In this tutorial, I will cover different methods to remove OneDrive from File Explorer on Windows 11. When you implement any of these methods, OneDrive doesn’t appear in the navigation pane in File Explorer.
On Windows 11, when you open the file explorer, you’ll notice the OneDrive icon in the sidebar just under the ‘Quick Access‘ section. Whether you are using OneDrive or not, you will see this option in the File Explorer’s sidebar.
In the screenshot below, you can see the OneDrive Personal icon in File Explorer on Windows 11. The OneDrive icon appears in the sidebar, pushing down the other files that you have pinned under quick access.
If you haven’t linked your Windows 11 with a Hotmail account, and you don’t intend to use the OneDrive app, I will show you how to get rid of it from the File Explorer.
Keep in mind that even if OneDrive is no longer visible in File Explorer, you can still access your OneDrive files using the new OneDrive app or web interface if you decide to continue using the service.
Ways to remove OneDrive from Windows 11 File Explorer
You can use the following methods to hide the OneDrive icon from the navigation pane of the Windows 11 file explorer:
- Windows Registry
- Windows Settings
- Group Policy (GPO)
In this article, I will cover all the methods. You can use the method that suits you.
Method 1: Remove OneDrive from File Explorer via Windows Settings
When you uninstall the OneDrive app from Windows 11, you automatically get rid of its entries from the File Explorer. Use this method only if you are not using OneDrive as your cloud storage.
Note: You won’t lose files or data by uninstalling OneDrive from your computer. You can always access your files by signing in to OneDrive.com.
To uninstall the OneDrive app, sign in to a Windows 11 PC. Click Start and launch the Settings app. Now select Apps > Installed Apps. Type “OneDrive” in the search box, and now you’ll find the Microsoft OneDrive app listed in the search results.
Next to the OneDrive app, click on the three horizontal dots and choose Uninstall.
After the OneDrive app is uninstalled, open File Explorer on Windows 11. Now you’ll notice that OneDrive doesn’t show up in the File Explorer navigation pane.
Note: If you want the OneDrive app back on your Windows 11 PC, you can download and install it from the Microsoft Store.
Method 2: Remove OneDrive from File Explorer using Local Group Policy Editor
On Windows 11, you can customize OneDrive’s settings, including hiding it from the File Explorer, using the Local Group Policy editor. The Local Group Policy Editor is accessible on Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise editions, whereas it is disabled on Home editions.
The GPO method is useful for anyone who wants to hide OneDrive from the navigation pane without having to uninstall the OneDrive app. This method is also useful when you intend to hide OneDrive from file explorer on multiple computers in an Active Directory domain.
On Windows 11, press Win + R to open the Run dialog box. Type gpedit.msc in the text box and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive. Right-click the policy “Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage” and choose Edit.
The policy setting “Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage” lets you prevent apps and features from working with files on OneDrive.
When you enable this policy, the following changes are expected:
- Users can’t access OneDrive from the OneDrive app or file picker.
- Windows Store apps can’t access OneDrive using the WinRT API.
- OneDrive doesn’t appear in the navigation pane in File Explorer.
- OneDrive files aren’t kept in sync with the cloud.
- Users can’t automatically upload photos and videos from the camera roll folder.
If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, apps and features can work with OneDrive file storage.
Enable this policy setting by choosing Enabled. Click Apply and OK. Close the Local Group Policy Editor.
After performing the above steps, launch the File Explorer on your Windows 11 PC. The OneDrive is removed from the sidebar.
Method 3: Remove OneDrive from File Explorer using Registry
The Windows Registry stores configuration settings for all the applications on the Windows operating system. Before you use this method, I recommend that you back up the registry and save it to a file. If something goes wrong, you can use this file to restore.
To remove the OneDrive from the navigation pane in the file explorer, you can use the registry method. First, press Windows +Â RÂ on your keyboard, type “regedit“, and click OK to launch the registry editor.
Next, navigate to the following path in the registry editor:
Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}
In the right pane, right-click on System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree DWORD and select Modify.
- System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree = 0, OneDrive is disabled in the file explorer navigation pane.
- System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree = 1, OneDrive is enabled in the file explorer navigation pane.
In the Value data field, type 0 and click OK.
In the registry editor, navigate to the below-mentioned registry path:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}
Now, in the left pane, right-click on the folder {018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6} and select Delete to remove the entry.
