[Help!] How do I exclude My Documents from OneDrive?

I installed Windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.3324 and login using an email/Microsoft account.

After installing some software, I realized that the software settings went into My Documents inside the OneDrive, instead of going into the local/regular My Documents.

Here's the screenshot:



As shown in the picture above, my software setting files go into C:\Users\[MyAccount]\OneDrive\Documents,
instead of C:\Users\[MyAccount]\Documents.

Therefore, in order to avoid that, I moved OneDrive to another drive (V:)



But again, I'm confused of how OneDrive works.
I really don't want to store "My Documents" folder in the OneDrive; I prefer the regular C:\Users\[MyAccount]\Documents instead.

My questions:

1. How do I move the existing software settings files in from all the OneDrives (on C: and V:) to C:\Users\[MyAccount]\Documents? Do I need to reinstall all these software, to make sure they will be using C:\Users\[MyAccount]\Documents to store the software settings?

2. How do I exclude My Documents from OneDrive (that is already moved onto V:)?

Thank you in advance for your help.

dalchina said:

You can find many more:

Thanks dalchina for the links, I'll study them.

TairikuOkami said:

Onedrive is designed to steal, umm backup your documents, there is no helping it, just get used to it.
The best way to mitigate this is to prevent it from running (Autoruns) and run it only when needed.
There is no way to exclude folders from onedrive, it will add them as it wants. You are not the boss.

??? I have been using One drive for years, and NONE of my folders are redirected to one drive. I always go into settings and change the defaults. The only items that get saved by Onedrive are the files that I specifically save to the Onedrive folder on my computer.

TairikuOkami said:

Onedrive is designed to steal, umm backup your documents, there is no helping it, just get used to it.
The best way to mitigate this is to prevent it from running (Autoruns) and run it only when needed.
There is no way to exclude folders from onedrive, it will add them as it wants. You are not the boss.

Yes, I have the same feeling.
I don't remember granting OneDrive access to My Documents; as I remember, I have unselected My Documents from OneDrive setting when I moved OneDrive from C: to V: drive, following the Unlink-Relink tutorial.

I have also disabled OneDrive from the Windows Autostart, since I don't see any needs for that.

However, I may not uninstall OneDrive completely, because someday my client would require me to sync my workfiles on OneDrive. I think I'll just create a Work folder inside OneDrive.

So my priority this time is to exclude "My Documents" from OneDrive. If there's no way to do that, I'll need to think of uninstalling OneDrive completely and make up an excuse to my client.

dalchina said:

Please see my post. Appropriate tutorial link provided.

Thanks, I'll read them later.
By the way, do I need to reinstall all the already installed software, to make sure they will be using C:\Users\[MyAccount]\Documents to store the software settings, instead of OneDrive?

As I remember, I have followed this procedure to exclude My Documents from OneDrive settings, yet it's still included, makes me confused:

dalchina said:

Well, that shows they are all selected for sync.

If you don't want Documents synced- you have to uncheck it.
Choose Folders for OneDrive Selective Sync in Windows 10
step 6

It's a screenshot from the TenForums link. I actually did unchecked the My Documents when changing the OneDrive settings, as I can remember.