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Stop OneDrive From Syncing Desktop, Pictures & Documents

OneDrive automatically syncs your library folders to the cloud. However, if you find this feature unnecessary, follow the steps below to stop OneDrive from synchronizing your desktop, pictures, and documents folders to the cloud.

Table of contents:

  1. Why does OneDrive sync library folders?
  2. Step to stop OneDrive from Syncing desktop, documents, and pictures folders

Why Does OneDrive Sync Library Folders?

If you are actively using OneDrive or signed into Windows with your Microsoft account, OneDrive automatically syncs your desktop, pictures, and documents folders to the cloud as part of backing up important PC folders.

The problem is that these are not the ‘important’ PC folders for a vast majority of Windows users. In fact, people rarely ever use default library folders to save important files. For instance, most users typically have program shortcuts on their desktops, which are not essential to sync with OneDrive. As such, stopping OneDrive from syncing desktop icons declutters your OneDrive folder. Similarly, you can also stop it from syncing picture and documents folders.

Thankfully, it is easy to disable OneDrive from syncing library folders in Windows. Follow the steps below to stop OneDrive from automatically syncing desktop, pictures, and documents folders.

Stop OneDrive from Syncing Desktop, Pictures, & Documents Folders

Follow these steps to prevent OneDrive from syncing desktop, pictures, and documents to the cloud.

  1. Left-click on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.
  2. Click/tap on the “Settings” (gear) icon.
  3. Select the “Settings” option.
  4. Select the “Sync and backup” tab on the sidebar.
  5. Click/tap the “Manage backup” button.
  6. Toggle switches next to the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures options to OFF.
  7. Click/tap the “Save changes” button.
  8. Press the “Stop backup” button.
  9. Close the OneDrive settings window.
  10. OneDrive will no longer sync library folders to the cloud.

Let us see each step in more detail:

First of all, find the OneDrive icon on the taskbar and click on it. If you don’t see the icon, search for OneDrive in the Start menu and click on the result to open it. This will show the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.

click OneDrive icon taskbar

Click the gear icon on the top-right corner and select the “Settings” option from the menu list.

click the gear icon and select settings

This will open the OneDrive settings window. Here, select “Sync and backup” on the sidebar and then click/tap on the “Manage backup” button in the “Back up important PC folders to OneDrive” section.

click the manage backup button

Now, toggle the switches next to Documents, Pictures, and Desktops to OFF and click the “Save changes” button.

stop OneDrive from syncing desktop, documents, and pictures folders

OneDrive will show a confirmation prompt, click the “Stop backup” button.

click stop backup button

Finally, close the OneDrive settings window.

click close button

That’s it. From now on, OneDrive will not sync your desktop, documents, and pictures folders to the cloud. If you want to sync your important files with OneDrive, follow the steps in this—How to sync any folder with OneDrive.

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

If you are stuck or need help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.

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