OneDrive is already installed on Windows 11. To enable it, open Start, search for OneDrive, launch the app, and sign in with the Microsoft personal, work, or school account you want to use. Finish the setup prompts, then choose separately whether to sync selected files to the PC or back up common Windows folders.
Start OneDrive and complete setup
- Open the app. Select Start, type OneDrive, and open the app. If prompted, sign in with the Microsoft account that should sync with this PC. Microsoft’s instructions cover personal as well as work or school accounts: Sync your computer’s files and folders with OneDrive.
- Choose the OneDrive folder location. At the folder-location screen, select Next to accept the default or choose Change location to select another folder. Setup is the recommended time to choose a different location.
- Review Files On-Demand. The setup flow explains how OneDrive files can be online-only, locally available, or always available on the device. Choose availability according to your storage space and offline needs.
- Finish setup and check sync. Once syncing starts, look for your OneDrive folder in File Explorer and the OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows notification area. The icon gives access to sync status and settings.
Choose which files are available on this PC
OneDrive sync connects files in your OneDrive folder with OneDrive online: changes and deletions can be reflected in both places. It is not an independent backup of every file. Files On-Demand lets you see OneDrive content without storing every file locally. Online-only files require an internet connection to open; files made locally available can be used offline, while files set to always remain on the device are kept there.
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You can also choose which OneDrive folders sync to the PC. This controls which files are available in the local OneDrive folder; it is different from backing up standard Windows folders such as Desktop or Documents. See Microsoft’s sync and Files On-Demand instructions.
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Folder backup is an optional setting, separate from selecting OneDrive folders to sync locally. To enable it, open the OneDrive cloud icon and follow this path:
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- Select Help & Settings > Settings.
- Open Sync and backup > Manage backup.
- Turn on a folder marked Not backed up, then save the change.
The available folder choices and prompts are shown in Microsoft’s folder backup instructions. Read the location choice carefully if you later stop backup: Microsoft lets you decide whether files remain in OneDrive or on the PC. If a folder contains cloud-only files that you need locally, first set them to Always keep on this device so they download before you stop backup.
Use the right account and settings
A personal account and a work or school account are not interchangeable: use the identity whose OneDrive files you intend to access. Microsoft supports multiple work or school OneDrive accounts on a PC, but only one personal OneDrive account can be active on a computer. Settings are managed for each account. For account, folder, backup, and network options, see How to access OneDrive settings.
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If OneDrive is missing or sync needs a reset
The cloud icon is not visible
OneDrive may not be running. Open Start, search for OneDrive, and launch it; check the notification area again. Microsoft also documents this launch route in its OneDrive instructions for work files.
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Unlink and reconnect the PC
If you need to restart the account connection, use the cloud icon’s Help & Settings > Settings, open the Account tab, select Unlink this PC, then choose Unlink account. Sign in again when prompted. If setup offers the existing OneDrive folder, select Use this folder, then allow syncing to finish. Unlinking disconnects local folders temporarily; changes made while disconnected sync after relinking completes. Follow Microsoft’s unlink and relink steps.
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Turn off OneDrive instead of enabling it
If your goal is to stop using OneDrive, unlinking the PC stops the account connection; Windows versions that include OneDrive may not allow the app to be uninstalled. Microsoft describes options to hide or disable OneDrive in its turn off, disable, or uninstall guidance.
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