How to Disable OneDrive in Windows 11

Not using or don’t want to use OneDrive? In that case, you can disable OneDrive in Windows 11 with just a few clicks. Here is how.

There are a lot of free cloud services out there, and OneDrive is one of them. Though not completely free, the initial 5GB storage is handy and helpful for many users.

Many Windows 10 and Windows 11 users use OneDrive daily to sync and share files and folders via the cloud. This is especially true if you are an avid Office Suite user.

For example, I sync almost all my work files and some personal files with OneDrive. That way, I can access them whenever and on whatever device you want. For instance, I often sync Word and Excel files with OneDrive and open them on my Android phone.

That being said, not everyone uses OneDrive. In fact, not everyone likes OneDrive. There may be any number of reasons like using another cloud service like Google Drive or iCloud, wanting to be less dependent on Microsoft, problems with OneDrive sync, not having essential features you are looking for, etc.

No matter the reason, if you are not using OneDrive, why not disable it entirely in Windows 11. By disabling OneDrive, you can block it from running in the background and reduce unnecessary notifications. The good thing is, to disable OneDrive in Windows 11, you don’t have to uninstall it. All you have to do is change a group policy or edit the registry. You can do all that with just a few clicks.

So, without delay, let me show you how to disable OneDrive in Windows 11. Of course, you can enable OneDrive back if you ever need it. Here is how to do it.

Jump to:

• Disable OneDrive via Group Policy
• Disable OneDrive in Registry Editor
• Enable OneDrive in Windows 11

Disable OneDrive via Group Policy

To disable OneDrive in Windows 11, you need to change the single Group Policy. It is one of the easiest ways because you just point and click. If you are using Pro or Enterprise edition, follow the below steps. Learn which Windows 11 edition you are using.

1. Use the “Start key + R” shortcut to open Run.
2. Type “gpedit.msc” in the available field.
3. Press “Ok” to launch Group Policy Editor.
4. Expand the “Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates” folder.
5. Next, navigate to the “Windows Components > OneDrive” folder.
6. Double-click on the “Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage” policy
7. Select the “Enabled” radio option.
8. Click “Ok.”
9. Close the Group Policy Editor.
10. Reboot Windows, and OneDrive is disabled.

Same steps with a bit more detail and screenshots:

We need to open the Group Policy Editor. To do that, you can follow either of the two methods. Search for “Edit Group Policy” in the Start menu or open the Run dialog box with the “Windows key + R” shortcut, type “gpedit.msc,” and click the “Ok” button.

After opening the Group Policy Editor, you see a category of folders on the sidebar. Expand the folder and go to the following location. This is where you will find all the policies related to OneDrive.

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive

Find and open the “Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage” policy on the right page. You can open the policy by double-clicking on it.

In the policy window, select the “Enabled” radio option and click the “Apply” & “Ok” buttons to save the changes.

Finally, close the Group Policy Editor and reboot the computer. After rebooting, OneDrive is disabled in Windows 11.

Disable OneDrive via Registry Editor

Are you using Windows 11 Home Edition? You can modify the registry to disable OneDrive. You need to create a new value and change its value data. So, back up the registry and follow the below steps.

1. Press the Start key on your keyboard.
2. Search and open “Registry Editor.”
3. Copy “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows”
4. Paste it in the Registry Editor’s address bar and press Enter.
5. Right-click on the “Windows” folder.
6. Select “New > Key.”
7. Name the folder “OneDrive.”
8. Right-click on the “OneDrive” folder.
9. Select “New > DWORD Value.”
10. Name it “DisableFileSyncNGSC”
11. Double-click on the DWORD value.
12. Type “1” in the Value Data field.
13. Click “Ok”
14. Close the Registry Editor.
15. Reboot the computer.

Steps with screenshots:

Open the Registry Editor from the Start menu. You can search for it or use the “regedit” Run command. If you don’t know, you can open the Run dialog box with the “Win + R” shortcut.

Now we need to create a new folder in the Registry. To do that, copy the below path, paste it in the Registry’s address bar, and press Enter.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

Next, right-click on the “Windows” folder and choose the “New” and then the “Folder” option. Name the folder as “OneDrive.”

Now, we need to create a new DWORD value. For that, right-click on the “OneDrive” folder and choose the “New > DWORD Value” option. Name the value as “DisableFileSyncNGSC.”

Since we want to disable OneDrive, double-click on the “DisableFileSyncNGSC” value, type “1” in the Value Data field, and click “Ok.”

Finally, close the Registry Editor and reboot the computer to apply the registry changes.

After rebooting, OneDrive is fully disabled in Windows 11.

Enable OneDrive in Windows 11

If you want to use OneDrive again, you can enable it back just as you disabled it. You need to reverse the changes you just made. Here is how to do it.

Via Group Policy

1. Use the “Start key + R” shortcut to open Run.
2. Type “gpedit.msc” in the available field.
3. Press “Ok” to launch Group Policy Editor.
4. Go to the “Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive” folder.
5. Double-click on the “Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage” policy
6. Select the “Not configured” radio option.
7. Click “Ok.”
8. Close the Group Policy Editor.
9. Reboot Windows and OneDrive is enabled.

With that, OneDrive is enabled in Windows 11.

Via Registry Editor

1. Open the “Registry Editor.”
2. Go to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.\OneDrive”
3. Right-click on the “DisableFileSyncNGSC” value.
4. Select “Delete.”
5. Click “Yes” when prompted.
6. Close the Registry Editor.
7. Reboot the computer.

With that, OneDrive is fully enabled in Windows 11.

That is all. It is that simple to enable or disable OneDrive in Windows 11.

I hope this simple Windows 11 how-to guide helped you.

If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.