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Purging OneDrive on new install

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  Purging OneDrive on new install "Alan K." <alan@invalid.com> - 2025-01-11 18:01 -0500
    Re: Purging OneDrive on new install ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ  <winstonmvp@gmail.com> - 2025-01-13 12:37 -0700
      Re: Purging OneDrive on new install "Alan K." <alan@invalid.com> - 2025-01-13 18:31 -0500
        Re: Purging OneDrive on new install ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ  <winstonmvp@gmail.com> - 2025-01-14 03:05 -0700
    Re: Purging OneDrive on new install Newyana2 <newyana@invalid.nospam> - 2025-01-14 09:03 -0500
      Re: Purging OneDrive on new install "Alan K." <alan@invalid.com> - 2025-01-14 09:43 -0500
      Re: Purging OneDrive on new install "Alan K." <alan@invalid.com> - 2025-01-14 09:44 -0500
      Re: Purging OneDrive on new install ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ  <winstonmvp@gmail.com> - 2025-01-14 11:49 -0700

#16211 — Purging OneDrive on new install

I got my hands on a new laptop.
After starting it up, I answered all the questions, putting in the MS login (no local account), and 
eventually getting a login window.

I found that OneDrive was install.  I kinda knew it would.  So I want to remove it.
I stopped it, turned off sync, and then went into settings-apps and removed it.  The folders were 
empty.  But they are linked Documents = C:\users\name\onedrive\Documents
So I have some batch files that change a few registry entries.
3 batch files for Pictures, Documents, Desktop.  Looking at them they are simply editing these keys.
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
and
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

While I was looking, I don't remember, but I'm sure I checked all.

I then deleted the onedrive folder in the users home folder.
Major majority of things work.  Things in the file explorer, links I tested.

I'm not sure what the user was doing but we were doing something and got an error that some onedrive 
folder was not available.   I wish she had not gone thru it so fast.  I've asked if it comes up 
again to stop and make a note of it.

Does anyone else have suggestions that I might check?
I did not remove folders in AppData/*  so maybe that should be done?

-- 
Linux Mint 22, Cinnamon 6.2.9,  Kernel 6.8.0-51-generic
Thunderbird 128.5.2esr, Mozilla Firefox 134.0
Alan K.

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#16265

Alan K. wrote on 1/11/25 4:01 PM:
> I got my hands on a new laptop.
> After starting it up, I answered all the questions, putting in the MS 
> login (no local account), and eventually getting a login window.
> 
> I found that OneDrive was install.  I kinda knew it would.  So I want to 
> remove it.
> I stopped it, turned off sync, and then went into settings-apps and 
> removed it.  The folders were empty.  But they are linked Documents = 
> C:\users\name\onedrive\Documents
> So I have some batch files that change a few registry entries.
> 3 batch files for Pictures, Documents, Desktop.  Looking at them they are 
> simply editing these keys.
> HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
> and
> HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
> 
> While I was looking, I don't remember, but I'm sure I checked all.
> 
> I then deleted the onedrive folder in the users home folder.
> Major majority of things work.  Things in the file explorer, links I tested.
> 
> I'm not sure what the user was doing but we were doing something and got 
> an error that some onedrive folder was not available.   I wish she had 
> not gone thru it so fast.  I've asked if it comes up again to stop and 
> make a note of it.
> 
> Does anyone else have suggestions that I might check?
> I did not remove folders in AppData/*  so maybe that should be done?
> 
It's not really sufficient to abort the OneDrive process and just turn 
off the sync process.

The preferred successful method for disabling OneDrive(OD) for subsequent 
later removal and/or future use requires multiple steps and those first 
steps require OD to be signed on with the same logged on MSFT account 
that initially loaded OD on first use.

Note: Perform the following in the exact sequence numbered below. Do not 
deviate from the numbered steps.

1. Load/Open/Sign on with the MSA ODDis
2. Disable OD from startup in Windows Settings
  - Settings/Apps/Startup => Toggle off OD
3. Disable OD Backup
  - OD/Settings/Sync and Backup/Manage Backup => Toggle off all items, 
Save Changes
4. Disable all other Sync and Backup items
  - OD/Settings/Sync and Backup => toggle off all items(Photos, 
Screenshots, all Preference items, all Advanced settings items(expand to 
see all items)
5. Disable all folder syncing
  - OD/Account/Choose Folders => uncheck 'Sync all files and folders', 
click OK
6. Disable all Notifications => Toggle off all items
7. Unlink OD from the device
  - OD/Settings/Unlink this pc
Having completed all the above steps in the above sequence, look for the 
OD icon on the task bar, if the OD icon is present on the TaskBar, then 
perform the next step
9. Rt. click on the OD icon, select Pause Syncing to expand, then 'Quit 
OneDrive'
Continue with the next steps
10. Restart Windows
11. Open a browser(Edge, Chrome, Firefox etc.) and access/signon the OD 
online UI(use the same MSA!!!! and password to signon)
  - In the OD online UI, click on 'My files.
  - Inspect any folders for contents(files, etc.)to determine if anything 
that was previously synced needs to be restored(downloaded back to the 
logged on Windows user account's.
  - Once inspection and download done, then delete all files in the 
online OD folders.
  - Logoff the OD online UI, close the browser

