Don’t like OneDrive occupying separate space in File Explorer? This tutorial shows you the steps to remove OneDrive from the File Explorer sidebar.
Whether you are using OneDrive or not, you will see it as a separate option in the File Explorer’s sidebar. Generally, it appears under Quick Access or above the This PC section on Windows 10 and under the Home section on Windows 11. As long as you don’t uninstall OneDrive, you will see this option no matter what. Though the option itself is useful, it can be a distraction at times. This is especially true if you don’t use OneDrive as it prompts you to sign in every time you click on the OneDrive option.
If you don’t like this kind of behavior or if you just want to remove the OneDrive option in File Explorer. Follow the steps below to learn how.
Remove OneDrive from File Explorer Sidebar
To remove OneDrive from File Explorer, follow the steps below.
1. First, open the Registry Editor. On Windows, you can do that by searching for it in the Start menu or by executing the ‘regedit’ run command.
2. Expand the “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT” folder in the registry editor. You will see this folder in the sidebar.
3. Expand the “CLSID” folder under the “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT” folder.
4. Select the “{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}” folder under the “CLSID” folder. This is the folder that lets you remove OneDrive from the sidebar.
5. Double-click on the “System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree” value on the right panel. This is the value that is responsible for showing OneDrive in the File Explorer sidebar.
6. Replace 1 with “0” in the value data field and click the “Ok” button.
7. After making the changes, close the registry editor.
8. Reboot your PC or restart Windows Explorer. Doing either of those things will make sure the changes are applied to the File Explorer.
That is all. With the above changes, you will no longer see the OneDrive option in the File Explorer sidebar. However, you can still access it from your user folder. The default OneDrive location is “C:\Users\username\OneDrive”. Replace ‘username’ in the path with your actual username. If you want you can create a desktop shortcut to the OneDrive folder.
To restore the OneDrive option in File Explorer, follow the same steps but change the value data from 0 to “1” in step 6. This shows the OneDrive option in the file explorer sidebar. Alternatively, reinstall OneDrive and the option automatically appears in the File Explorer’s sidebar.
I hope that helps. If you like this article, check out how to remove quick access from the File Explorer sidebar.
Update: The article is updated to ensure the steps work on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
