How to completely remove one drive

Dear @Fiona Davidson,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft 365 Q&A forum. I completely understand your frustration. Since you have already tried a standard uninstall and the "hijacking" persists, we need to use more advanced methods to strip the OneDrive configuration from your system. 

Here is the professional, technical path to fully removing OneDrive and reclaiming your local file structure: 

Step 1: Advanced uninstallation 

Sometimes a standard uninstall leaves the core setup package behind. You can force a deep uninstall using the setup package itself. 

• Locate your OneDrive setup file (often found in the OneDrive folder or downloaded from the official homepage). 
• Run the following command in a Command Prompt to ensure all components are removed: OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall 

Step 2: Block OneDrive from Automatic Startup 

If shortcuts remain, Windows may try to re-trigger the sync process. Navigate to the following locations on your computer and delete any files named "OneDrive.lnk": 

• %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft OneDrive.lnk 
• %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk 
• %USERPROFILE%\Links\OneDrive.lnk 

Step 3: Disable via Group Policy (Windows Pro/Enterprise) 

If you are on a professional version of Windows, you can implement a hard block that prevents Windows from ever using OneDrive for storage: 

• Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter. 
• Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive. 
• Double-click Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage and set it to Enabled. 
• Reboot your system to fully apply these changes. 

Step 4: For IT/Advanced Users: PowerShell Removal 

If you are managing this from a leadership or admin perspective, you can use PowerShell to remove the hidden lists associated with the OneDrive site: 

• Install Modules: Install-Module SharePointPnPPowerShellOnline and Install-Module CredentialManager. 
• Run Cleanup: Use your personal site URL and run a script to delete associated ODB lists. 

For further detailed troubleshooting, you may refer to the official Get started with the SharePoint Online Management Shell | Microsoft Learn 

Remove-SPOSite (Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell) | Microsoft Learn 

Please note that as a forum moderator, I don’t have access to backend tools or internal systems to investigate further, and certain settings or configurations are managed exclusively by your organization’s administrators, so I’m unable to check or make changes on that side. That said, I truly hope these suggestions help you move forward.   

Please let me know if you have any further questions or if the problem persists after trying these solutions. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. 

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To completely remove OneDrive from your system, you can follow these steps:

1. Unlink OneDrive: If you haven't already, unlink your OneDrive account from your devices. On Windows, right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar, select Settings, go to the Account tab, and click Unlink this PC.
2. Uninstall OneDrive: You mentioned that you've uninstalled OneDrive, but ensure that you do it correctly. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, find Microsoft OneDrive, and select Uninstall.
3. Remove OneDrive Folders: After uninstalling, check if any OneDrive folders still exist on your system (usually in your user folder). You can delete these manually.
4. Registry Cleanup: If OneDrive still seems to be active, you may need to remove its registry entries. Open the Registry Editor (type regedit in the Windows search bar), navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\OneDrive, and delete the OneDrive key. Be careful when editing the registry; back it up first.
5. Check for Sync Issues: If documents are still being shared or synced, ensure that there are no other applications or settings that might be causing this behavior. Sometimes, syncing issues arise from other Microsoft services or applications.

If you continue to experience issues, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance.

References:

• Troubleshooting OneDrive for work or school sync issues
• Error 0x8004def4 when signing in to OneDrive