One can now effectively proceed to leave OD present on Windows or 
uninstall it properly.
  To uninstall
12. Windows/Settings/Apps/Installed apps/OD
  - click the 3 dot ellipsis, click 'Uninstall'
  - do not interrupt or abort the process
13. Restart Windows


-- 
...w¡ñ§±¤ñ

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#16271

On 1/13/25 02:37 PM, ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ wrote:
> Alan K. wrote on 1/11/25 4:01 PM:
>> I got my hands on a new laptop.
>> After starting it up, I answered all the questions, putting in the MS login (no local account), 
>> and eventually getting a login window.
>>
>> I found that OneDrive was install.  I kinda knew it would.  So I want to remove it.
>> I stopped it, turned off sync, and then went into settings-apps and removed it.  The folders were 
>> empty.  But they are linked Documents = C:\users\name\onedrive\Documents
>> So I have some batch files that change a few registry entries.
>> 3 batch files for Pictures, Documents, Desktop.  Looking at them they are simply editing these keys.
>> HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
>> and
>> HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
>>
>> While I was looking, I don't remember, but I'm sure I checked all.
>>
>> I then deleted the onedrive folder in the users home folder.
>> Major majority of things work.  Things in the file explorer, links I tested.
>>
>> I'm not sure what the user was doing but we were doing something and got an error that some 
>> onedrive folder was not available.   I wish she had not gone thru it so fast.  I've asked if it 
>> comes up again to stop and make a note of it.
>>
>> Does anyone else have suggestions that I might check?
>> I did not remove folders in AppData/*  so maybe that should be done?
>>
> It's not really sufficient to abort the OneDrive process and just turn off the sync process.
> 
> The preferred successful method for disabling OneDrive(OD) for subsequent later removal and/or 
> future use requires multiple steps and those first steps require OD to be signed on with the same 
> logged on MSFT account that initially loaded OD on first use.
> 
> Note: Perform the following in the exact sequence numbered below. Do not deviate from the numbered 
> steps.
> 
> 1. Load/Open/Sign on with the MSA ODDis
> 2. Disable OD from startup in Windows Settings
>   - Settings/Apps/Startup => Toggle off OD
> 3. Disable OD Backup
>   - OD/Settings/Sync and Backup/Manage Backup => Toggle off all items, Save Changes
> 4. Disable all other Sync and Backup items
>   - OD/Settings/Sync and Backup => toggle off all items(Photos, Screenshots, all Preference items, 
> all Advanced settings items(expand to see all items)
> 5. Disable all folder syncing
>   - OD/Account/Choose Folders => uncheck 'Sync all files and folders', click OK
> 6. Disable all Notifications => Toggle off all items
> 7. Unlink OD from the device
>   - OD/Settings/Unlink this pc
> Having completed all the above steps in the above sequence, look for the OD icon on the task bar, if 
> the OD icon is present on the TaskBar, then perform the next step
> 9. Rt. click on the OD icon, select Pause Syncing to expand, then 'Quit OneDrive'
> Continue with the next steps
> 10. Restart Windows
> 11. Open a browser(Edge, Chrome, Firefox etc.) and access/signon the OD online UI(use the same 
> MSA!!!! and password to signon)
>   - In the OD online UI, click on 'My files.
>   - Inspect any folders for contents(files, etc.)to determine if anything that was previously synced 
> needs to be restored(downloaded back to the logged on Windows user account's.
>   - Once inspection and download done, then delete all files in the online OD folders.
>   - Logoff the OD online UI, close the browser
> 
> One can now effectively proceed to leave OD present on Windows or uninstall it properly.
>   To uninstall
> 12. Windows/Settings/Apps/Installed apps/OD
>   - click the 3 dot ellipsis, click 'Uninstall'
>   - do not interrupt or abort the process
> 13. Restart Windows
> 
> 
That looks like what I did.  Thanks.  I'm keeping a copy of this.

-- 
Linux Mint 22, Cinnamon 6.2.9,  Kernel 6.8.0-51-generic
Thunderbird 128.5.2esr, Mozilla Firefox 134.0
Alan K.

