You may not know it, but it is possible to enable or disable the synchronization of specific folders with OneDrive. Here is How to Stop the Synchronization of a Folder?
OneDrive: How to Stop the Synchronization of a Folder?
OneDrive is primarily an online storage service (more commonly known as cloud), which was created in 2007 by Microsoft as Windows Live Folders. It can be used either via a browser web uploading files on a server or via the Onedrive software that enables synchronization between applying online onedrive and your device ( computer, phone, tablet, etc.).
Currently, OneDrive is installed by default on all PCs running Windows 10. Free to the user to activate it or not to benefit free of space of storage of 5 GB on line.
When enabled, some folders on your computer are automatically synchronized with the OneDrive online server: If you add, delete, or edit a file in OneDrive folders on your PC, the change is made immediately online as well. Thus, you have access to your documents on a multitude of media, provided however to have an internet connection.
By default, several OneDrive folders (Documents, Music, Public, Favorites, and so on) are set to be synchronized continuously. If, for a particular reason, you want to stop the synchronization of a specific file, it is possible. Let’s see how to proceed.
To begin
OneDrive local folders are very easy to access: just launch the explorer. OneDrive is immediately visible on the left side of the interface. With one click, the user can view all OneDrive files stored in his PC.
These can have different statuses: a green circle means that the file is available on the device while a cloud means that the file is accessible when OneDrive is active (if you are connected to the Internet). It is possible that a human icon is also present: this indicates that the folder is shared with other users.
In our example, we will stop the synchronization of the “Documents” folder.
To stop synchronizing a folder with OneDrive, you need to access the settings. To do this, right-click on the OneDrive icon on the right side of the taskbar and choose “Settings”.
If the icon does not appear, OneDrive is not active. In this case, launch the software by clicking on the Windows “Start” icon, then on OneDrive in the list of programs.
Stop protecting a folder
To stop the synchronization of a folder, it must first stop its protection. In the settings, go to the ” Backup ” tab, then click “Manage Backup”.
Then click “Stop Protection” in the folder for which you want to end the synchronization.
Confirmation is requested, click on “Disable protection” to validate the operation. The contents of the folder remain stored online and the new files are added to a different unprotected folder in OneDrive.
As you can see, the “Documents” folder is no longer protected.
Stop folder synchronization
Go back to the OneDrive settings and go to the “Account” tab. Then click on the button “Choose folders”.
The list of OneDrive folders is displayed with their size in parentheses. Uncheck the box in the folder whose synchronization you want to stop. Validate the operation by clicking on the “OK” button.
You can now return to the explorer, the folder “Documents” no longer appears.
The contents of the “Documents” folder are no longer visible on this computer. Nevertheless, it is possible to access it quickly through your web browser.
To do this, simply right-click on the OneDrive icon in the taskbar and select “Show online”.
As mentioned, the “Documents” folder is online and contains everything that was put there before.