Command Prompt, then right-click on the first result and select the Run as administrator option. Input the command TASKKILL /f /im OneDrive.exe to close the OneDrive process, then enter the uninstallation command: %systemroot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall.

If you're looking for a more automated solution, you can use a batch script to remove OneDrive. Press the Win key and search for Notepad, then copy the following code into the notepad app window: @echo off cls set x86="%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\OneDriveSetup.exe" set x64="%SYSTEMROOT%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe" echo Closing OneDrive process. echo. taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe > NUL 2>&1 ping 127.0.0.1-n 5 > NUL 2>&1 echo Uninstalling OneDrive. echo. if exist %x64% (%x64% /uninstall) else (%x86% /uninstall) ping 127.0.0.1-n 5 > NUL 2>&1 echo Removing OneDrive leftovers. echo. rd "%USERPROFILE%\OneDrive" /Q /S > NUL 2>&1 rd "C:\OneDriveTemp" /Q /S > NUL 2>&1 rd "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\OneDrive" /Q /S > NUL 2>&1 rd "%PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft OneDrive" /Q /S > NUL 2>&1 echo Removing OneDrive from the Explorer Side Panel. echo. REG DELETE "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}" /f > NUL 2>&1 REG DELETE "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}" /f > NUL 2>&1 pause

To use the batch script, save it as a file on your desktop, then right-click on the file and select the Run as administrator option. Let it finish execution and restart your computer.

If you're not comfortable using the Command Prompt or batch script, you can also use a third-party uninstaller program like Revo Uninstaller. It will clean up everything related to OneDrive, including files and folders.

Before you delete your OneDrive account, take some time to prepare. Closing down the account is quick, but you'll want to make sure you're ready for what happens next.

Microsoft won't delete your account immediately, so you have 60 days to re-open it if you need to. You can use this time to tie up loose ends.

To prepare for deleting a OneDrive account, follow these steps:

By following these steps, you'll be able to delete your OneDrive account without any issues. Take your time, and you'll be done in no time.