How to Move Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Downloads, Music, and Videos Back to Local Storage After OneDrive Takes Over

If you’ve ever signed into Windows with a Microsoft account, you’ve probably noticed that OneDrive often takes control of your personal folders,   including Documents, Desktop, Pictures, and sometimes Downloads, Music, and Videos. When this happens, Windows redirects these folders to the OneDrive cloud directory, meaning anything you save to your Desktop or Documents might actually live in the cloud, not on your local drive.

While this can be convenient for users who want everything backed up automatically, it can also be frustrating. Many people prefer their files to remain local, stored on their C: drive;  for better control, privacy, or offline accessibility. The good news is that you can move everything back where it belongs.

1. Understanding What OneDrive Did to Your Folders

When OneDrive “backs up” your folders, it doesn’t just make copies,  it redirects their locations. Instead of your Documents folder being located at:
    C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents
it gets moved to something like:
  C:\Users\<YourUsername>\OneDrive\Documents

Windows then changes the system path for Documents so that every app and save dialog points to the OneDrive version instead of the local one.  The same happens with your Desktop, Pictures, and sometimes Videos, Music, and Downloads. So, when you try to save or access files, you’re actually working inside the OneDrive folder structure.

To reverse this, you’ll need to:

1. Stop OneDrive from managing those folders.
2. Move your existing files back to local locations.
3. Update Windows to recognize the correct (local) folder paths again.

2. Preparation: Back Up Your Data Before Making Changes

Before making any changes to folder locations, back up your important files. Moving system folders can be sensitive, and it’s best to have a safety net in case something goes wrong.

Here’s what to do first:

1. Make sure all files currently stored in OneDrive have finished syncing. You can check the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray,   it should say “Up to date.”

Open your OneDrive folder:
C:\Users\<YourUsername>\OneDrive

2. Copy all your important folders; Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Downloads, Music, and Videos,  to an external drive or temporary folder.
3. Once everything is backed up, proceed with unlinking OneDrive and moving your folders.

3. Unlink Your PC from OneDrive

To regain control of your folders, you must first disconnect OneDrive from your computer.

1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in your system tray (bottom-right of the screen).
2. Select the Settings gear icon.
3. Go to the Account tab.
4. Click Unlink this PC.
5. Confirm when prompted.

After unlinking, your files will remain where they are; in the OneDrive folder,   but Windows will stop syncing them with the cloud. You can now safely move them without interference.

4. Stop Folder Backup (Known Folder Move) in OneDrive

Before moving folders, you need to disable OneDrive’s automatic folder backup feature, which Microsoft calls “Known Folder Move.”

1. Click the OneDrive icon in the system tray.
2. Open Settings.
3. Go to the Sync and Backup tab.
4. Find the section labeled Back up important PC folders to OneDrive.
5. Click Manage Backup.
6. You’ll see checkboxes for Desktop, Documents, and Pictures. Turn off backup for each one.
7. When prompted, confirm that you want to stop backup and keep the files on this PC.

Now, OneDrive will stop redirecting your key folders. The next step is to manually restore them to their rightful local locations.

5. Move Your Folders Back to the Local C: Drive

After unlinking and disabling backups, you can now move each folder back to the default Windows locations.  Here’s how to do it for each folder.

Move the Documents Folder

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Right-click on Documents under “This PC” in the left sidebar.
3. Select Properties.
4. Go to the Location tab.
   You’ll likely see something like:
       C:\Users\<YourUsername>\OneDrive\Documents
   Click Restore Default.
   The path will change to:
     C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents
5. Click Apply.
6. When prompted, choose Yes to move all files from the old location (in OneDrive) to the new one (on your local drive).

Windows will automatically transfer the contents of your OneDrive Documents folder back to the local Documents folder.

Move the Desktop Folder

1. In File Explorer, right-click Desktop under “This PC.”
2. Choose Properties.
3. Go to the Location tab.
   Click Restore Default.
   The path should reset to:
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Desktop
4. Click Apply, and confirm to move all contents from OneDrive back to your local desktop.

After the move, any icons or files previously stored on your cloud-based desktop will now appear locally on your PC.

Move the Pictures Folder

1. In File Explorer, right-click Pictures under “This PC.”
2. Choose Properties → Location.
3. Click Restore Default.
   Confirm that it now shows:
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Pictures
4. Click Apply, then Yes to move the files.

This step will return your image library from OneDrive’s Pictures directory to your local storage.

Move the Downloads Folder

The Downloads folder is not always synced by default, but in some setups, OneDrive may take control of it. To ensure it points locally:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Right-click Downloads under “This PC.”
3. Choose Properties → Location.
   Click Restore Default.
   It should point to:
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Downloads
4. Apply the change and confirm to move files back.