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#16281

Alan K. wrote on 1/13/25 4:31 PM:
> On 1/13/25 02:37 PM, ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ wrote:
>> Alan K. wrote on 1/11/25 4:01 PM:
>>> I got my hands on a new laptop.
>>> After starting it up, I answered all the questions, putting in the MS 
>>> login (no local account), and eventually getting a login window.
>>>
>>> I found that OneDrive was install.  I kinda knew it would.  So I want 
>>> to remove it.
>>> I stopped it, turned off sync, and then went into settings-apps and 
>>> removed it.  The folders were empty.  But they are linked Documents = 
>>> C:\users\name\onedrive\Documents
>>> So I have some batch files that change a few registry entries.
>>> 3 batch files for Pictures, Documents, Desktop.  Looking at them they 
>>> are simply editing these keys.
>>> HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
>>> and
>>> HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell 
>>> Folders
>>>
>>> While I was looking, I don't remember, but I'm sure I checked all.
>>>
>>> I then deleted the onedrive folder in the users home folder.
>>> Major majority of things work.  Things in the file explorer, links I 
>>> tested.
>>>
>>> I'm not sure what the user was doing but we were doing something and 
>>> got an error that some onedrive folder was not available.   I wish she 
>>> had not gone thru it so fast.  I've asked if it comes up again to stop 
>>> and make a note of it.
>>>
>>> Does anyone else have suggestions that I might check?
>>> I did not remove folders in AppData/*  so maybe that should be done?
>>>
>> It's not really sufficient to abort the OneDrive process and just turn 
>> off the sync process.
>>
>> The preferred successful method for disabling OneDrive(OD) for 
>> subsequent later removal and/or future use requires multiple steps and 
>> those first steps require OD to be signed on with the same logged on 
>> MSFT account that initially loaded OD on first use.
>>
>> Note: Perform the following in the exact sequence numbered below. Do 
>> not deviate from the numbered steps.
>>
>> 1. Load/Open/Sign on with the MSA ODDis
>> 2. Disable OD from startup in Windows Settings
>>   - Settings/Apps/Startup => Toggle off OD
>> 3. Disable OD Backup
>>   - OD/Settings/Sync and Backup/Manage Backup => Toggle off all items, 
>> Save Changes
>> 4. Disable all other Sync and Backup items
>>   - OD/Settings/Sync and Backup => toggle off all items(Photos, 
>> Screenshots, all Preference items, all Advanced settings items(expand 
>> to see all items)
>> 5. Disable all folder syncing
>>   - OD/Account/Choose Folders => uncheck 'Sync all files and folders', 
>> click OK
>> 6. Disable all Notifications => Toggle off all items
>> 7. Unlink OD from the device
>>   - OD/Settings/Unlink this pc
>> Having completed all the above steps in the above sequence, look for 
>> the OD icon on the task bar, if the OD icon is present on the TaskBar, 
>> then perform the next step
>> 9. Rt. click on the OD icon, select Pause Syncing to expand, then 'Quit 
>> OneDrive'
>> Continue with the next steps
>> 10. Restart Windows
>> 11. Open a browser(Edge, Chrome, Firefox etc.) and access/signon the OD 
>> online UI(use the same MSA!!!! and password to signon)
>>   - In the OD online UI, click on 'My files.
>>   - Inspect any folders for contents(files, etc.)to determine if 
>> anything that was previously synced needs to be restored(downloaded 
>> back to the logged on Windows user account's.
>>   - Once inspection and download done, then delete all files in the 
>> online OD folders.
>>   - Logoff the OD online UI, close the browser
>>
>> One can now effectively proceed to leave OD present on Windows or 
>> uninstall it properly.
>>   To uninstall
>> 12. Windows/Settings/Apps/Installed apps/OD
>>   - click the 3 dot ellipsis, click 'Uninstall'
>>   - do not interrupt or abort the process
>> 13. Restart Windows
>>
>>
> That looks like what I did.  Thanks.  I'm keeping a copy of this.
> 

You're welcome.
  It wasn't entirely clear the process you used, thus the 
step-by-step/itemization sequences.

  I did not comment on the AppData folders(assumed to be OD in the user's 
AppData\Local\OneDrive or AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive)
  => If you followed the step by step process and use 
Windows\Settings\...\Installed apps to uninstall OneDrive, those folders 
have some components integrated with Windows and other apps that are not 
necessary to delete, in fact they've been known to be recreated by other 
Windows or Store or Office Updates...thus I lean towards instructing to 
just leave them alone.

Separately, nothing wrong when OneDrive is properly unlinked(after using 
the stepped sequenced or after the stepped sequenced[and uninstalled] to 
delete the folders and contents of the logged on Microsoft account in 
Windows(C:\Users\<username>\OneDrive).


