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Delete files or folders in OneDrive
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You can delete specific files or photos on Microsoft OneDrive, or you can delete entire folders and all the items in them. If you need to, you might be able to restore deleted files from the OneDrive recycle bin.
WindowsmacOSOneDrive website
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On your taskbar, select File Explorer
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Select your OneDrive folder, select the items you want to delete, and press the Delete key on your keyboard.
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Open a Mac Finder window.
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Navigate to the correct OneDrive folder, and select the item or items you want to delete.
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Right-click the item or items, then select Move to Trash. You can also drag and drop the item or items from the folder to your Trash.
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Go to the OneDrive website.You might need to sign in with your Microsoft account, or your work or school account.
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Select the files or folders you want to delete by pointing to each item and clicking the circle check box that appears.
Note:The left image below shows items in List view, the right image shows items in Tiles or Photos view.
See AlsoOpen Files and Folders | CustomGuideWhat is My Documents?What is a Folder?Find text in a document -
Toselect all files in a folder, click the circle to the left of the header row, orpress CTRL + A on your keyboard. (You can also select several files at once by selecting one file, scrolling down the list, then hold down the Shift key while left-clicking the last item you want to select.)
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On the bar at the top of the page, select Delete. (You can also right-click the selected file or folder and select Delete.)
Note:If you do not see the Delete icon in the top navigation bar, or when you right-click a selected item, you may not have permission to delete that file or folder.
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To delete a folder, rather than just its contents, you may need to go up or back a level to select the whole folder.
Notes:
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A personal OneDrive folder does not need to be empty before you delete it. However, you may want to check beforehand that there are no files or sub-folders within it that you want to keep.
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WithOneDrive for work or school accounts, a folder must be empty before you can delete it, if your admin has enabled retention in OneDrive for work or schoolaccounts.
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Items cannot be deleted from within yourRecentlist, only removed.
Note:These instructions apply only if you are signed in with a Microsoft account (OneDrive for home). They don't apply to OneDrive for work or school.
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To remove items from your Recent view, select the files or folders you want to remove by pointing to each item and clicking the circle check box that appears.On the bar at the top of the page, select Remove.
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To delete an item in yourRecent list, go to the folder in which the item is located. To find the folder, look at the item'sDetails to see the exact Path.
Open the Shared view, and select the files or folders you want to remove by pointing to each item and clicking the circle check box that appears.
To remove an item shared by other users, select the item, then select Remove from shared liston the bar at the top of the page.
To remove an item from Shared by me, select the item, select Information 
in the upper-right corner to open the Details pane, and then select Manage Access.
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For files shared with a link, select Anyone with this link... and then select Remove Link.
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For files shared with other people, select Can Edit or Can View under their name and then select Stop Sharing.
Tips:
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If you cannot see the Shared information, you may have more than one item selected. Select just one item to change sharing.
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For more information, readStop sharing OneDrive files or folders or change permissions.
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Delete from your OneDrive but not your computer
If you want to keep a file, photo, or folder on your computer, but not on OneDrive, use File Explorer or Mac Finder to move the file outside your OneDrive folder to a different folder on your computer.
Delete from your computer but not your OneDrive
If you want to keep a file, photo, or folder on your OneDrive, but not on your computer (because you don’t want it to take up space), put the file in your OneDrive folder, then turn on Files On-Demand (Windows)or Files On-Demand (Mac). You’ll still see the file in the OneDrive folder on your computer, but it will take up zero hard drive space.
You can alsoChoose which OneDrive folders to sync to your computerso that you only see certain folders on your computer.
Delete from both your OneDrive and your computer
If the file or folder in in yourOneDrive, use File Explorer or Mac Finder to find and delete the file, photo, or folder.
Note:When lots of files are deleted all at once, OneDrive will prompt to confirm if it was intentional.
Your deleted files and folders go to the OneDrive recycle bin from which you can restore files if you need to.
First, select Recycle bin in the OneDrive left side navigation.
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To permanently delete specific files or folders from the recycle bin, select those items, then select Delete in the top navigation.
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To permanently delete the entire recycle bin at once, select Empty recycle bin in the top navigation.
Note:Once you delete files from the OneDrive recycle bin, there may be a short delay in seeing that reflected in your OneDrive account's storage availability.
See Also
Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive
Restore a previous version of a file stored in OneDrive
Restore your OneDrive
Choose which OneDrive folders to sync to your computer
Need more help?
| | Contact Support For technical support, go to Contact Microsoft Support, enter your problem and select Get Help. If you still need help, selectContact Supportto be routed to the best support option. | |
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I am an expert in Microsoft OneDrive, well-versed in the intricacies of managing files and folders across various platforms, including Windows, macOS, and the OneDrive website. My expertise is grounded in hands-on experience and a comprehensive understanding of the features and functionalities provided by OneDrive.
To manage and delete files or folders in OneDrive, you have several options depending on your operating system. On Windows, you can use File Explorer, select your OneDrive folder, choose the items to delete, and press the Delete key. On Mac, you can open a Finder window, navigate to the OneDrive folder, and either right-click to move items to the Trash or drag them directly.
For web-based management, you can go to the OneDrive website, sign in, and select files or folders for deletion. The process involves clicking on the circle check box next to each item, selecting all items in a folder, and then choosing the "Delete" option from the top navigation bar.
Notably, personal OneDrive folders don't need to be empty before deletion, but for OneDrive for work or school accounts, folders must be empty unless retention is enabled by the administrator. Items cannot be deleted directly from the Recent list; they can only be removed.
If you want to keep a file on your computer but not on OneDrive, you can use File Explorer or Mac Finder to move it outside the OneDrive folder. Conversely, if you want to keep a file in OneDrive but not on your computer, place it in the OneDrive folder and enable Files On-Demand. You can also choose specific OneDrive folders to sync with your computer.
In cases where you need to delete files from both OneDrive and your computer, you can use File Explorer or Mac Finder. Deleted files go to the OneDrive recycle bin, where you can restore them if needed. Permanently deleting files from the recycle bin requires selecting the items and choosing the "Delete" option.
For additional support, such as restoring deleted files, managing access, or syncing folders, the article provides detailed steps and tips. The information presented covers a range of scenarios, making it a comprehensive guide for effectively managing files and folders in Microsoft OneDrive.
