How to Stop OneDrive from Putting Desktop Folders Back

You moved Desktop and Documents out of OneDrive, and the next day they were back inside it, with a second Desktop showing in File Explorer. Nothing is copying them. OneDrive folder backup (Known Folder Move) re-points those folders into OneDrive and re-creates them whenever it is on. Turning the backup off returns them to C:\Users\<your user name> and ends the loop.

Open OneDrive settings from the taskbar

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar corner (click the up arrow first if it is hidden), then click the gear icon and choose Settings.

Go to Sync and backup, then Manage backup

In the left pane click Sync and backup, then click Manage backup. You will see a switch for each folder: Documents, Pictures, Desktop, and on some builds Music and Videos.

Turn off each folder and confirm

Switch off Desktop, Documents, and Pictures, plus any others you want out. For each one, click Stop backup in the prompt and confirm. Then click Save changes or close the dialog. Windows re-points each folder to C:\Users\<your user name> right away.

Move your files back by hand

Stopping backup does not move files. Everything that was in OneDrive stays in C:\Users\<your user name>\OneDrive\Desktop, and the same for Documents and Pictures. Open that folder, select everything, and cut and paste it into the new local Desktop. Repeat for the other folders. Until you do, the local folders are empty and the desktop looks blank apart from a shortcut OneDrive may leave pointing to the old location.

Keep it off after future prompts

Backup can be switched back on by a OneDrive prompt, a Back up your folders banner, or a later Windows setup screen. If the folders jump back into OneDrive, return to Sync and backup, Manage backup and switch them off again. Signing out of OneDrive or unlinking the PC is not required and does not change where the folders point.

If you see two Desktop folders. One is C:\Users\<your user name>\Desktop and the other is OneDrive\Desktop. Both are real. File Explorer labels whichever one backup currently points to as Desktop in its left pane, and both can exist at once as long as you know which is which.

If a new PC did this on its own. Windows setup turns folder backup on by default when you sign in with a Microsoft account. The steps above undo it.