How to Safely Remove Leftover SharePoint Folders After OneDrive Sync Stops
Question details
The user needs to safely delete local folders and files (especially PDFs marked 'Always keep on this device') that remain on the computer after stopping SharePoint synchronization.
- Product
- SharePoint Online and OneDrive
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Cleaning up local hard drive space after terminating a SharePoint folder synchronization via the OneDrive client.
- Observed behavior
- Even after synchronization is stopped, local folder structures and files marked to be kept on the device remain orphaned on the local drive instead of disappearing automatically.
Before deleting any local files, log in to SharePoint Online via your web browser to double-check that all your important documents are safely stored and visible in the cloud.
Verify Sync Status and Delete Orphaned Local Folders
Confirm that the synchronization connection is completely severed before manually removing the leftover local folders to prevent accidental cloud deletion.
When you stop syncing a SharePoint library, online-only files usually disappear automatically. However, files marked 'Always keep on this device' and empty folder structures will remain on your local drive to prevent data loss. You must ensure the sync is completely broken before deleting them to avoid synchronizing the deletion back to SharePoint.
Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray or menu bar. Click the Gear icon (Help & Settings) and select 'Settings'. Navigate to the 'Account' tab and verify that the specific SharePoint library is no longer listed as a syncing location.
Open your preferred web browser, sign in to Microsoft 365, and navigate to the SharePoint Online document library to visually confirm all your files are intact in the cloud.
Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and navigate to the location of the leftover SharePoint folder, which is usually found under a folder bearing your organization's name.
Select the leftover folders and files, right-click, and choose 'Delete' to safely remove the local orphaned copies and free up disk space.
Manage and Edit Downloaded Documents with WPS Office
If you are working with leftover SharePoint files such as PDFs, Word documents, or Excel sheets locally, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible suite to edit them without relying on complex cloud sync tools.
- 1. Download the software: Download and install WPS Office Free from the official website.
- 2. Open your local files: Launch WPS Office, click on 'Open', and navigate to the local folder where your downloaded SharePoint files are stored.
- 3. Edit and save: Open your PDFs or Office documents, edit them using the built-in tools, and save them locally without worrying about sync conflicts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some files remain on my PC after I stop syncing SharePoint?
Files marked as 'Always keep on this device' are downloaded physically to your local hard drive. When you stop syncing, OneDrive severs the connection but leaves these physical files and the folder structure intact to ensure you do not lose any local data.
Will deleting the local folder delete the files on SharePoint?
If you have successfully stopped the synchronization in your OneDrive settings, deleting the local folder will not affect the files in SharePoint Online. However, if the sync connection is still active, deleting local files will simultaneously delete them from the cloud.
How do I know if SharePoint sync has successfully stopped?
Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your taskbar, open Settings, and check the Account tab. If the SharePoint library in question is no longer listed among your synced locations, the synchronization has been successfully stopped.
What happens to SharePoint files that were marked as 'Online-only'?
Online-only files act as shortcuts and do not take up local disk space. Once synchronization is stopped, the OneDrive client automatically removes these shortcuts from your local File Explorer.
