The genuine OneDrive.exe file is a software component of Windows Online Cloud storage service by Microsoft. Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage facility provides for the synchonization, backup and sharing of data files, photos and music. You always have at least a few gigabytes at your disposal. In contrast to hard drives and thumb drives, OneDrive allows you access to your data from any Internet-capable device. Additionally, encryption of your data with software such as Boxcryptor is advisable, since Microsoft, as a U.S. firm, is required to allow access to the data to U.S. authorities under the Patriot Act. This also applies to competitors such as Dropbox, Apple's iCloud, and Google Drive. At the beginning of 2014, having lost its litigation with the British Sky Pay-TV service, Microsoft renamed its cloud storage service from SkyDrive to "OneDrive." Starting with Windows 10, OneDrive is more tightly bound to the operating system. You can still disable startup and synchronization with Microsoft Cloud. It is enough simply to click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar's system tray. Select "Settings"; then disable the "Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows" option. Tip: if you would prefer to store your data under a different Microsoft account, you should also select "Unlink OneDrive" and then enter your new access data.
OneDrive stands for OneDrive for all
The .exe extension on a filename indicates an executable file. Executable files may, in some cases, harm your computer. Therefore, please read below to decide for yourself whether the OneDrive.exe on your computer is a Trojan that you should remove, or whether it is a file belonging to the Windows operating system or to a trusted application.
Description: OneDrive.exe is not essential for Windows and will often cause problems. The OneDrive.exe file is located in a subfolder of the user's profile folder (common is C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\ or C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\OneDrive\bin\).
Known file sizes on Windows 10/11/7 are 402,632 bytes (9% of all occurrences), 404,064 bytes and 119 more variants.
It is not a Windows core file. The file has a digital signature. The application starts when Windows starts (see Registry key: Run, TaskScheduler, User Shell Folders).
The program is not visible.
OneDrive.exe is able to monitor applications.
Therefore the technical security rating is 35% dangerous; however you should also read the user reviews.
Uninstalling this variant:
You can uninstall the program Microsoft OneDrive or Microsoft, or ask the software vendor for support. Click on Microsoft OneDrive or Microsoft in Windows Control Panel (Software or Programs section) to uninstall it.
If OneDrive.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files", the security rating is 26% dangerous. The file size is 551,112 bytes (8% of all occurrences), 1,504,888 bytes and 104 more variants.
It is not a Windows core file. The file has a digital signature. The program has no visible window. The program is loaded during the Windows boot process (see Registry key: Run, TaskScheduler, User Shell Folders).
The program uses ports to connect to or from a LAN or the Internet.
OneDrive.exe is able to monitor applications.
Uninstalling this variant:
You can uninstall the program Microsoft or Microsoft OneDrive, or ask the software vendor for support. Click on Microsoft or Microsoft OneDrive in Windows Control Panel (Software or Programs section) to uninstall it.
If OneDrive.exe is located in a subfolder of C:\, the security rating is 100% dangerous. The file size is 1,854,464 bytes (33% of all occurrences), 731,648 bytes or 161,280 bytes.
The file is not a Windows core file. There is no description of the program. The software uses ports to connect to or from a LAN or the Internet. The program has no visible window.
OneDrive.exe is able to manipulate other programs.
If OneDrive.exe is located in the user's profile folder, the security rating is 64% dangerous. The file size is 139,264 bytes.
Important: Some malware also uses the file name OneDrive.exe, for example Win32:Adware-gen [Adw] (detected by Avast), and not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Gertokr.b (detected by Kaspersky). Therefore, you should check the OneDrive.exe process on your PC to see if it is a threat. If Microsoft OneDrive has changed your browser's search engine and start page, you can recover your browser's default settings as follows:
In Internet Explorer, press the key combination Alt + X to open the Tools menu.
Click Internet options.
Click the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset... button.
Enable the Delete personal settings option.
