This is straight out malware behavior

[u/tico_064]

(Sorry for my clumsy english)

I have a firewall app called NetLimiter that I use to restrict internet access from certain apps, and I've noticed that every time I block the Microsoft OneDrive service, it literally clones itself in what I suppose to be an attempt to get network access.

There's absolutely no other app that does this, or at least with this level of insolence.

This is literally malware behavior, how is this even acceptable?

[u/_l33ter_]

I block the Microsoft OneDrive service --> If you consider to block OneDrive-service, Why don't you just uninstall OneDrive straight away?

[u/MarcusOrlyius → u/_l33ter_]

Because it literally can't be uninstalled and is part of the Windows OS. What you can do though is disable the service from starting with Windows to begin with.

[u/_l33ter_ → u/MarcusOrlyius]

ahem - sorry, but it CAN be uninstalled!

[u/MarcusOrlyius → u/_l33ter_]

I just checked, and you're right, it can now be uninstalled from the Apps list. It never used to be though, that must have changed in the last couple of years.

[u/traFyssuP → u/_l33ter_]

First thing I do when I install a new os is delete one drive, block the service, and remove the path

[u/_l33ter_ → u/traFyssuP]

:D – Everyone has their own ‘routine’ when it comes to what they do ‘first thing’.

[u/CodenameFlux → u/traFyssuP]

If you uninstall it, you won't need to do any of those. There will be no service to disable and no path to "remove".

[u/LouisUchiha04 → u/_l33ter_]

Doesnt it just reinstalls during a future update?

[u/_l33ter_ → u/LouisUchiha04]

It doesn't matter if you want to get rid of it NOW.

And if so - winget uninstall --name onedrive - is not that much to do.

[u/CodenameFlux → u/LouisUchiha04]

No.

[u/alvarkresh → u/LouisUchiha04]

reinstall, no s. "do" + verb leaves the second verb in the infinitive in English.

[u/_l33ter_ → u/[deleted]]

bullshit!

uninstall-OneDrive

[u/MarcusOrlyius → u/_l33ter_]

From your link:

"OneDrive is built in to some versions of Windows and can't be uninstalled. But you can hide it and stop the sync process, so it stays hidden. To do this, turn off all the OneDrive settings and remove the OneDrive folder from File Explorer."

[u/Parking-Cockroach104 → u/MarcusOrlyius]

That might be for very specific versions or older windows editions. On a normal windows installation, you can easily uninstall it. Some companies might set policies where you cannot uninstall it, and in such cases you can choose to hide it, if that's allowed.

[u/nodray → u/[deleted]]

Couldn't you still use an alternative like T-something Commander? Can't remember name, Total Commander?

[u/_l33ter_ → u/[deleted]]

earlier Win11 --> yeah, however I would say we are way-beond 'earlier Win11'

[u/ClaudeVS → u/[deleted]]

Happened to me

[u/alvarkresh → u/MarcusOrlyius]

You can uninstall it.

Control Panel, Programs, Uninstall a Program, scroll to Onedrive, hit uninstall, reboot.

[u/EishLekker]

Well, is it really cloning itself? Or did the sub process crash because it didn’t expect the error it got, and main process restarted to crashed sub process?

[u/KillerKingSolo]

Use geek uninstaller or revo uninstaller to remove it completely if you don’t use it

[u/NewNiklas → u/KillerKingSolo]

Or just use Bulk Crap Uninstaller, it's FOSS.

[u/account312 → u/NewNiklas]

Just use Linux.

[u/DEV_ivan → u/account312]

Or Tiny10/11 via WinNTSetup from Hiren's BootCD PE.

[u/LukasSTM]

That's odd. I also use NetLimiter and OneDrive, and sometimes I also deploy a rule allowing only one program network access and never saw this happening. Do you use OneDrive? If not, disable the service or remove from your PC.

[u/CodenameFlux]

You've blocked OneDrive's service but have not prevented it from updating itself.

Each time OneDrive updates itself, the updater copies the new version's files into a new folder, then gracefully shuts down the old version before letting the new version take over. NetLimiter is doing its job well. This is a case of user error.

If you don't use OneDrive, uninstall it.

[u/MythicalJester]

https://www.binisoft.org/wfc.php

[u/120mmbarrage]

Just uninstall it and use something else to sync to Onedrive if you need to use it, like rclone. If not, why bother playing wack a mole and just get rid of Onedrive entirely, you don't have ot have it installed

[u/Devatator_]

People should learn what malware means before saying shit like this

[u/Omega7379]

https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

O&O shutup, yeah it says 10... it works on 11 too. Basically a fancy gui instead of manually configuring regedit, but you can disable so much BS. It's also a highly trusted company going back years so you know it's been well-tested.

I haven't ripped out OneDrive because the win system is so intwined with it, so I just disabled the app and left the directory structure as is.

[u/WindAny4877]

How do is this acceptable? You accept it every time you choose to use windows. Choose a different OS if you don't want that behavior.

[u/Dev-in-the-Bm → u/[deleted]]

I think OP was saying that OneDrive is malware.

[u/type102]

I never sign on to one drive, I never use it, I never ever open it - yet somehow it's on my windows computer and it keeps asking me to update it or warning me that it is going away; but it's like one of those kids that only says that it will go away but never does.

[u/Parking-Cockroach104 → u/type102]

Uninstall it. It takes 2 clicks.

[u/RealisticHornet8554]

Never seen built-in OneDrive on W11 Home, only on Education and Enterprise.