OneDrive File Issues

How to Fix OneDrive Using the Wrong Drive or Administrator Account

Emma Brown Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users need to reconfigure OneDrive so it stores files on a designated data drive rather than consuming space on the default administrator account's C: drive.

How to Fix OneDrive Using the Wrong Drive or Administrator Account

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Changing the default OneDrive sync folder to a secondary data drive to manage storage space effectively.
Observed behavior: OneDrive files continue to use storage space on the administrator account's C: drive, even after attempts to move the application to a data drive for another Windows account.

Before you start

Before making changes, ensure you have the correct login credentials for your Windows administrator account and verify that your target data drive has sufficient storage space.

Solution 1Recommended

Relink OneDrive to the Data Drive Using the Correct Account

Unlinking your PC and setting up OneDrive again allows you to explicitly define a new sync folder location on your preferred data drive.

By default, OneDrive installs and creates its sync folder on the C: drive under the active user profile. To change this, you must temporarily unlink the account and re-authenticate.

Unlink your current PC

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your Windows taskbar, click the gear icon to open 'Settings', navigate to the 'Account' tab, and click 'Unlink this PC'.

Sign in as the Administrator

Log out of your current Windows session and sign in to the correct Windows administrator account where the storage needs to be managed.

Change the folder location during setup

Open OneDrive and sign in with your Microsoft credentials. When you reach the 'Your OneDrive folder' screen, click 'Change location'.

Select the new data drive

Navigate to your desired data drive, select the target folder, and finish the setup wizard to begin syncing your files to the new location.

Relink OneDrive to the Data Drive Using the Correct Account

Files are safe: Unlinking your account does not delete your files. It only disconnects the sync service temporarily so you can choose a new local destination.

Solution 2

Redirect Windows Backup Folders to the Data Drive

If standard user folders are still taking up space on the C: drive, you need to adjust OneDrive's Manage Backup settings.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is OneDrive still using my C: drive after I moved the folder?

This happens if Windows 'Manage Backup' settings are still actively backing up system folders (like Desktop or Documents) to the C: drive profile. You must disable PC folder backup in OneDrive settings and manually move those folders to your new data drive.

Can I have multiple OneDrive accounts on different drives?

Yes, you can run a personal OneDrive account and a OneDrive for Business account simultaneously, and during the setup of each, you can assign them to completely different drives on your computer.

Will unlinking my PC delete my local or cloud files?

No. Unlinking simply signs you out of the OneDrive desktop app and stops the syncing process. Your files remain safely stored in the cloud and in whatever local folders they were previously downloaded to.

Document & File Issues