How to Disconnect Google Drive on Windows 11

This article explains how to disconnect Google Drive from a Windows machine.

Google Drive is a cloud storage and file synchronization service developed by Google. It allows users to store and share files in the cloud, synchronize files across devices, and collaborate with others in real time.

One can configure many settings with the Google Drive app on Windows. Users can install and start Google Drive at login, stream Google Drive to a folder or driver letter, pause syncing, add files and photos to sync with Google Drive, stream or mirror their files on Google Drive, and more.

With Google Drive’s benefits, some people might still have reasons to use another service like Dropbox or OneDrive.

There can be multiple reasons why someone would want to disconnect Google Drive from a Windows machine. One of the most common reasons could be that the user wants to stop syncing files between their device and Google Drive.

It could also be that the user wants to switch to another cloud storage service or stop using Google Drive altogether. Whatever the reason, disconnecting Google Drive from a Windows machine is a simple process that can be completed in just a few steps.

Disconnect Google Drive in Windows

As mentioned, users can disconnect Google Drive to stop syncing their files. Once disconnected, files will no longer sync to the cloud.

Here’s how to do that.

First, open the Google Drive flyout window from the notification area. You can do that by clicking the Taskbar overflow and selecting the Google Drive icon to open its flyout window.

When the flyout opens, select the Settings (gear) at the top of the screen and click Preferences.

On the Preferences page, select the Setting gear at the top right to open the Settings page.

On the Settings page, click on the link “Disconnect account” to disconnect Google Drive on a Windows machine.

Files streaming from Google Drive, including those marked “Available offline,” will no longer be available on your computer.

Click the Disconnect button to stop file streaming from Google Drive.

Once disconnected, the machine will no longer sync files to the cloud using Google Drive.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Disconnecting Google Drive from a Windows machine is a simple process that can be completed in just a few steps.
• Once disconnected, files will no longer sync to the cloud, and files streaming from Google Drive, including those marked “Available offline,” will no longer be available on the computer.
• Users can easily switch to another cloud storage service or stop using Google Drive altogether after disconnecting it from their Windows machine.
• This post provided a comprehensive guide to disconnecting file streaming from Google Drive on Windows and highlighted the benefits and reasons for disconnecting Google Drive.