Office for Mac Issues

How to Stop Excel and Word from Suggesting OneDrive on Mac

Adam Davis Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to prevent Microsoft Excel and Word on macOS from defaulting to OneDrive in the Open and Save As dialogs.

How to Stop Excel and Word from Suggesting OneDrive on Mac

Product: Microsoft Word and Excel
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Saving or opening documents after a recent Microsoft Office update on Mac.
Observed behavior: The Open and Save As dialogs automatically default to OneDrive instead of local storage, requiring the user to manually click 'On My Mac' every time.

Before you start

Ensure your OneDrive app is running and accessible from the macOS menu bar, as you will need to adjust its integration settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable Files On-Demand and File Collaboration in OneDrive

Adjusting your OneDrive preferences will stop it from overriding local storage prompts in Microsoft Office apps.

Microsoft's tight integration between Office applications and OneDrive can sometimes force cloud storage as the primary save location. Disabling specific collaboration and on-demand features in the OneDrive app usually restores the default 'On My Mac' behavior.

Open OneDrive Preferences

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your Mac's top menu bar, click the gear icon (Help & Settings), and select 'Preferences'.

Turn off Files On-Demand

Navigate to the 'Preferences' or 'Sync & Backup' tab, locate 'Files On-Demand', and turn it off to keep files downloaded locally.

Disable File Collaboration

Go to the 'Office' tab in OneDrive settings and uncheck the option that says 'Use Office applications to sync Office files that I open'.

Restart Office Apps

Completely quit Microsoft Word and Excel, then reopen them and test the 'Save As' and 'Open' dialogs to ensure they default to local storage.

Disable Files On-Demand and File Collaboration in OneDrive

Successfully Restored Local Saving: Your documents should now prompt you to save directly to your Mac by default instead of routing through OneDrive.

Solution 2

Pin 'On My Mac' Using the Save Dialog

Expand the native macOS save dialog to force Microsoft Office to remember your local save preference.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for a Hassle-Free Local Saving Experience

Tired of Microsoft Office aggressively pushing OneDrive? WPS Office is a highly compatible, free alternative that respects your default save preferences. Enjoy a lightweight suite that saves documents exactly where you want them, without intrusive cloud prompts.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free macOS installer.
2. Install the Application: Open the downloaded file and drag WPS Office to your Applications folder.
3. Save Locally by Default: Open any document and hit Save. WPS Office will default to your Mac's local storage automatically.

Save directly to your Mac's local storage by default without being forced into a cloud ecosystem.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx).Lightweight application that runs smoothly on all macOS versions without draining system resources.Familiar, intuitive user interface requires zero learning curve for switching users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft Office keep suggesting OneDrive on my Mac?

Microsoft heavily integrates OneDrive into Microsoft 365 to encourage cloud storage and real-time collaboration. Recent updates often default to cloud saving to prevent data loss, which overrides local macOS storage preferences.

Will disabling Files On-Demand delete my local files?

No. Disabling Files On-Demand actually forces OneDrive to download your cloud files directly to your Mac's hard drive, keeping them safely stored locally rather than keeping them cloud-only.

Can I completely uninstall OneDrive but keep using Word and Excel?

Yes. You can drag the OneDrive app from your Applications folder to the Trash. Microsoft Word and Excel will continue to function normally and will automatically revert to local storage for saving and opening files.

How do I make 'On My Mac' the permanent default in Word?

While Microsoft pushes cloud storage, clicking 'On My Mac' and expanding the save dialog box (by clicking the arrow next to the file name) usually forces the app to remember your local folder preference for future documents.

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