How to Disable OneDrive from Showing Up in Office 365 Save and Open Menus

Microsoft integrates OneDrive deeply into Windows and Office 365 (now called Microsoft 365). This integration allows users to save files directly to the cloud, ensuring backups and accessibility across devices. However, not everyone wants to use OneDrive for document storage. Many users prefer saving files locally on their computers or on company network drives instead of having them appear in the cloud-based OneDrive folders.

If you’ve noticed that every time you open or save a file in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or other Office apps, OneDrive appears as the default or primary save location, you’re not alone. By default, Microsoft 365 applications encourage cloud saving. Fortunately, you can turn this off and make Office save files to your local computer by default,  and even remove OneDrive options from within the Save and Open panels altogether.

In this detailed guide, we’ll go step by step through several methods to disable OneDrive from showing up inside Office 365, including changes you can make from within Office settings, the Windows Registry, Group Policy (for advanced users), and optional administrative controls for businesses.

Understanding the Relationship Between Office and OneDrive

Before changing any settings, it’s helpful to understand why OneDrive appears so prominently in Office 365. Microsoft’s goal is to push cloud adoption and encourage file synchronization for better accessibility and collaboration. When you open a file or go to save it in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you’re usually presented with three main options:

• OneDrive – your personal Microsoft cloud drive.
• OneDrive for Business – your organization’s cloud storage if you’re using Microsoft 365 Business.
• This PC – your local hard drive.

The first two options often appear by default at the top, making it seem like local saving is discouraged. For many small business owners, IT technicians, or individual users who prefer keeping data offline, this automatic prioritization of OneDrive can be annoying.  Disabling OneDrive from appearing in Office’s file dialogs not only simplifies your workflow but also avoids confusion about where documents are stored. It also helps ensure that sensitive data stays on your machine rather than being uploaded to Microsoft’s cloud.

Step 1: Disable Auto-Save and Cloud Sync Inside Office Applications

OneDrive’s integration in Office starts with the AutoSave feature. This setting automatically saves your documents to the cloud every few seconds, but it only works if files are stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. Disabling AutoSave is the first step toward separating your Office environment from OneDrive.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open any Office application, such as Microsoft Word.
2. At the top-left corner, you may see a toggle switch labeled AutoSave next to the title bar.
3. Slide the switch to Off.
4. If prompted, confirm that you want to stop automatically saving documents to the cloud.

This simple change ensures that future saves occur only when you manually choose to save a file, and it prevents Office from continuously syncing to OneDrive in the background.

Step 2: Change the Default Save Location to Your Local PC

By default, Office 365 apps are configured to save documents to OneDrive. You can change that setting for each app so that new files are saved locally by default.

1. Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
2. Click on File at the top-left corner.
3. Choose Options from the menu.
4. In the Save section, find the setting that says Save to Computer by default.
5. Check the box next to it.
6. Also, review the “Default local file location” field below it — make sure it points to a local folder like C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents.
7. Click OK to apply the changes.

Repeat these steps for each Office app (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and others). Once set, Office will always suggest saving files to your computer first, bypassing OneDrive in the Save As dialog box.  This change doesn’t remove OneDrive entirely, but it ensures local storage takes precedence, saving you from clicking through cloud options each time.

Step 3: Turn Off “Add a Place” Options

When you go to File > Save As or Open in Office 365, you often see additional locations such as Add a Place, which includes OneDrive and SharePoint accounts. If you want to simplify your interface and keep cloud services out of sight, you can turn off these options.

1. Open Word (the process is the same for Excel or PowerPoint).
2. Click File > Options.
3. Go to the Save category.
4. Uncheck the option labeled Show additional places for saving, even if sign-in may be required.
5. Click OK.

This removes the ability to add OneDrive or SharePoint as save locations directly from within Office’s Save and Open screens.

Step 4: Disable Connected Services from the Office Account Page

Office allows users to connect multiple services, including OneDrive, SharePoint, or even Dropbox. If OneDrive keeps showing up even after changing save settings, disconnecting it from your Office account will help.

1. Open any Office app and click File.
2. Select Account (sometimes called Office Account).
3. Under Connected Services, you’ll see OneDrive listed.
4. Click the Remove or Disconnect option next to it.
5. Confirm when prompted.

Once you remove the connected OneDrive service, Office won’t display it in the Open or Save menus anymore.

Step 5: Sign Out of OneDrive in Office Completely

Even if you’ve disconnected OneDrive as a service, Office might still remember your Microsoft account connection, which automatically restores OneDrive access. Signing out ensures full separation.

1. In any Office program, click File.
2. Go to Account.
3. Under User Information, click Sign Out.
4. Confirm when prompted.

Now, OneDrive will no longer appear in your Open or Save panels, as there’s no active Microsoft account linked to the apps. You can still use Office locally without signing in, though certain online features like templates or collaboration tools will be unavailable.

Step 6: Disable OneDrive Integration via Windows Settings (Optional)

If OneDrive keeps reappearing inside Office despite disabling its features, you can stop OneDrive itself from launching and integrating with Office.

1. Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar.
2. Choose Help & Settings, then Settings.
3. Under the Sync and Backup or Settings tab, find an option labeled Files On-Demand or Use Office applications to sync Office files that I open.
4. Uncheck that box.
5. Apply your changes and exit.

This prevents Office apps from automatically syncing or reopening documents from OneDrive.  If you want to go further, you can also uncheck Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows under the same menu. That stops OneDrive from running entirely in the background.

Step 7: Remove OneDrive as a Save Location Using Group Policy (Advanced)

If you’re using Windows 10 or 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can use the Group Policy Editor to completely block OneDrive integration with Microsoft Office applications. This method is particularly useful in business environments or shared systems.

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
3. In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to:
   Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Microsoft Office 2016 (or later) → Miscellaneous
4. Find and double-click the policy titled Block signing into Office or Block Office from connecting to consumer services.
5. Select Enabled.
6. Click Apply, then OK.

This effectively disables OneDrive (and other online services) from showing up inside Office 365’s interface.  If you want to ensure that OneDrive never appears as a storage option at all, look under:
Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → OneDrive
and enable Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage.

After applying these policies, restart your computer. Office apps will now default to local drives and will not show OneDrive or SharePoint options anywhere in the Save or Open menus.

Step 8: Disable Cloud-Based File Locations Through the Registry (Advanced Users)

If you don’t have access to Group Policy (for example, if you’re using Windows Home edition), you can achieve the same effect by editing the Windows Registry. Be careful when editing the Registry,  incorrect changes can cause issues with your system. Always back it up first.

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the following key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Internet
   (If you’re using Office 2019 or Microsoft 365, the “16.0” version key applies.)
3. Look for a value called OnlineStorage. If it doesn’t exist, right-click on the right side and create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named OnlineStorage.
4. Set its value to 0.
5. Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.

This disables cloud storage services, including OneDrive, from appearing inside Office’s Save and Open dialogs.

You can also modify other related keys to disable “Add a Place” features if necessary:

• Under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\SignIn, create a DWORD (32-bit) Value named SignInOptions.
• Set its value to 3 to block signing into Office completely.

After restarting Office, you’ll notice that OneDrive and SharePoint options are gone.

Step 9: Customize “Save As” Screen Behavior

Even with OneDrive disabled, you might find the Save As screen still showing “cloud-first” layouts. You can simplify this further.

1. Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
2. Go to File > Options > Save.
3. Uncheck Show the Backstage when opening or saving files.
4. Click OK.

Now, instead of being taken to the cloud-heavy “Backstage” view (where OneDrive often appears), the Save dialog will open directly to your local folders. This makes saving faster and eliminates unnecessary distractions.

Step 10: Reconfirm Default File Paths for All Office Apps

After completing all the above steps, ensure your Office apps are saving and opening files from your preferred local folders.

1. Open each Office app one at a time.
2. Go to File > Options > Save.
3. Verify the “Default local file location” field.
4. Update it to point to your desired local directory (for example, C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents or a business folder on your drive).

Doing this for each app ensures a consistent and OneDrive-free saving experience across Office 365.

Step 11: Prevent Office from Re-adding OneDrive After Updates

Microsoft occasionally re-enables OneDrive integration after major Office updates. To prevent this, keep an eye on your settings and verify them periodically. If you’re managing multiple systems, you can script Registry or Group Policy changes to apply automatically after updates.

Also, make sure that you’re signed out of any Microsoft accounts that could auto-link to OneDrive in Office’s Account page. Staying local with an offline Office activation prevents most of these automatic reconfigurations.

Step 12: Optional – For Organizations or Shared Computers

If you’re managing an organization or multiple workstations, you can deploy Office policies through the Office Administrative Templates in Active Directory. These templates allow centralized management of OneDrive settings, ensuring users cannot accidentally re-enable cloud integration.  In such cases, disabling both OneDrive sync and Office “Connected Experiences” ensures a purely local workflow, ideal for industries with strict privacy or offline storage requirements.

Step 13: Verifying Your Configuration

Once you’ve completed all steps, test your configuration.

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Go to File > Save As.
3. The window should now show This PC or your local drives only.
4. OneDrive and OneDrive for Business should no longer appear as options.
5. Try opening a file using File > Open. Again, you should only see your local folders.

If OneDrive or other cloud locations still appear, double-check that you’ve disabled all connected services and verified your Registry or Group Policy settings.

Disabling OneDrive from showing up in Office 365 Save and Open menus can make a world of difference for users who prefer simplicity, privacy, and local file control. While Microsoft designs Office around its cloud services, you still have full authority to manage how and where your files are stored.

To summarize the process:

• Turn off AutoSave.
• Set default save locations to your PC.
• Remove connected OneDrive accounts.
• Disable “Add a Place” and connected services.
• Optionally use Registry or Group Policy edits to block OneDrive integration entirely.
• Verify default paths and save options afterward.

With these changes, your Office 365 environment will save and open documents directly from your local drive,  fast, simple, and fully under your control. You’ll no longer see OneDrive cluttering up your Save As screens, giving you a clean, offline-focused experience tailored to your workflow.