Remove OneDrive shortcuts

Overview

About this script

This script improves your privacy on Windows.

These changes use Windows system commands to update your settings.

This script ensures the removal of all OneDrive shortcuts from your system, even after uninstallation or cleanup.

Erasing these shortcuts improves the security and privacy of your computer system, lessening the potential access points for unwanted entities.

Moreover, the removal of unused shortcuts results in a more organized and efficient system, enhancing your user experience by preventing any confusion from dead shortcuts.

Shortcuts that link to OneDrive are stored in various locations, such as:

• Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft OneDrive.lnk, Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk, Links\OneDrive.lnk 1,
• ServiceProfiles\LocalService and ServiceProfiles\NetworkService 1

Below are the tested shortcut file locations on default installation (since Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 22H2):

Path	Windows 11	Windows 10
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk	✅ Exists	✅ Exists
%USERPROFILE%\Links\OneDrive.lnk	❌ Missing	❌ Missing
%SYSTEMROOT%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk	❌ Missing	✅ Exists
%SYSTEMROOT%\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk	❌ Missing	✅ Exists

In Windows 10 and higher, additional steps are necessary to delete the OneDrive icon from the navigation pane in Windows Explorer 2, which is executed by this script.

This script uses Batch (batchfile) scripting language.

Use with Caution

This script is only recommended if you understand its implications. Some non-critical or features may no longer function correctly after running this script.

Implementation Details

• Language: batch

• Required Privileges: Administrator rights

• Compatibility: Windows only

• Reversibility: Can be undone using provided revert script

Explore Categories

Remove OneDrive

This action belongs to Remove OneDrive category. Microsoft OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) is a file hosting service operated by Microsoft. First launched in August 2007, it enables registered users to share and synchronize their files. Data stored on OneDrive is subject to monitoring by Microsoft. There's been reports of Microsoft accessing and... Read more on category page ▶

Remove bloatware

This action belongs to Remove bloatware category. This category configures Windows using 215 scripts. These scripts are organized in 35 categories. The category includes 1 subscripts and 9 subcategories that include more scripts and categories. Read more on category page ▶

Apply now

Choose one of three ways to apply:

1. Automatically via privacy.sexy: The easiest and safest option.
2. Manually by downloading: Requires downloading a file.
3. Manually by copying: Advanced flexibility.

Alternative 1. Apply with Privacy.sexy

privacy.sexy is free and open-source application that lets securely apply this action easily.

Open privacy.sexy

You can fully restore this action (revert back to the original behavior) using the application.

privacy.sexy instructions

1. Open or download the desktop application
2. Search for the script name: Remove OneDrive shortcuts.
3. Check the script by clicking on the checkbox.
4. Click on Run button at the bottom of the page.

Alternative 2. Download

Irreversible Changes

This script is irreversible, meaning there is no straightforward method to restore changes once applied. Exercise caution before running, restoring it may not be possible.

1. Download the script file by clicking on the button below:

   Download script

2. Run the script file by clicking on it.

Download revert script

This file restores your system to its original state, before this script is applied.

Download restore script

Alternative 3. Copy

This is for advanced users. Consider automatically applying or downloading the script for simpler way.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.

HELP: Step-by-step guide

1. Click on Start menu

   Windows 11

   

   Windows 10

   

2. Type cmd

   Windows 11

   

   Windows 10

   

3. Right click on Command Prompt select Run as administrator

   Windows 11

   

   Windows 10

   

4. Click on Yes to run Command Prompt

   Windows 11

   

   Windows 10

   

---

Windows 11

Windows 10

2. Copy the following code:

Code to apply changes

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "$shortcuts = @(; @{ Revert = $True;  Path = "^""$env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk"^""; }; @{ Revert = $False; Path = "^""$env:USERPROFILE\Links\OneDrive.lnk"^""; }; @{ Revert = $False; Path = "^""$env:SYSTEMROOT\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk"^""; }; @{ Revert = $False; Path = "^""$env:SYSTEMROOT\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk"^""; }; ); foreach ($shortcut in $shortcuts) { if (-Not (Test-Path $shortcut.Path)) { Write-Host "^""Skipping, shortcut does not exist: `"^""$($shortcut.Path)`"^""."^""; continue; }; try { Remove-Item -Path $shortcut.Path -Force -ErrorAction Stop; Write-Output "^""Successfully removed shortcut: `"^""$($shortcut.Path)`"^""."^""; } catch { Write-Error "^""Encountered an issue while attempting to remove shortcut at: `"^""$($shortcut.Path)`"^""."^""; }; }"
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "Set-Location "^""HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace"^""; Get-ChildItem | ForEach-Object {Get-ItemProperty $_.pspath} | ForEach-Object { $leftnavNodeName = $_."^""(default)"^""; if (($leftnavNodeName -eq "^""OneDrive"^"") -Or ($leftnavNodeName -eq "^""OneDrive - Personal"^"")) { if (Test-Path $_.pspath) { Write-Host "^""Deleting $($_.pspath)."^""; Remove-Item $_.pspath; }; }; }"

3. Right click on command prompt to paste it.
4. Press Enter to apply remaining code.

Copy restore code

Copy and run the following code to restore changes:

Revert code

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "$targetFilePath = "^""%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe"^""; $expandedTargetFilePath = [System.Environment]::ExpandEnvironmentVariables($targetFilePath); $shortcuts = @(; @{ Revert = $True;  Path = "^""$env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk"^""; }; @{ Revert = $False; Path = "^""$env:USERPROFILE\Links\OneDrive.lnk"^""; }; @{ Revert = $False; Path = "^""$env:SYSTEMROOT\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk"^""; }; @{ Revert = $False; Path = "^""$env:SYSTEMROOT\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive.lnk"^""; }; ); if (-Not (Test-Path $expandedTargetFilePath)) { Write-Warning "^""Target file `"^""$expandedTargetFilePath`"^"" does not exist."^""; }; $wscriptShell = $null; try { $wscriptShell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell; } catch { throw "^""Failed to create WScript.Shell object: $($_.Exception.Message)"^""; }; foreach ($shortcut in $shortcuts) { if (-Not $shortcut.Revert) { Write-Host "^""Skipping, revert operation is not needed for: `"^""$($shortcut.Path)`"^""."^""; continue; }; if (Test-Path $shortcut.Path) { Write-Host "^""Shortcut already exists, skipping: `"^""$($shortcut.Path)`"^""."^""; continue; }; try { $shellShortcut = $wscriptShell.CreateShortcut($shortcut.Path); $shellShortcut.TargetPath = $expandedTargetFilePath; $shellShortcut.Save(); Write-Output "^""Successfully created shortcut at `"^""$($shortcut.Path)`"^""."^""; } catch { Write-Error "^""An error occurred while creating the shortcut at `"^""$($shortcut.Path)`"^""."^""; }; }"

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