OneDrive Windows 11 Configuration and Setup

To set up OneDrive on Windows 11, you'll need to create a Microsoft account or sign in with an existing one.

OneDrive is a cloud storage service that allows you to store and access your files from anywhere, making it a great feature to have on your Windows 11 device.

To get started, go to the Start menu and click on the OneDrive icon, which should be located in the system tray.

To configure OneDrive in Windows 11, you'll first need to sign in with your Microsoft account, which can be done by clicking on the OneDrive icon in the taskbar and following the prompts.

OneDrive will automatically sync your files across all your devices, including your Windows 11 computer, as long as you have a stable internet connection.

To change the location of your OneDrive files, head to the Settings app, then click on "OneDrive" in the left menu, and toggle the switch to "This PC" to choose a different location.

Sharing files with OneDrive is a breeze. You can do this right within Windows by right-clicking the file or folder you want to share and choosing Share.

To invite users via email, simply enter their email address or name in the To field and select them from the search results. You can add one person or group at a time.

You can choose the permissions users will have by clicking the Pencil icon. By default, they'll have Edit permissions, which allows them to modify the file, but you can change it to View if you don't want the file to be modified.

To send email invitations, click Send after entering the email addresses. Alternatively, you can copy the link and share it manually.

If you want to copy the link, use the Anyone with the link can edit button under the Copy section. This will give you access to manage sharing settings.

Winget is a powerful command-line utility that can help you manage OneDrive on your Windows 11 PC.

Winget, which stands for Windows Package Manager, is a tool that allows you to simplify the installation, removal, and validation of various applications, including OneDrive.

To uninstall OneDrive using Winget, open the Terminal app elevated by pressing the Win+X keys on the keyboard and selecting Terminal(Admin).

You can then type the following command and press Enter to execute it: winget uninstall onedrive.

This will remove OneDrive from your PC, and you can wait for the process to complete before moving on.

Winget can also help you search, download, and install software on your PC with ease, making it a useful tool for managing your applications.

To use Winget, you'll need to be familiar with the command-line interface, but don't worry, it's not too difficult to learn.

Here's a summary of the Winget uninstall command:

OneDrive settings are accessible through the OneDrive app or the File Explorer in Windows 11.

You can access OneDrive settings by clicking on the OneDrive icon in the system tray and selecting "Settings" from the drop-down menu.

The OneDrive settings page allows you to configure various options, including the default save location for files and the sync settings for your OneDrive account.

OneDrive will automatically sync files to the cloud when you're connected to the internet, but you can also set it to sync files over a metered connection.

OneDrive also allows you to set up a "Files on Demand" feature, which lets you access files without having to download them to your local device.

To access the Settings app, you'll need to press the Windows key and the "I" key at the same time. This will launch the Settings app.

You can also navigate to the Settings app by clicking on the Start button and then selecting the Settings option from the menu.

To get to the settings you need, you'll want to click on the left-hand side menu and select Apps.

If you're looking to prevent OneDrive from installing for new users in Windows 11, you'll want to follow these steps.

To start, you'll need to open the Registry editor by typing regedit.exe in the start menu. Once you've done that, select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the left panel.

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Default_profile\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and delete the OneDriveSetup startup entry in the right pane. This will prevent OneDrive from installing for new users.

To apply the changes, unload the branch by selecting the Default_profile folder on the left and choosing the File -> Unload Hive menu item.

Changing the Personal Vault Lock Timer is a straightforward process that can be done in the OneDrive settings. To start, click the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.

You can change the default 20-minute lock timer to a time that suits your needs. Click the gear icon and then choose Settings.

The Lock Personal Vault after menu offers several options to choose from, including a custom time. Use this menu to select the new lock timer duration.

Your choice is saved automatically, so you don't need to worry about manually saving the changes. Close the windows when you're done.

OneDrive offers a range of pricing plans to suit different needs.

The free version comes with a relatively small 5GB of storage, although long-time users might have some extra storage available.

There are three main subscription options: Microsoft 365 Basic, Microsoft 365 Personal, and Microsoft 365 Family.

Microsoft 365 Basic costs $1.99/month or $19.99/year and grants 100GB of OneDrive storage.

Microsoft 365 Personal costs $6.99/month or $69.99/year and includes 1TB of OneDrive storage, in addition to Office apps.

Microsoft 365 Family costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year and includes up to 6TB of OneDrive storage, in addition to Office apps for up to six people.

If you have Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, you can also pay for extra OneDrive storage on top of your base subscription.

Here are the expansion plans:

Note that only the primary account holder can buy additional storage if you have a Microsoft 365 Family plan.

You can customize OneDrive's settings using the Local Group Policy Editor on Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise editions. This method is useful for hiding OneDrive from the File Explorer navigation pane without uninstalling the app.

To access the Local Group Policy Editor, press Win + R to open the Run dialog box and type gpedit.msc. Click OK to open the editor.

Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive to find the policy setting "Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage." This policy lets you prevent apps and features from working with files on OneDrive.

Enabling this policy setting will make the following changes: users can't access OneDrive from the app or file picker, Windows Store apps can't access OneDrive using the WinRT API, OneDrive doesn't appear in the File Explorer navigation pane, OneDrive files aren't kept in sync with the cloud, and users can't automatically upload photos and videos from the camera roll folder.

Here are the expected changes when enabling the policy setting:

To enable this policy setting, choose Enabled, click Apply, and then OK. Close the Local Group Policy Editor and launch the File Explorer on your Windows 11 PC to see the changes in action.

