The OneDrive Backup Mess: What You Need to Know and Why You Should Avoid It

Hey everyone, let’s talk about OneDrive, and what it does, how it changes your files and where they're located on your computer, and why it can be such a headache. It's installed by default, and if you've wondered why your files suddenly aren’t where they used to be, or why things don’t go back to normal when you turn it off, this blog post is for you.

In this post, I’ll break it down into three parts:
1. What happens before you turn on OneDrive Backup
2. How OneDrive Backup changes your file structure
3. The mess it leaves behind when you turn it off

A Fresh Windows 11 Install

Let’s start fresh. On a clean install of Windows 11, everything is set to Microsoft’s defaults—Edge is the browser, privacy settings are untouched, for better or worse, and your files are stored locally.

By default, Windows saves files like Documents, Downloads, and Desktop in your user folder (Users/your_username/Documents).

If you create a file in the Documents folder, it lives right there on your computer. Simple, right?

OneDrive’s Default Behavior

If you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account, OneDrive is automatically set up.

It appears in two places: in File Explorer under “OneDrive - Personal” and as an actual folder on your system (Users/your_username/OneDrive/Documents).

Files you save in this OneDrive folder automatically sync to the cloud.

At this point, OneDrive is optional—you can use it to store cloud files, or you can ignore it and keep your documents local.

Turning On OneDrive Backup

This is where things take a turn. When you enable OneDrive Backup (via the OneDrive settings under the Backup tab), Windows moves your local Documents, Desktop, and Pictures folders into OneDrive.

Your old Documents folder (Users/your_username/Documents) suddenly looks empty because everything has been moved to OneDrive (Users/your_username/OneDrive/Documents).

Now, when you open the Documents shortcut in File Explorer, it points to OneDrive instead of your local storage.

The Storage Problem

If your Documents folder has over 5GB of files, OneDrive immediately tells you you’re out of space. Your options? Buy more storage or move files out of OneDrive to free up space. Microsoft will happily sell you extra storage, but that’s not a decision you should be forced into just because you turned on a feature, and yet that's what they're pressuring you to do.

Turning Off OneDrive Backup: The Catch

You’d think disabling OneDrive Backup would put everything back as it was. Nope. When you turn it off, your Documents folder reverts to its original location (Users/your_username/Documents), but it’s empty.

Your files stay in OneDrive (Users/your_username/OneDrive/Documents), and Windows doesn’t return them. You must manually drag them back if you want them in their original location. Because why would they make things easy, right?

What’s the Best Approach?

Instead of relying on OneDrive Backup, I recommend managing your files manually. If you want something stored in the cloud, I strongly recommend Dropbox.

If you prefer local storage, keep it in your native Documents folder and back it up using another method (external drive, cloud backup service, etc.).

OneDrive, and it's backup feature are confusing, disruptive, and honestly not worth the hassle. If you value control over your files, you’re better off managing them yourself.