[Don_S]

I installed a new W11 computer on Sunday. Now all my documents and photos are being held hostage by OneDrive. I do not want to back up my documents and photos to the cloud. I thought I had disabled OneDrive by deselecting folder but apparently not.

Microsoft keeps pushing me to upgrade while making quitting very difficult. Google searches have not been helpful.

 When I right click on the photos folder i get the message:"Always keep on this device" It is accompanied by a cloud picture and a down arrow. Are they referring to the desktop or the cloud when they say this device? I thought it was the desktop.

I do not want to use OneDrive. Please tell me (keep it simple) how to release my hostages and permanently disable OneDrive. I thought I had done that but obviously not.

To be clear, my photos are there. They have a red circle with an "X" by each one. I can open them one at a time but thumbnails are not displayed so each one that is not named is a mystery photo. I thought I had turned off OneDrive for everything.

[FullRangeMan]

The W11 purpose are take all your files from you, not mention the copyrights management.
You have to disable the One Drive service on the DOS prompt screen if it yet are possible in W11.

[WGH]

Have you tried this:

How do you download everything from OneDrive to your computer?
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-do-you-download-everything-from-onedrive-to/6de1d50e-45dc-444d-9ecc-40bfe69f90ba


Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0


Before disabling the backup feature make sure all your files are stored locally.

[FullRangeMan]

Dont know how is the Services situation in W11, but in W10 they could be disabled, at the W Power Shell logged as admin, except for the CBS Music Service aka CBS Preview.

I used this command some years ago:
Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.Office.OneDrive_17.8730.20741.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe* | Remove-AppxPackage

Open Windows Power Shell as admin.
See all W10 apps:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers

[Don_S]

Have you tried this:

How do you download everything from OneDrive to your computer?
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-do-you-download-everything-from-onedrive-to/6de1d50e-45dc-444d-9ecc-40bfe69f90ba


Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0


Before disabling the backup feature make sure all your files are stored locally.

WGH, Thank you. The second link was very useful. I was able to disable OneDrive. Then it got scary because my photos disappeared. I tried to open the folder but all I got was sit and spin. Then I restarted the computer and all photos (I think) were restored and the red circles with an "x" inside disappeared.

It was frustrating but not too worrying. I had backed up my old computer to an external drive. I used it to populate my new computer. So I had all my files on the old computer and external drive.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to get Microsoft from repeatedly reminding me I need to "set up OneDrive" again. Firefox wipes out all my saved open pages when I restart so that is a nuisance. Mozilla Thunderbird can't find my address lists for emails so I have to add them one at a time by searching emails and retrieving the addresses. Thunderbird migrated all my emails from four accounts. It just lost my address lists.

If I had known the process would be this much "fun" I would have stayed with my slow, overworked, 8-yr old W10 computer.

[FullRangeMan]

If I had known the process would be this much "fun" I would have stayed with my slow, overworked, 8-yr old W10 computer.

Wise advice. I can assure you that a lot of bad things are yet to come from Windows, but if one don't value your privacy or your files, no need to worry.

[WGH]

Mozilla Thunderbird can't find my address lists for emails so I have to add them one at a time by searching emails and retrieving the addresses. Thunderbird migrated all my emails from four accounts. It just lost my address lists.

Exporting addresses and emails in Thunderbird always has a hidden Gotcha. The calendar is especially troublesome.

Hate to ask but what was backed up on OneDrive? If for some reason the entire C drive is on OneDrive then the Thunderbird AddressBook is retrievable.

C -> Users -> Your Username -> AppData -> Roaming -> Thunderbird -> Profiles -> xxxxxxxx.default-release -> download all abook files and copy into new Thunderbird at same location.

[WGH]

Now all I have to do is figure out how to get Microsoft from repeatedly reminding me I need to "set up OneDrive" again.

Try this:

type Task Manager into the oval search box next to the windows logo at the screen bottom and Open

Click on Startup apps

Look for OneDrive - right click on OneDrive.exe and choose Disable

Restart computer for change to take effect

[Don_S]

WGH,

Thanks, Hopefully the persistent cockroach OneDrive has been vanished. I disabled it on start up.

I also enabled FireFox. It was disabled. It had not been repopulating my open tabs. Maybe now it will. I think Edge was jealous of sharing my affection. 

I did not back up my entire C-Drive. I only backed up documents and pictures. They are on an external drive. They did not make it all the way onto OneDrive because they exceeded the amount that was free to store.