How to disable SkyDrive in Windows 8.1

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The Windows 8.1 operating system is a step in the right direction for Microsoft for the most part. While it does not get rid of all the annoyances that shipped with Windows 8, it takes care of some and improves the system's usability in many ways.

Not everything has improved though, and one of the areas where you may notice this is Microsoft's file synchronization service SkyDrive.

Unlike before, SkyDrive is now part of the operating system and if you are using a Microsoft account, you are having access to storage automatically.

While that sounds great in theory, the integration does not replicate all the features that the desktop version of SkyDrive offers. One missing feature is the remote fetch option, which you can use to retrieve files from a remote computer provided that it is connected to the Internet.

Another SkyDrive's Smart Files feature which displays virtual representations of files on Windows 8.1 instead of the files themselves. While that includes metadata that will be used in searches that you perform on the system, you will have to download the files when you want to access them. It is possible to make all files available offline, but that requires manual work on your part.

If you do not use SkyDrive on the system, you may want to consider disabling its functionality completely to free up space in File Explorer and hide it from dialogs in the operating system. Windows 8.1 ships with options to disable SkyDrive completely on the system, so that it cannot be used anymore as storage.

Note: Even if you disable SkyDrive in Windows 8.1, you won't be able to install the SkyDrive desktop application on the system. The installer will run and exit shortly after that without installing the desktop app on the system.

Disable SkyDrive in Windows 8.1

You have two options to disable SkyDrive in Windows 8.1. The first requires access to the Group Policy Editor, which is not available in all versions of Windows 8.1, while the second uses the Registry to make the change.

Group Policy Editor

If you have access to the Group Policy Editor, do the following to launch it and turn off SkyDrive:

1. Tap on the Windows-key to go to the start screen interface if you are not already there.
2. Type gpedit.msc  and select the first result from the list.
3. This opens the Local Group Policy Editor.
4. Navigate to the following folder: Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > SkyDrive
5. Locate "Prevent the usage of SkyDrive for file storage" and double-click on the entry.
6. Switch its state from "not configured" to "enabled" and click ok.

To turn it back on, repeat the process but switch the state from "enabled" to "disabled" or "not configured" instead.

This policy setting lets you prevent apps and features from working with files on SkyDrive.

If you enable this policy setting:

Users can't access SkyDrive from the SkyDrive app and file picker.

Windows Store apps can't access SkyDrive using the WinRT API.

SkyDrive does not appear in the navigation pane in File Explorer.

SkyDrive files aren't kept in sync with the cloud.

Users can't automatically upload photos and videos from the camera roll folder.

If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, apps and features can work with SkyDrive file storage.

The Registry

If you do not have access to the Group Policy Editor, you can make the same change in the Windows Registry instead.

1. Tap on the Windows-key to go to the start screen if you are not there already.
2. Type regedit and select the regedit.exe result.
3. Confirm the User Account Control prompt that is displayed.
4. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Skydrive
5. You may need to create the Skydrive folder here. If you do, right-click on Windows and select New > Key and name it Skydrive.
6. Right-click on SkyDrive and select New > Dword (32-bit value) and name it DisableFileSync.
7. Double-click the new parameter and change its value to 1.
8. Sign out and back in again.

If you want to enable SkyDrive again, change the value of the parameter to 0. (via Windows Club)