How do I stop syncing the SharePoint folder from OneDrive? Since OneDrive and SharePoint can be linked in many ways, it may be hard for you to find a proper way to stop syncing between them. But don’t worry, this full guide will give you 2 simple solutions.
In order to use a SharePoint or OneDrive folder, two versions of the same folder will exist - one on your device and another on the Microsoft Cloud servers. These two folders remain synchronized, which means that any modifications made to one location will be promptly updated in the other.
However, if you wish to break the synchronization between the SharePoint folder and the desktop, this guide will provide you with the solutions necessary on how to unsync SharePoint folder from OneDrive.
Although SharePoint OneDrive synchronization can enhance teamwork efficiency, there may be certain situations that prompt the need to unsync.
Free up Local Storage: One such situation is when you need to free up local storage space. When you sync SharePoint files and folders to your local device, they can occupy a significant amount of storage space. If you find yourself running low on disk space, unsyncing SharePoint folders can help you free up some much-needed space.
Reduce Network Usage: Another reason to unsync SharePoint folders is to reduce network usage. When working with large files or folders in SharePoint, syncing them to your device can consume a lot of network bandwidth. If you're experiencing slow internet speeds or you're on a limited data plan, unsyncing SharePoint folders can help you minimize network usage.
Reduce Sync Errors: In some cases, you may experience sync errors with your SharePoint folders. In such situations, unsyncing and then re-syncing the folders may help resolve the issue.
Manage Permissions: Lastly, you may want to unsync a particular SharePoint folder from OneDrive to manage permissions and limit access to the folder. This ensures that the folder isn't accessible from the local device.
Unsyncing a SharePoint folder from OneDrive is so easy. There are 2 simple solutions that can help you disable sync between SharePoint and OneDrive. And the choice mainly depends on whether you sync SharePoint on the web or in a desktop folder. For how to unsync a SharePoint site in OneDrive, you can refer to the first solution. For how to unsync a SharePoint folder from OneDrive desktop app, the second solution would be helpful.
Step 1. Log in to the OneDrive website with your Microsoft 365 account.
Step 2. Move to the “My files” tab and tick the SharePoint shortcut that you want to unsync with OneDrive.
Step 3. Click “Remove” above to remove this SharePoint shortcut from OneDrive.
Tip: The chain icon beside the folder shows that this is a SharePoint shortcut folder.
Step 1. Right-click on the OneDrive icon in the Window system tray or Mac menu bar and select "Settings".
Step 2. Go to the "Account" tab, and click on "Stop sync" next to the SharePoint folder you want to unsync.
Step 3. You will see a warning message that reads "Are you sure you want to stop syncing this folder?". Click on "Stop sync" to confirm.
Step 4. The SharePoint folder will now be removed from your local OneDrive folder and will no longer sync to your device. However, the folder and its contents will still be available in SharePoint online.
Note: If you want to delete the SharePoint folder and its contents completely, you will need to do so in SharePoint Online. Deleting the folder from your OneDrive folder will only remove it from your local device, but it will still exist in SharePoint Online.
The above solutions for stopping syncing SharePoint to OneDrive are easy to operate. But if you want to unsync due to the inconvenient and uncontrollable synchronization between OneDrive and SharePoint, or if you want to reduce the sync errors, you can use an alternative service to automatically sync your SharePoint with your OneDrive for Business or personal OneDrive through a single click. That is to use MultCloud, a professional cloud-to-cloud sync service.
MultCloud is a popular cloud file manager that offers web and mobile services for you to manage all your clouds in a single place and sync, backup, or transfer data across clouds with a single click.
Step 1. Go to the MultCloud web to create an account.
Step 2. Click “Add Cloud” and choose the SharePoint Online icon, then log in with your Microsoft 365 account to add it to MultCloud. You can add your personal OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, and other clouds in the same way.
Step 3. Go to the Cloud Sync tab, choose files and folders in a SharePoint Online documents library as the source, and choose a place in OneDrive as the destination.
Step 4. The default sync mode is one-way simple sync. To seamlessly sync your SharePoint with your OneDrive, you can switch to “Real Time Sync”. Or you can click “Options” to choose other excellent sync modes. After that, click “Sync Now” and MultCloud will sync OneDrive and SharePoint as you set up.
Tips:
The solutions on how to unsync SharePoint folder from OneDrive are clearly illustrated above. You can choose between them according to your conditions and follow the step-by-step instruction to quickly solve your problem.
Besides, if you stop syncing OneDrive with SharePoint but still want to use some of your SharePoint files in OneDrive, MultCloud offers Cloud Transfer to help you easily move files from SharePoint to OneDrive without downloading or uploading.