Please help me understand OneDrive Personal

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I need some help understanding OneDrive.  My desire is keep files in the cloud only.  I believe that I have accomplished this except for the “One Drive – Personal” entry that is listed as the first sub-item of “Desktop” in file explorer.  I don’t understand why it is there.   OneDrive is not running.  I have never linked OneDrive to a local directory.  It’s blue cloud icon indicates that it is cloud files, right?

I don’t want access to the cloud stored files without intentionally downloading the one that I want.  My research indicates that a registry hack is required to get rid of the “One Drive – Personal” entry in file explorer.  Is this really the only way?

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Peobody wrote:

OneDrive is not running.

If you have files in the cloud via OneDrive, OneDrive is running.

Peobody wrote:

It’s blue cloud icon indicates that it is cloud files, right?

The blue cloud icon beside “One Drive – Personal” is the default icon for OneDrive.

Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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bbearren wrote:

If you have files in the cloud via OneDrive, OneDrive is running.

Are you sure?  The files in the cloud have been put there by uploading them via the login.live.com site.  I can not find anything in Task Manager that I can identify with OneDrive.

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Peobody wrote:

The files in the cloud have been put there by uploading them via the login.live.com site.

login.live.com takes you to your Microsoft account login.  Once you login the URL is https://account.microsoft.com/?lang=en-US&refd=account.live.com&refp=landing&mkt=EN-US

You won’t see the page that the above URL takes you to if you’ve logged in, you’ll be in your account, but you will see that URL in the address bar of your browser.

Peobody wrote:

I can not find anything in Task Manager that I can identify with OneDrive.

Look in Services for OneDrive Updater Service.  Its Startup Type is Manual (Trigger Start).  It runs periodically to keep files updated.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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I have both OneDrive Personal and Business running on my PC. The One Drive Business that you get with a 365 subscription has a BLUE cloud and will hold 1 TB of data. The OneDrive Personal that is free has a WHITE cloud and is limited to 5 GB unless you have paid for an upgrade.

If you don’t see the cloud icon on your task bar or if it has a slash through it, then you are not connected to the cloud and are not syncing your files however you can still access any files that you had synced with your computer. Click on the cloud icon and it should tell you if you are signed in and online or not.

When you are signed in the files you have in OneDrive will have a check mark or a cloud icon beside them. IF you are not signed in there will be no icons by the file names.
You can look here for the meaning of the icons.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-do-the-onedrive-icons-mean-11143026-8000-44f8-aaa9-67c985aa49b3

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Peobody wrote:

My desire is keep files in the cloud only.

Big mistake.
Cloud services crash. Cloud services are hacked.
Keep your files on a backup local HDDs/NAS.

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The files in the cloud are stored locally as well as backed up.  Cloud storage is solely for access by other devices.

I just figured out how to unlink the PC.  The OneDrive – Personal directory is no longer listed in File Explorer.  Files are still accessible in the cloud via onedrive.live.com.  I believe this accomplishes what I was hoping for.  Now to be diligent about preventing MS from linking the PC and OneDrive again.

Thank you for participating.

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Peobody wrote:

Thank you for participating.

You can mark this thread Resolved.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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I consider this query resolved.

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