-- 
...w¡ñ§±¤ñ

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#16285

On 1/11/2025 6:01 PM, Alan K. wrote:
> 
> Does anyone else have suggestions that I might check?
> I did not remove folders in AppData/*  so maybe that should be done?
> 

    You mean a new retail laptop? And it already has
a Microsoft account? Have you considered just
reinstalling? If it were me I'd download the Windows
ISO, put it on a USB stick, then overwrite the whole
thing. And don't connect to the Internet during install.
But if you do that you'll probably want to download the
drivers first. Then you don't have to have an MS account.

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#16286

On 1/14/25 09:03 AM, Newyana2 wrote:
> On 1/11/2025 6:01 PM, Alan K. wrote:
>>
>> Does anyone else have suggestions that I might check?
>> I did not remove folders in AppData/*  so maybe that should be done?
>>
> 
>     You mean a new retail laptop? And it already has
> a Microsoft account? Have you considered just
> reinstalling? If it were me I'd download the Windows
> ISO, put it on a USB stick, then overwrite the whole
> thing. And don't connect to the Internet during install.
> But if you do that you'll probably want to download the
> drivers first. Then you don't have to have an MS account.
> 
The MSA is fine with the owner and myself.

-- 
Linux Mint 22, Cinnamon 6.2.9,  Kernel 6.8.0-51-generic
Thunderbird 128.5.2esr, Mozilla Firefox 134.0
Alan K.

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#16287

On 1/14/25 09:03 AM, Newyana2 wrote:
> On 1/11/2025 6:01 PM, Alan K. wrote:
>>
>> Does anyone else have suggestions that I might check?
>> I did not remove folders in AppData/*  so maybe that should be done?
>>
> 
>     You mean a new retail laptop? And it already has
> a Microsoft account? Have you considered just
> reinstalling? If it were me I'd download the Windows
> ISO, put it on a USB stick, then overwrite the whole
> thing. And don't connect to the Internet during install.
> But if you do that you'll probably want to download the
> drivers first. Then you don't have to have an MS account.
> 
And no, it did not come with one, and we didn't try to force it into local account.  She already had 
a MSA so we just used it.

-- 
Linux Mint 22, Cinnamon 6.2.9,  Kernel 6.8.0-51-generic
Thunderbird 128.5.2esr, Mozilla Firefox 134.0
Alan K.

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#16295

Newyana2 wrote on 1/14/25 7:03 AM:
> On 1/11/2025 6:01 PM, Alan K. wrote:
>>
>> Does anyone else have suggestions that I might check?
>> I did not remove folders in AppData/*  so maybe that should be done?
>>
> 
>     You mean a new retail laptop? And it already has
> a Microsoft account? Have you considered just
> reinstalling? If it were me I'd download the Windows
> ISO, put it on a USB stick, then overwrite the whole
> thing. And don't connect to the Internet during install.
> But if you do that you'll probably want to download the
> drivers first. Then you don't have to have an MS account.
> 

I don't think Alan meant the new device already had an Microsoft 
Acccount(MSA).
On first use an MSA was newly created(using an existing email or creating 
a new outlook.com(or HoTMaiL.com) or used his(or her, the device owner's) 
existing MSA => in his words("put in").

It's a bit unclear if it's (a.)Alan's device or (b.)now Alan's device but 
previously 'hers' or (c.)'her' device.

  If (a or b) then wiping to bare metal may be appropriate. If someone 
elses(and that person uses or has been using their MSA...it might make 
sense for them to stay on that same familiar 'using an MSA' path(even if 
wiped to bare metal and setup anew.

On a new device I'm more inclined to image the device(first use MSA 
setup, as received) remove most of the OEM junk and unnecessary 
trial-ware, never to be used Store apps/packages, and install desired 
Software  - After a few months of use , and downloading/sometimes 
updating with available/current OEM web site drivers[1], imaging again, 
then wiping the device to bare metal.
  - that way I've a baseline as received, baseline+updates+software 
before the clean install and resetting the device to my preferences.
  => I always create the MSA on first use, then create a Local Admin- the 
latter used for installing all software with one exception(I install M365 
Family in the MSA but setup Office and OneDrive in the Local Admin using 
the MSA, thereafter using the Local for all use, updating, imaging. I 
don't wipe the MSA, use it sparingly and have no issues with it being 
present as an optional logon.

Since I've multiple devices...those exact same two Windows logons(MSA and 
Local) are on all devices(each with their own computer name)..and the 
each device has each computername credentialed in Windows Credential 
Manager with that Local Admin username/pw.

-- 
...w¡ñ§±¤ñ

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