Managing your OneDrive account is easier than you think. You can hide some folders from File Explorer to reduce confusion and make things easier.

To start, you'll need to click the OneDrive icon on the taskbar. This will open the OneDrive settings. From there, you can choose which folders to sync and which to hide.

Here's a quick rundown of the folders you can choose to hide: FolderDefault Sync StatusFiles and folders you don't want to seeChecked (synced)Files and folders you do want to seeUnchecked (not synced)

By following these simple steps, you can customize your OneDrive experience and make it work for you.

If you're looking to return to the default state of OneDrive, you can pause or turn it off. To pause it temporarily, click the cloud icon, then click the gear icon and select Pause syncing. You can set the pause duration for two, eight, or 24 hours.

Pausing OneDrive is a good idea if you want to temporarily disable it without uninstalling the app. To pause it, follow these steps: click the cloud icon, click the gear icon, and select Pause syncing.

OneDrive will continue syncing your files once the pause duration ends. If you want to stop the application's activity for an indefinite period, click Quit OneDrive and confirm the action.

To remove OneDrive from File Explorer, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor. On Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise editions, you can navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive and enable the policy "Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage".

This policy setting will prevent apps and features from working with files on OneDrive, remove OneDrive from the navigation pane in File Explorer, and stop OneDrive files from being kept in sync with the cloud.

If you decide you no longer want to sync your files, you'll need to unlink your OneDrive account.

To do this, open the OneDrive app from the system tray icon and click on the gear icon, then select the Settings option.

You'll find the Unlink this PC option under the Accounts tab.

Follow the on-screen prompts to unlink your account and close the Window.

After unlinking, the app won't be able to sync your files anymore.

Renaming OneDrive files is a breeze, and it works just like renaming any other file on your PC. You can change a file name in OneDrive, and it will instantly update in the cloud, making the new name visible everywhere.

To rename a file, simply right-click on it and select "Rename". That's it, you're done!

Disabling OneDrive can help squeeze precious processing power out of your system for other tasks.

OneDrive launches as soon as your system boots up and runs in the background, which can be a strain on slower PCs.

Systems with bare minimum compute resources can struggle with performance due to OneDrive's syncing activities.

If your PC isn't the fastest out there, disabling OneDrive can make a noticeable difference in processing power.

Syncing files to the cloud can consume system resources, especially if you have a large number of files or a slow internet connection.

Windows 11's OneDrive backups can automatically sync five folders to the cloud: Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos, and Music.

By default, Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders are backed up to OneDrive, which can take up a lot of space on your OneDrive.

This automatic backup can also use a lot of bandwidth, so it's a good idea to check your usage.

To disable or enable your OneDrive backups, follow these steps:

If you have multiple PCs, disabling the automatic backup can also prevent broken desktop icons.

Windows 11 automatically backs up certain folders to OneDrive, including Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos, and Music.

This can be useful, but it can also take up a lot of space on your OneDrive and use a lot of bandwidth.

To manage these folders, you can disable the automatic backup feature if you prefer.

If you're using a laptop or multiple PCs, disabling the automatic backup can also prevent broken desktop icons.

OneDrive's integration with Windows 11 uses a feature called "folders on demand", which can create some confusion when it comes to managing your files.

Files may not be available without an internet connection, but you can still manage them with the help of status icons for each file.

You can manage which files appear in File Explorer by adjusting the OneDrive settings. By default, the OneDrive app for Windows will sync all your files from OneDrive and make them available in Windows.

To reduce confusion, you can hide some folders from File Explorer. Here's how: Click the OneDrive icon on the taskbar, then click the gear icon and choose Settings. In the Account tab, click Choose folders.

Check the boxes for the files and folders you want to see in File Explorer, and uncheck the ones you don't want to see. This will help declutter your File Explorer and make it easier to find what you need.

If you want to remove OneDrive from the navigation pane in File Explorer, you can use the registry method. This method requires caution, so be sure to back up the registry before making any changes.

To remove OneDrive from the navigation pane using the registry method, navigate to the following path in the registry editor: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions.

In the right pane, right-click on System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree DWORD and select Modify. Set the Value data field to 0 to disable OneDrive in the file explorer navigation pane.

To manage OneDrive folders, you need to know the different ways to access and organize them. There are three primary methods to hide the OneDrive icon from the navigation pane of the Windows 11 file explorer: Windows Registry, Windows Settings, and Group Policy (GPO).

Hiding the OneDrive icon from the navigation pane can be achieved through various methods, including editing the Windows Registry.

Here are the three methods to consider:

These methods can be used to manage OneDrive folders and customize the file explorer to your liking.

If you want to remove OneDrive from File Explorer, you can use the Settings app to uninstall it. This will automatically get rid of its entries from the File Explorer.

To do this, sign in to your Windows 11 PC and click Start to launch the Settings app. Select Apps > Installed Apps and type "OneDrive" in the search box to find the Microsoft OneDrive app listed in the search results.

Click on the three horizontal dots next to the OneDrive app and choose Uninstall. After the OneDrive app is uninstalled, open File Explorer on Windows 11, and you'll notice that OneDrive doesn't show up in the File Explorer navigation pane.

If you want the OneDrive app back on your Windows 11 PC, you can download and install it from the Microsoft Store.

Here's a step-by-step guide to uninstalling OneDrive using the Settings app: