Forum Discussion
Onedrive removing original files from desktop
Could someone explain why onedrive would remove my original files off my desktop when managing backups and such? For a filesharing cloud software to wipe my desktop of important files when I trying ...
- I totally understand your frustration—OneDrive’s handling of desktop and backup folders can feel confusing and even risky if you're not expecting certain behaviors. When OneDrive’s "Manage Backup" feature is enabled, it redirects key folders like Desktop, Documents, and Pictures into its sync folder. So when you deselect backup or unlink OneDrive, it might appear that files have been removed—but they’re actually still in the OneDrive folder (typically under C:\Users\[YourName]\OneDrive\Desktop, etc.).
To avoid this in the future: - Before turning off backup, manually move your files from the OneDrive folder back to your local folders.
- Check your OneDrive Recycle Bin (online) in case any files were removed during changes.
- You can also pause sync or unlink OneDrive entirely if you prefer manual control over file storage.
Hopefully this helps make sense of the chaos. You're not alone—many users have run into this. Microsoft could definitely improve how it communicates these changes.