Move the Music Folder

1. In File Explorer, right-click Music.
2. Choose Properties → Location.
3. Click Restore Default.
   Confirm the default path is:
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Music
4. Apply the changes and move your files.

This restores your music library to your local storage, ensuring music players or other software look in the right location.

Move the Videos Folder

1. In File Explorer, right-click Videos.
2. Choose Properties → Location.
3. Click Restore Default.
   Check that it now shows:
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Videos
4. Click Apply, and confirm to move the files.

Now your Videos folder is restored to your main user directory on the C: drive.

6. Verify All Folder Paths

After you’ve restored all six main folders, it’s important to confirm that they’re now pointing to your local drive instead of OneDrive.

You can check this by:

1. Opening File Explorer.
2. Right-clicking each folder (Desktop, Documents, etc.).
3. Choosing Properties → Location.
   Each one should now show:
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\<FolderName>
   and not:
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\OneDrive\<FolderName>

If any still point to OneDrive, repeat the “Restore Default” process.

7. Move Files Manually (If Windows Doesn’t Do It Automatically)

In some cases, Windows might not automatically move all files when you change the folder location. If that happens, you can manually move your content.

Open your OneDrive directory:
C:\Users\<YourUsername>\OneDrive

1. Inside, you’ll see folders like Documents, Desktop, Pictures, etc.
2. Copy the contents of each folder (Ctrl + A to select all, then Ctrl + C).

Paste them into the corresponding folders under your user directory:
C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents
C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Desktop
C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Pictures
…

3. Once you’ve confirmed that the files are safely copied, you can delete the old OneDrive versions.

8. Remove OneDrive Folder Shortcuts (Optional Cleanup)

Even after moving everything, you may still see OneDrive listed in File Explorer’s sidebar. If you no longer plan to use OneDrive, you can remove this shortcut to clean up your navigation pane.

Here’s how:

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
   Navigate to:
       HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}
2. Right-click it and choose Delete.

Do the same for:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}

3. Restart your computer.
   

Once done, the OneDrive icon will be gone from File Explorer.

9. Double-Check System Defaults

Now that your folders are back to local storage, it’s wise to make sure Windows recognizes them as your default save locations.

1. Open Settings using Windows + I.
2. Go to System → Storage.
   Click Advanced storage settings → Where new content is saved.
3. Under each category (Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos), make sure the save location points to your Local Disk (C:).
4. Change any that still point to OneDrive.

This step ensures that future saved files go straight to your local folders instead of being redirected to the cloud.

10. Verify Applications and Shortcuts

After restoring folders, some applications (like Microsoft Word or Photoshop) may still look for your OneDrive directories. To fix this:

• Open each app and check its default save location under its settings or preferences.
• Change it to point to your local folder.
  For example:
  • For Word: File → Options → Save → Default local file location → set to C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents.
  • For music or photo apps, adjust their library paths similarly.

11. Optional: Remove OneDrive from Startup (If You’re Not Using It)

If you no longer want OneDrive to start automatically, you can disable it:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click the Startup tab.
3. Find Microsoft OneDrive.
4. Right-click and choose Disable.

This stops OneDrive from launching every time you sign in to Windows.

12. Optional: Uninstall OneDrive Entirely

If you want to remove it completely from your system after restoring your folders:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Apps → Installed apps.
3. Search for Microsoft OneDrive.
4. Click Uninstall and follow the prompts.

Afterward, OneDrive will no longer be active or interfere with your folder structure.

13. Final Verification

Once you’ve completed all these steps, verify that your folders are now truly local and functioning as intended:

• Save a new document or file to each folder (Documents, Desktop, Pictures, etc.).
• Disconnect your internet connection temporarily.
• Try to open those files. If they open normally, that confirms they’re stored locally.
• Check File Explorer to make sure there are no OneDrive status icons (like cloud or sync symbols).

Everything should now behave as it did before OneDrive integration,  fast, local, and fully under your control.

14. Summary and Best Practices

To recap, moving your folders back to local storage involves:

1. Unlinking OneDrive from your PC.
2. Disabling automatic folder backup.
3. Using the folder Properties → Location method to restore default paths.
4. Moving all your existing files from the OneDrive directory to local folders.
5. Checking your default save locations and app settings.
6. Optionally removing OneDrive completely.

After you’ve done all this, your Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Downloads, Music, and Videos folders will once again reside locally under your user profile on the C: drive, exactly as Windows was designed to organize them.  Keeping files local can improve performance, privacy, and accessibility,  especially for users who don’t want to depend on an internet connection or prefer managing their own backups.  By following this detailed guide carefully, you’ll regain full control of your personal folders, ensuring they live securely and reliably on your own computer rather than in the cloud.