Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage service has drawn criticism for a problematic behavior that may lead users to lose access to their local files. This issue occurs when the service activates automatically during Windows updates.
OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage offering, is tightly integrated into Windows. Author Jason Pargin highlighted a specific concern: certain Windows updates enable OneDrive backup by default, without providing users a clear option to decline. Once enabled, the service begins uploading local files to Microsoft’s servers without explicit notification.
Risk of Local File Loss
Pargin noted that attempting to disable this backup feature can unintentionally remove local copies of files. Users are often left with only a desktop icon displaying the message “Where are my files?” Although files remain accessible via Microsoft’s servers, re-downloading them is necessary to restore local access.
Complicated Deletion Process
Deleting files exclusively from the cloud, without affecting local copies, requires navigating obscure settings. According to Pargin, the only way to delete files from OneDrive without deleting them from your computer is to find a YouTube tutorial with a detailed description of the process. He added that Microsoft deliberately obscures these steps within nested menus, with no straightforward guidance in plain language. Pargin finds this experience similar to a ransomware scenario.
Back in June 2025, Reddit user deus03690 reported that Microsoft inadvertently suspended his account shortly after he uploaded three decades’ worth of photos and professional documents to OneDrive.
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