Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
⚠️ OneDrive’s “backup” can quietly move your Desktop and Documents into the cloud, fill your free 5GB of storage, and start pushing you to “free up space.” Here’s the scary part: the wrong click can delete files everywhere.
⚠️ OneDrive and data loss
Once OneDrive’s backup “feature” is enabled, you can run out of storage space fast. Deleting files to make more space can lose your data permanently. Options include paying for more space, abandoning OneDrive, avoiding the backup “feature”, and becoming more OneDrive-literate so you can use it safely.
Updates, related links, and more discussion: askleo.com/182312
Related videos:
OneDrive Course: askleo.com/product/all-about-onedrive-online-course
How Do I Get Rid of OneDrive? - youtu.be/_2O6bzb_W9s
Avoid Windows’ Default Folders - youtu.be/3yXgyrsqraE
How OneDrive Works: the Very Basics - youtu.be/kc4JvqGEM-M
The Problem With OneDrive Backup - youtu.be/xtsNTwRg7iM
Recover From Turning OneDrive Backup Off - youtu.be/xy_8LxY40Eo
Keep files out of OneDrive - youtu.be/q_JmtT_4l3c
OneDrive Is Not Backup - youtu.be/PLzX1rfgzVI
How to Back Up Windows - Watch on YouTube
🔔 Subscribe to the Ask Leo! YouTube channel for more tech videos & answers: go.askleo.com/ytsub
✅ Watch next ▶ How Do I Recover From Turning the OneDrive Backup “Feature” Off? ▶ youtu.be/xy_8LxY40Eo
Chapters
0:00 Microsoft Extortion Can Lead to Data Loss
1:00 The conditions required for data loss
2:22 The trigger for data loss
13:00 Understand how OneDrive works
15:51 Solution #1 Pay the ransom
17:10 Solution #2 Stop. Using. OneDrive
16:18 Solution #3 Keep the backup “feature” off
20:00 Solution #4 Learn how to use OneDrive safely
22:02 A word about backing up (of course)
❤️ My best articles: go.askleo.com/best
❤️ My Most Important Article: go.askleo.com/number1
More Ask Leo!
☑️ askleo.com to get your questions answered
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☑️ askleo.com/all-the-different-ways-to-get-ask-leo for even more!
#askleo #microsoft #data #onedrive
⚠️ OneDrive’s “backup” can quietly move your Desktop and Documents into the cloud, fill your free 5GB of storage, and start pushing you to “free up space.” Here’s the scary part: the wrong click can delete files everywhere.
⚠️ OneDrive and data loss
Once OneDrive’s backup “feature” is enabled, you can run out of storage space fast. Deleting files to make more space can lose your data permanently. Options include paying for more space, abandoning OneDrive, avoiding the backup “feature”, and becoming more OneDrive-literate so you can use it safely.
Updates, related links, and more discussion: askleo.com/182312
Related videos:
OneDrive Course: askleo.com/product/all-about-onedrive-online-course
How Do I Get Rid of OneDrive? - youtu.be/_2O6bzb_W9s
Avoid Windows’ Default Folders - youtu.be/3yXgyrsqraE
How OneDrive Works: the Very Basics - youtu.be/kc4JvqGEM-M
The Problem With OneDrive Backup - youtu.be/xtsNTwRg7iM
Recover From Turning OneDrive Backup Off - youtu.be/xy_8LxY40Eo
Keep files out of OneDrive - youtu.be/q_JmtT_4l3c
OneDrive Is Not Backup - youtu.be/PLzX1rfgzVI
How to Back Up Windows - Watch on YouTube
🔔 Subscribe to the Ask Leo! YouTube channel for more tech videos & answers: go.askleo.com/ytsub
✅ Watch next ▶ How Do I Recover From Turning the OneDrive Backup “Feature” Off? ▶ youtu.be/xy_8LxY40Eo
Chapters
0:00 Microsoft Extortion Can Lead to Data Loss
1:00 The conditions required for data loss
2:22 The trigger for data loss
13:00 Understand how OneDrive works
15:51 Solution #1 Pay the ransom
17:10 Solution #2 Stop. Using. OneDrive
16:18 Solution #3 Keep the backup “feature” off
20:00 Solution #4 Learn how to use OneDrive safely
22:02 A word about backing up (of course)
❤️ My best articles: go.askleo.com/best
❤️ My Most Important Article: go.askleo.com/number1
More Ask Leo!
☑️ askleo.com to get your questions answered
☑️ newsletter.askleo.com to subscribe to the Confident Computing newsletter.
☑️ askleo.com/patron to help support Ask Leo!
☑️ askleo.com/all-the-different-ways-to-get-ask-leo for even more!
#askleo #microsoft #data #onedrive
