I Hate OneDrive But There Are Better Options

I'm not a fan of OneDrive, and I'm not alone. Many users have reported frustrations with its limitations and restrictions. OneDrive's 5 GB free storage space is a major drawback for those who need more room to store their files.

Google Drive offers 15 GB of free storage space, making it a more appealing option for those with larger file collections. This is especially useful for photographers, videographers, and other creatives who need to store and share large files.

Dropbox, another popular cloud storage option, offers 2 GB of free storage space. While it's not as generous as Google Drive, it's still a better option than OneDrive's 5 GB. Dropbox's seamless integration with other apps and services is also a major plus.

I've had my fair share of frustrations with OneDrive. The default settings that push for saving everything to the cloud can be really limiting.

Some users feel like they have no control over their own data, which is a major concern for me. I've seen friends get uneasy about storing personal files on a third-party server.

The potential for storage limits to be quickly reached is a common complaint. I've had to pay for additional space more times than I'd like to admit.

Difficulties in accessing files when needed can be a real pain. I once lost an important document because I couldn't access it due to synchronization issues.

The changes in familiar processes like "Save As" being replaced with "Save a Copy" can be confusing. It took me a while to get used to the new way of doing things.

Accidentally deleting or losing files due to synchronization issues or storage limits being exceeded is a nightmare. It's happened to me before, and it's not a fun experience.

If you're looking for alternatives to OneDrive, consider Proton Drive. It's an end-to-end encrypted solution hosted in Switzerland with strong privacy laws.

Proton Drive is open source and integrates well with other Proton tools like Mail or Calendar. You can share files with others without file size limits, password protect files, and define expiration dates for links.

It's more expensive than Google Drive, but only by 1 euro a month for 200 Gigs, which should be enough for most people.

Proton Drive is an end-to-end encrypted solution hosted in Switzerland, offering strong privacy laws and seamless integration with other Proton tools like Mail and Calendar.

It's open source, which is a big plus, and files are encrypted on your device before being sent to the cloud, ensuring maximum security.

You can share files with others without file size limits, password protect files, and define expiration dates for links, making it a convenient option.

However, you'll have to pay for more than the 1GB of free storage, with 200GB costing 3.99 euros per month and 500GB costing 9.99 euros.

In comparison, Google Drive offers 2TB for the same price as the 500GB tier, but it's not encrypted.

For those already using Proton Mail, Proton Drive is likely a no-brainer, and it's also a great option for those looking to replace multiple Google tools at once.

MEGA is a great option for those who need massive storage space without self-hosting. Their base plans are more expensive than others, at 5 euros per month for 400 Gigs.

They offer a 2 TB plan for 10 euros per month, which is on par with other options. You can share files with anyone, sync from your computer or phone automatically, and everything is end to end encrypted.

MEGA has apps for all platforms, including Linux and smartphones. The company is now pretty transparent, publishing reports about takedown requests and the like.

Their client software is open to review and commenting, but not contributing or modifying. This allows users to check for vulnerabilities or backdoors in the clients, although the server part is fully opaque.

If you can look past the company's "Kim DotCom" origins, MEGA is a solid choice for those with large storage needs.

Managing OneDrive can be a hassle, especially when you have a lot of files and folders to keep track of. OneDrive has a storage limit of 5 TB, which is generous, but can still be a problem if you have a huge library of files.

To avoid running out of space, you can upgrade your storage plan for a fee, or use the OneDrive storage calculator to see how much space you're using. OneDrive also offers a feature called "Storage Sense" that helps you free up space by moving less frequently used files to the cloud.

You can also use OneDrive's "Files on Demand" feature to keep your files synced across devices while only storing the most frequently used files locally. This can help reduce clutter on your computer and improve performance.

OneDrive integrates with other Microsoft services like Office Online, making it easy to access and edit documents from any device. However, this integration can also make it difficult to use OneDrive with non-Microsoft services, which can be a limitation.

If you're looking to get rid of OneDrive, you're not alone. OneDrive/SkyDrive are notoriously difficult to uninstall from Windows 7.

Unfortunately, neither OneDrive nor SkyDrive appear in the "Uninstall or change a program" list of the Control Panel, which is where you'd normally go to remove unwanted programs.

Windows 7 Enterprise 32bit users are particularly affected by this issue, as they can't rely on the same resolution as Windows 8 users.

You can try uninstalling OneDrive by going to the Control Panel and selecting "Programs and Features", then clicking on "Turn Windows features on or off" and unticking the OneDrive box. However, this method may not work for everyone.

OneDrive may still be running in the background, even after attempting to uninstall it.

If you're tired of OneDrive, you have alternative storage options. Google Drive is a popular choice, offering 15GB of free storage.

You can also consider Dropbox, which provides 2GB of free storage. Both Google Drive and Dropbox offer more storage with paid plans.

External hard drives are another option, providing a large amount of storage for a relatively low cost. A 2TB external hard drive can store thousands of files.

Cloud storage services like pCloud and Mega offer more storage and flexibility than OneDrive. They also provide better security features.

USB drives are a simple and portable storage solution. They're perfect for transferring files between devices.

If you need more storage, consider investing in a NAS device. It can provide a large amount of storage and be accessed from multiple devices.