How to clear onedrive without deleting files from my computer

To clear OneDrive without deleting files from the computer, first stop OneDrive from continuing to back up and sync those folders, then make sure any cloud-only files are downloaded locally, and only after that delete files from OneDrive.

1. Turn off OneDrive folder backup.
   • Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar.
   • Select the gear icon, then Settings.
   • Go to Sync and Backup > Manage Backup.
   • Turn off all backed-up folders.
2. Unlink the PC from OneDrive.
   • In OneDrive Settings, go to the Account tab.
   • Select Unlink this PC.
   • This stops the computer from continuing to sync changes to OneDrive.
3. If some files are only online, download them before deleting anything from OneDrive.
   • In File Explorer, files marked as Available when online download when opened.
   • If a file starts downloading and that was accidental, OneDrive lets that download be canceled from the taskbar icon by selecting the X next to the file currently downloading.
   • If Files On-Demand is enabled, use Download all files if the goal is to bring the whole OneDrive folder down to the device, or use Always keep on this device from File Explorer for the files or folders that must stay local.
4. After the files needed on the PC are confirmed to exist locally, delete the unwanted files from OneDrive on the web.
   • Review what is taking space in OneDrive.
   • Empty the OneDrive Recycle bin as well, because it also counts toward cloud storage usage.
5. If the goal is to keep OneDrive installed but reduce local disk usage instead, use Files On-Demand.
   • In OneDrive Settings > Advanced Settings, under Files On-Demand, select Free up disk space.
   • This keeps cloud files online-only by default and reduces space used on the PC.
6. If OneDrive is no longer needed on the computer, uninstall it after unlinking.
   • Open Settings.
   • Find Microsoft OneDrive in installed apps.
   • Select Uninstall.
   • Removing OneDrive from the computer does not delete files or data from OneDrive.

Important:

• Do not delete files from the OneDrive folder until the backup is turned off and local copies are confirmed. Deleted OneDrive files go to Recycle Bin/Trash or the OneDrive recycle bin depending on where they were deleted.
• Files moved out of OneDrive are no longer backed up or protected in OneDrive.
• Storage Sense can automatically make unused OneDrive files online-only again, so if local copies keep disappearing, check Start > Storage settings and turn off Storage Sense if needed.
• Storage Sense works only on the C: drive, and the OneDrive location must be on *C:* for that behavior.

References:

• How to cancel or stop sync in OneDrive
• Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows
• What is Microsoft cloud storage?
• Use OneDrive and Storage Sense in Windows 10 to manage disk space
• How can I stop my files from saving to OneDrive? - Microsoft Q&A
• How do I undo OneDrive - Microsoft Q&A
• Why are files I never uploaded to the cloud appear to be on the cloud? - Microsoft Q&A
• reduce files on demand - Microsoft Q&A