How to Turn On or Off OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing Across Windows 11 Devices

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off OneDrive folder backup and sync for your Microsoft account across all your Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices you sign in with.

What is OneDrive Folder Backup?

OneDrive lets you sync files and folders between your computer and the cloud. This means you can access your files from anywhere — your computer, your mobile device, and even through the OneDrive website at OneDrive.com. When you add, change, or delete a file or folder in your OneDrive folder, the same thing happens on the OneDrive website and vice versa. You can work with your synced files directly in File Explorer and access your files even when you’re offline. Whenever you’re online, any changes that you or others make will sync automatically.

You can also back up your important folders (Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos folders) on your Windows PC with OneDrive folder backup syncing, so they’re protected and available on other devices.

Why Back Up Your Folders?

When you select to back up a folder to OneDrive, the files in that folder are moved to your C:\Users\user1\OneDrive\<same folder name>, and synced to your OneDrive in the cloud. For example, files from C:\Users\user1\Documents move to C:\Users\user1\OneDrive\Documents, and sync to your online OneDrive.

New Features in Windows 11

Starting with Windows 11 build 22631.4974 (23H2) and build 26100.3323 (24H2), you can now snooze or turn off the “Start backup” reminder in the File Explorer address bar. This only applies if you are not already backing up your files and folders. To view this new option, right-click on Start backup.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26100.4484 (24H2), the PC-to-PC migration experience in Windows is starting to roll out. You’ll begin to see the landing and pairing page in the Windows Backup app. In the full experience, you’ll be able to transfer files and settings from an old PC to a new one during setup. Support for this feature during PC setup will arrive in a future update.

What You Need

OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing requires OneDrive running and you signed in to OneDrive with your Microsoft account.

Option One: Turn On or Off OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing in Settings

1. Open Settings (Win+I).
2. Click/tap on Accounts on the left side, and click/tap on Windows backup on the right side.
   

    Open Backup Settings

3. Click/tap on Set up syncing or Manage sync settings for OneDrive folder syncing.
   

4. Continue

Option Two: Turn On or Off OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing in OneDrive Settings

1. Click/tap on the OneDrive icon on the taskbar corner, click on Help & Settings (gear) icon, and click/tap on Settings.
   

2. Click/tap on Sync and backup on the left pane, and click on Manage backup.
   

Turn On Folder(s) to Start Backing Up to OneDrive

1. Turn On any folder(s) you want to backup to OneDrive, and click on Save changes when finished.
   

2. Click on View sync progress to see your OneDrive backup progress.
   

Turn Off Folder(s) to Stop Backing Up to OneDrive

1. Turn Off any folder you want to stop backing up to OneDrive.
   

2. Perform one of the available actions :
   • For the Documents, Pictures, Music, or Videos folder, click/tap on OK to confirm.
   • For the Desktop folder, select (dot) This computer only, and click on Continue.
3. Click/tap on OK .
4. Perform one of the following actions for what you want:
   • Provide feedback, and click/tap on Submit.
   • Don’t provide feedback, and click on Close.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 for any other folder(s) you want to turn off to stop backing up to OneDrive.
6. Click/tap on Close when finished.
7. When you stop backing up a folder, the files that were already backed up by OneDrive (cloud) stay in your account’s OneDrive folder on your PC, and will no longer appear in the folders in your account’s profile folder.
8. In the folder that you stopped backing up, you’ll see an icon titled Where are my files that’s a shortcut to your folders in OneDrive. To access your files, click on the shortcut to open the folder in OneDrive.
9. If you want those files back in your device folder and not in OneDrive, move them manually from the OneDrive folder back to your device folder. Keep in mind that any new files you add to that folder on your device won’t be backed up by OneDrive after you stop the backup.
10. To move the files, click on the Where are my files shortcut to open the folder in OneDrive, then select the files that you want to move to your device folder, and drag and drop them to that location.

Related Resources

Back up your folders with OneDrive – Microsoft Support — Learn how to create a OneDrive backup on your PC. Set up OneDrive PC folder backup to access, manage, stop, or fix problems with PC folder backup.

Sync your computer’s files and folders with OneDrive – Microsoft Support — Learn how to install and use OneDrive to sync files and folders between your computer and the OneDrive cloud.

Back up and restore with Windows Backup – Microsoft Support — Learn how to back up and restore apps, settings, files, photos, and Microsoft Edge favorites and preferences on your Windows PC using Windows Backup.

Getting the most out of your PC backup – Microsoft Support — Learn why it’s important to have a backup, and how Windows Backup can help you keep your files and settings safe.

Windows Backup: How to Back Up Files to Transfer Between Devices | Microsoft — Explore seamless data transfer solutions between Windows PCs from Microsoft. Learn how to effortlessly transfer your data between devices with Windows Backup.

Summary

OneDrive folder backup lets you automatically sync your important folders (Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos) to the cloud. You can turn this feature on or off using either the Windows Settings app or the OneDrive settings menu. When you turn on backup for a folder, your files are moved to your OneDrive folder and synced to the cloud, making them available on all your devices. When you turn off backup, your files stay in OneDrive but stop syncing from your device. You can move them back to your device folder manually if you want. This feature requires you to be signed in with your Microsoft account and works across Windows 10 and Windows 11.