As you likely know, Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud service is nicely integrated into Windows 10, and you don’t need to download a dedicated app to access your files saved in OneDrive. By clicking on the OneDrive icon in the navigation pane of the File Explorer (Windows Explorer), you can view and access files stored in OneDrive.
OneDrive in Windows 10
When you sign-in to Windows 10 using a Microsoft account, you are automatically signed in to OneDrive as well. This means that, even if you don’t intend to use OneDrive to store files, Windows 10 automatically signs you into OneDrive client integrated into Windows 10.
Sign out of OneDrive in Windows 10
Although this is actually good and most OneDrive users appreciate this feature, many users who use other cloud storage services like the popular Dropbox might want to sign out of the OneDrive without migrating their Microsoft account to local account or without actually signing out of Microsoft account.
This method can also be used to sign in to OneDrive using a different account. For instance, if you have multiple OneDrive accounts and want to sign out of one account and sign in with another account, you can use this method to sign out of the OneDrive and then sign in with a different account.
Follow the given below directions without any deviations to unlink or sign out of OneDrive in Windows 10.
Step 1: Right-click on the OneDrive icon located in the system tray area of the taskbar to open the OneDrive flyout, click on the three dots icon and then click Settings to open Microsoft OneDrive settings dialog.
Step 2: Switch to the Accounts tab by clicking or tapping on the Account tab.
Step 3: Click or tap the Unlink this PC link. Once the account the unlinked, you will see Welcome to OneDrive dialog with Sign in button. That’s it! You have successfully signed out of OneDrive in Windows 10.
Unlinking will sign you out of the OneDrive, and Windows 10 will longer sync your OneDrive files. However, files that are present (downloaded files) in the OneDrive folder on your PC will be there.
If you want to get rid of those files as well, open up File Explorer, click on the OneDrive icon in the navigation pane, select all files and then click Delete key.
And if you want to sign in to OneDrive with the same account or different account, follow the instructions in steps given below.
To sign in to OneDrive in Windows 10
Step 1: Perform a click on the OneDrive icon in the system tray of the taskbar to see the flyout. Click the Sign-in button.
Step 2: Click Sign in button. Enter your OneDrive or Microsoft account details, and then click Sign in button.
Step 3: When you see the following screen, either click the Next button to use the default location to save the OneDrive folder or select a location for the OneDrive folder by clicking Change location link and then selecting a new location.
Step 4: Finally, you will see the following screen where you can select folders in the cloud that you want to download to OneDrive folder on your Windows 10 PC.
Click the Next button to complete the setup. Click the Close button.
Good luck!
David Roberts says
Thanks for the info. Problem that I have with this is that when I come to sign back in, my email address is present without me entering it. When I press next it signs in without me entering the password. I want to unlink onedrive for security reasons, if my laptop is stolen, my files could be accessed. Can’t find the solution to this anywhere, and the new settings for onedrive does not have the option to switch off auto sign-in.
Achilles says
Thank you
Gunalan Sanjana says
it was a very easy method to log out of my old one drive account
thanks for the help!
w says
It was a good time with reading this article. I have found the solution correctly, now it works well.
Thanks for letting me know.
Mr, Robert says
Thank you for doing this it does do what needs to with the direction and this program is great for working in enormous Groups that you might have to work in large groups to acheive a project completion type deal. Thanks for allowing me to still just contribute.
Sincerely, Mr. Robert Wolf IIi
Ashley says
After unlink a specific computer from your OneDrive account, if you delete photos/videos from that computer, will they also be deleted from the OneDrive?
I am trying to back up my OneDrive media onto an external hard drive and somehow in the process all of my OneDrive files began saving themselves onto my computer also and used up all the store space so I can no longer transfer anything.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
ray says
do not work its still on my desktop when I go to a anther site it pop-up in front of that site
Barbara says
Many thanks for this article! This is SO helpful, fantastic!
kingers says
No such setting item exists on the menu. It is almost impossible to use OneDrive and having another OneDrive for business makes it even worse. The information online is just all wrong.
Richard says
Instructions about how to get connected/disconnected from OneDrive
steve brown says
i can’t find the icon to skip.
i unhid files in windows explorer (it was the only link when i searched for unhide) but that didn’t help.
Onedrive is not in the systray.
This is really frustrating but very typical of support pages.
jo says
I dont have the onedrive icon in my system tray… What i should do?
H Middle says
That 2nd step that has a tab that reads ‘UnlinkOnedrive’ is missing from my settings. I can’t unlink. I guess I’ll have to uninstall onedrive to remove the weird account that’s holding things up.
Lazefia Holley says
Thank-you SO Much! I was literally stressing out trying to detach my information and documents off of my work’s computer! I had free time and wanted to do some school work and then I realized I couldn’t take any of it out of the computer! I definitely did not want to mix my social (pictures) and educational
(research papers, power notes, etc.) life in with my working life ! #HugeHelp