If you're running low on storage space on your Mac, closing OneDrive can be a great way to free up some room.
OneDrive stores your files and folders in the cloud, but it also syncs them to your local storage, taking up space on your Mac.
To free up storage space, you can stop syncing your OneDrive files, which will remove them from your local storage.
This will automatically remove the synced files from your Mac, freeing up storage space.
Disabling OneDrive
Disabling OneDrive is a straightforward process that allows you to regain control over your file synchronization process.
You can disable OneDrive from the Preferences menu, which is a great way to do it. To access the settings, follow these steps:
- Open the Preferences window.
- Click on the ‘Account’ tab.
- Uncheck the ‘Use OneDrive to sync files’ checkbox.
- Close the Preferences window.
This method doesn't delete your account or previously synced files from your machine; it simply stops new file synchronization from happening.
Option 2: Uninstalling
To uninstall OneDrive from your Mac, you'll need to take a few steps. Open the OneDrive icon on your Mac's menu bar, usually in the top right corner, and click it to open the program.
First, quit OneDrive by going to the dropdown menu, choosing "Help & Settings", and selecting "Quit OneDrive" to close the app. This is a crucial step, as OneDrive won't uninstall successfully if it's still running in the background.
Next, remove OneDrive files by launching Finder and going to Applications. Look for Microsoft OneDrive and drag it to the Trash. This will delete the main OneDrive application, but you still need to delete related cache files.
To delete cache files, head to Library > Containers in Finder and delete any folders with "com.microsoft.OneDrive" at the start. This will ensure all OneDrive data is gone from your Mac.
Here are some additional tips to keep in mind:
- Restart your device after uninstalling OneDrive to clear any leftover cache or temp files.
- Before using an alternative cloud storage service, back up any important OneDrive files.
- If you ever choose to reinstall OneDrive, make sure to get it from Microsoft's official website.
Removing OneDrive
Removing OneDrive from your Mac is a relatively straightforward process.
To start, you'll need to open the Applications folder in Finder.
Right-click on the OneDrive icon and choose Move to Trash, or drag the blue OneDrive cloud to the trash bin.
You'll be prompted to enter your Mac credentials and click OK to confirm the action.
However, if you want to leave your files intact but delete the desktop app, make sure to log out of your account before uninstalling it.
You can do this by following the necessary steps, which will preserve your data and prevent any loss.
Troubleshooting
If you're having trouble closing OneDrive on your Mac, try restarting the application.
Make sure you're not running OneDrive in the background, as this can prevent it from closing properly.
Check the Activity Monitor to see if OneDrive is still running and force quit it if necessary.
If you've made changes to your OneDrive settings, try resetting them to their default values.
Ensure that you've closed all open files and folders in OneDrive before attempting to close the application.
Alternative Solutions
If you're looking for alternative solutions to closing OneDrive on your Mac, you can try uninstalling the OneDrive app.
You can also consider disabling OneDrive from the Dock or menu bar, which can be done by right-clicking on the OneDrive icon and selecting "Quit" or "Hide".
Another option is to use the Activity Monitor to force quit OneDrive, which can be accessed by searching for it in Spotlight or by navigating to Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.
If you're experiencing issues with OneDrive consuming too much disk space, you can try emptying the OneDrive cache by going to the OneDrive preferences and clicking on the "Cache" tab.
Alternatively, you can also try resetting the OneDrive preferences by going to the OneDrive preferences and clicking on the "Reset" button.
Sources
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0
- https://www.process.st/how-to/turn-off-microsoft-onedrive/
- https://www.process.st/how-to/get-microsoft-onedrive-to-stop-popping-up/
- https://iboysoft.com/howto/uninstall-onedrive-mac.html
- https://vocal.media/lifehack/can-t-delete-one-drive-from-mac-here-are-some-fixes
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