This will reset your Internet Explorer to its default settings. Your browser will start with the familiar start page and search engine—without popups, ads, cookies, but all browser add-ons are deleted too
[1].
Make cleaning up your browser and your computer simpler and safer with Security Task Manager.
Copy chrome://settings/resetProfileSettings into your Chrome browser's address bar.
Click Reset.
Chrome will then restart with an empty start page and with Google as the default search engine—without any popups, ads, cookies, themes or extensions
[1].
If you want to re-enable some extensions, please enter chrome://extensions/ into your Chrome browser's address bar.
Make cleaning up your browser and your computer simpler and safer with Security Task Manager.
Copy about:support into your Firefox browser's address bar.
Click Refresh Firefox.
Firefox now looks brand new. Bookmarks and saved passwords are retained, but all browser extensions and their related data are deleted
[1].
Make cleaning up your browser and your computer simpler and safer with Security Task Manager.
Score
User Comments
This is included with all copies of Windows and is harmless. It's Microsoft's cloud drive. Chris
it was not listed in the uninstall program john kerr
It may not be a core process, but it's closely integrated into Windows 10, and it's an excellent file backup, cloud syncing, and cloud working utility. It's now designed to run in the background on MS Surfaces and tablets and other devices with small onboard disk space, so it doesn't take up as much system resources as it once did. No reason not to use it, imo, and I definitely would NOT try to uninstall it, as that would likely cause problems where none existed. Steve (further information)
Heur.Win.Harmlet.29a picked up by process explorer and scanned by virustotal frank
OneDrive.exe is using up 81% of my battery power alone out of all other apps and programs on my computer (Yoga Pro 2) artistrkjensen222
Even though this is a Windows program, I consider it dangerous. I don't want confidential files regarding clients removed from my computer and placed in an online suppository without my permission, especially one that must make all information available to an international government upon request (US, Patriots Act I believe). After being unlinked, uninstalled and disabled, changes are all reversed without my permission or knowledge on every Windows update, followed by forced removal of information from my local computer and placed on international servers against my will. Andrew
Summary: Average user rating of OneDrive.exe:
based on 15 votes with 6 user comments.
4 users think OneDrive.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application.
2 users think it's probably harmless.
4 users think it's neither essential nor dangerous.
One user suspects danger.
4 users think OneDrive.exe is dangerous and recommend removing it.
One user is not sure about it.
Best practices for resolving OneDrive issues
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding problems with OneDrive. This means running a scan for malware, cleaning your hard drive using 1cleanmgr and 2sfc /scannow, 3uninstalling programs that you no longer need, checking for Autostart programs (using 4msconfig) and enabling Windows' 5Automatic Update. Always remember to perform periodic backups, or at least to set restore points.
Should you experience an actual problem, try to recall the last thing you did, or the last thing you installed before the problem appeared for the first time. Use the 6resmon command to identify the processes that are causing your problem. Even for serious problems, rather than reinstalling Windows, you are better off repairing of your installation or executing the 7DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth command. This allows you to repair the operating system without losing data.
To get your computer running as fast as it did on day one, you can 8reset your PC. Your personal files will remain intact, but any programs you installed will need to be reinstalled.
To help you analyze the OneDrive.exe process on your computer, the following programs have proven to be helpful: ASecurity Task Manager displays all running Windows tasks, including embedded hidden processes, such as keyboard and browser monitoring or Autostart entries. A unique security risk rating indicates the likelihood of the process being potential spyware, malware or a Trojan. A good Bantivirus software detects and removes sleeping spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers, malware and trackers from your hard drive.
Score
User Comments
Chris
john kerr
Steve (further information)
frank
artistrkjensen222
Andrew
Summary: Average user rating of OneDrive.exe: based on 15 votes with 6 user comments. 4 users think OneDrive.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application. 2 users think it's probably harmless. 4 users think it's neither essential nor dangerous. One user suspects danger. 4 users think OneDrive.exe is dangerous and recommend removing it. One user is not sure about it.