Stop OneDrive from Auto-Starting in Windows 11

This post shows students and new users steps to stop OneDrive from automatically starting up every time they log in to Windows 11.

OneDrive, a Microsoft cloud and backup storage that synchronizes your files across all devices, will automatically start every time a user signs into Windows. If you don’t always use OneDrive and want to turn off this behavior, the steps below will show you how to do it.

When you install OneDrive on Windows 11, it automatically adds its icon on the taskbar. You can right-click the OneDrive app icon in the toolbar and close it. However, the next time you log back onto Windows 11, the OneDrive app will reoccur.

If you don’t want the OneDrive service to start up automatically every time, use the steps below to prevent the OneDrive app from starting up when you log in.

To disable OneDrive from automatically starting up on Windows 11, follow the steps below.

How to prevent OneDrive from starting up automatically on Windows 11

As mentioned, when you sign into Windows, the OneDrive service will automatically start up by default. You can turn this behavior off when using Windows, and the steps below show you how to do that.

With OneDrive installed, you can turn off auto-start via the Task Manager. To do that, click the Start button and search for Task Manager. Under Best Match, click the Task Manager app.

Click the Startup tab. If you don’t see any tabs, click More Details first.

Next, look for Microsoft OneDrive in the list, right-click it, and select Disable. Windows won’t open OneDrive automatically when you sign in anymore.

How to disable OneDrive auto start from the app

You can also disable OneDrive from automatically starting up on Windows from the app. On the taskbar, right-click on the OneDrive icon. If you don’t see the icon, click the upward-facing caret to show the hidden app icons.

Click the Settings gear at the top right on the fly-out window, then select Preferences.

On Settings, under Settings, uncheck the highlighted box that reads: Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows.

Click the OK button to save your settings and exit. That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Disabling OneDrive from starting automatically can enhance your system’s performance and speed up the login process.
• You can easily manage this setting through Task Manager or the OneDrive application preferences.
• Remember to save your changes after modifying the settings to ensure they take effect.
• If you ever need to use OneDrive, you can launch it manually without hassle.
• Adjusting this setting gives you more control over your startup applications in Windows 11.