Uninstall or Desactivate SkyDrive in Windows 8.1

If like many others, you upgraded to Windows 8.1, you might encounter some problems to use SkyDrive.

Indeed, in Windows 8.1, SkyDrive is now fully integrated in Windows. So, there is no need to add a third application or tool like in Windows 7 or Windows 8.

However, since the release of Windows 8.1, it seems that SkyDrive doest not work properly for several users. Here, a few links of people that face to the same problem :

• Microsoft Community – Thread #1
• Microsoft Community – Thread #2
• Microsoft Community – Thread #3
• Microsoft Community – Thread #4
• Microsoft Community – Thread #5
• …

In my case, I tried to upgrade Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 on several computers (or fresh install). It was impossible to get SkyDrive work properly. Files and folders don’t sync correctly or all files remain in « Pending » status (this error seems to be the most common).

I get in touch with a guy on Microsoft support forums but get no answers (that solve my problem). They answer me, it’s nice. But, I believe SkyDrive really need a corrective update. The worst is in the new version of SkyDrive, there is no message or pop-pup to explain, ok you canno’t sync something but tell me what document or what’s the reason for what you can’t… You have to check logs.

I’m sure the problem will be solved soon but it seems affected Windows 8.1 Preview and always affects Windows 8.1 RTM… Personnally, I just need a solution that works. I don’t have son many files so I decided to return to DropBox.

So, how to uninstall SkyDrive on Windows 8.1 ?

Well, SkyDrive is integrated at Windows 8.1. So you cannot uninstall it from Windows. But you can easily desactivate it by configuring local policies on your computer.

To do that :

• Launch gpedit.msc (in you Search bar or in WINDOWS + R)
• Go to, Computer Configuration/Administrative templates/Windows Components/SkyDrive
• Enabled the following policy : Prevent the usage of SKyDrive for file storage
• (Optional) You can also enable the following policy : Save documents and pictures to the local PC by default.

Once, it’s done, you normally just have to wait. But, I advice a computer restart. You will see that SkyDrive is not longer in the Windows Explorer left-side bar and if you try to launch SkyDrive, you will get the following screen :

When the problem will be solved, I will return to SkyDrive. It’s not better but it’s definitively the best value for money (19€/year when DropBox is 99$/year) ! 🙂