How to Stop Google Drive from Syncing a Folder Without Deleting Files

To stop Google Drive for desktop from syncing one folder without losing files, first identify how that folder was connected. A folder listed under Folders from your computer is different from a mirrored My Drive folder. Removing the wrong connection, deleting files before sync finishes, or confusing Pause with Stop syncing can remove or strand files in places you did not expect.

For a folder added from your computer, open Drive for desktop, choose Settings > Preferences > Folders from your computer, select the folder, and turn off Sync with Google Drive. Verify the online copy before deleting anything locally. If My Drive is mirrored, switch to Stream files only after recent changes finish uploading.

First Determine Which Type of Sync You Are Using

Drive for desktop has two separate ways to connect files, and they require different solutions.

• Folders from your computer: You selected a local folder such as Desktop, Documents, Pictures, or a folder on another drive. Google says changes in the local folder and its online copy reflect each other, and the synced folder appears under Computers in Drive on the web.
• Folders from Drive: You selected either Stream files or Mirror files for My Drive. Streaming keeps most files in the cloud and downloads them as needed. Mirroring keeps a full local copy as well as the cloud copy.

Open the Drive for desktop menu from the Windows notification area or macOS menu bar, select the gear icon, and open Preferences. Interface labels can vary by app version; current layouts may say Folders from your computer, Folders from Drive, or Google Drive.

If the folder appears under Folders from your computer, use the first method below. If your concern is that all of My Drive is taking space on the computer, skip to the section about switching from mirroring to streaming.

Verify the Online Copy Before You Stop Syncing

Do not treat a sync folder as an independent backup. Changes can apply in both directions, so a deletion made while the connection is active may be reflected on the other side.

Before disconnecting a folder:

1. Open the Drive for desktop menu and check that there is no active upload, download, or unresolved sync error.
2. Open Google Drive in a browser using the same Google Account.
3. For a folder added from the computer, open Computers, select the correct computer name, and check several recent files.
4. Open at least one important file from the web and compare its modified date or contents with the local copy.
5. Make a separate backup of irreplaceable files before deleting, moving, or resetting anything.

A folder name alone does not prove every file uploaded. If Drive reports an error, resolve it or copy the affected files elsewhere before continuing.

Stop Syncing One Folder Added from Your Computer

Use this method when the folder is listed under Folders from your computer. It applies to a folder you explicitly added from your PC or Mac, not to the My Drive mirror location.

1. Open the Drive for desktop menu.
2. Select Settings, then Preferences.
3. On the left, select Folders from your computer.
4. Select the folder you want to disconnect.
5. Clear Sync with Google Drive.
6. If the same folder is also configured for Google Photos, clear that option when you also want photo uploads to stop.
7. Confirm with the button shown by your current app version, such as Done, Save, or Stop syncing.

After the change, reopen Preferences and confirm that the folder is no longer marked for Drive sync. Then check that the online copy is still present.

Stopping the connection prevents future synchronization; it is not a request to delete the online folder. Keep both copies until the connection is off and the online files have been checked.

Why Pause Syncing Is Not a Permanent Solution

Pause syncing stops background activity temporarily but does not remove a folder from the configuration. When you resume, the same folders begin syncing again.

Use Pause when you are on a limited connection, troubleshooting a conflict, or preparing to review settings. Use the folder-specific Preferences method when you want one folder to stop syncing permanently.

Stop Mirroring All of My Drive to the Computer

If My Drive is using too much local space, the problem may be Mirror files rather than a folder under Folders from your computer. Google describes mirrored files as full copies stored both on the computer and in the cloud. Streaming keeps most content in the cloud and uses a virtual Drive location on the computer.

To switch safely:

1. Check Drive for desktop and wait until recent local changes have finished syncing.
2. Open Settings > Preferences.
3. Select Folders from Drive or Google Drive, depending on the current layout.
4. Under My Drive syncing options, select Stream files.
5. Let Drive update the file location and confirm that My Drive is available from the new streaming location.
6. Quit Drive for desktop before removing the old mirrored folder on Windows.
7. Delete the old mirrored folder only after you have confirmed that all required files are online.

Google warns that unsynced files can be lost if the old mirrored folder is deleted or moved too early. Compare the cloud copy first and remove the redundant local folder later.

Switching My Drive to Stream does not change folders separately added under Folders from your computer. Those local folder connections must be turned off individually.

Disconnect an Account or Uninstall Drive for Desktop

Disconnecting the account is broader than stopping one folder. Use it only when you want Drive for desktop to stop working with that Google Account on the computer.

Google's current instructions use the profile menu or Advanced Settings to disconnect an account. When a streaming account is disconnected, offline files are removed from the streaming cache. Verify important files online and copy anything that exists only locally first.

To uninstall Drive for desktop, disconnect the account, quit the application, and use the operating system's normal uninstall process. Verify unsynced files first.

What Happens to Files After Syncing Stops

The result depends on the configuration and where you inspect the files.

• Local folder added under Folders from your computer: The local files stay in their original folder. Existing synced copies should remain visible under Computers, but you should verify them before deleting the local copy.
• Mirrored My Drive: After switching to Stream, the old mirrored folder stops syncing. My Drive remains available through the streaming location.
• Streamed files marked offline: Disconnecting the account removes those offline cached copies, according to Google.
• Files with sync errors: They may not have a complete online copy. Resolve or separately copy them before disconnecting.

If you need a true archive that should not mirror later deletions, make a separate verified copy rather than relying on a live two-way sync folder. For important Windows folders, How to Create a Safer One-Way Backup with Robocopy explains how to preview a separate local backup before running it.

Do Not Delete Files While the Wrong Sync Is Still Active

Deleting a local folder before stopping its two-way connection can also remove the synced online copy. The reverse can happen when files are deleted online.

Avoid these actions until you have verified the setup:

• Do not delete the local folder while it still appears as an active synced folder.
• Do not move the mirror folder before recent changes finish uploading.
• Do not clear the Drive cache as a first step; unsynced streamed changes can depend on it.
• Do not disconnect every account when you only need to stop one folder.
• Do not assume the files are in My Drive when the folder was uploaded under Computers.

Check Google Photos Separately

A folder can have separate settings for Drive sync and Google Photos backup. Turning off Sync with Google Drive does not necessarily turn off a separate photo-backup selection. Review both options for the folder.

Google’s current Photos help should be treated as the source of truth for photo backup because Drive for desktop changed this workflow in August 2026. If Back up to Google Photos is no longer available in Drive for desktop, use the current Google Photos backup instructions instead of following an older menu path. Do not delete the local photo folder until you have confirmed which files already exist in Google Photos and which still exist only on the computer.

Work and School Accounts May Be Managed

An administrator may control Drive settings on a work or school computer. If a setting is locked, missing, or restored after you change it, contact the administrator rather than bypassing the policy.

Confirm That the Folder Is No Longer Syncing

After making the change, use a harmless test rather than deleting an important file.

1. Create a temporary text file outside the disconnected folder and another inside it.
2. Wait for Drive for desktop to finish any remaining activity.
3. Check the folder's online location.
4. Confirm that the file inside the disconnected folder was not uploaded while other active sync locations still work normally.
5. Delete the temporary local test file after the result is clear.

If the folder still uploads, check whether a parent folder is also selected. A subfolder continues syncing when its parent remains configured.

After correcting the sync connection, How to Organize Google Drive Without Disrupting Shared Files covers folders and shortcuts. If storage remains full, How to Free Up Gmail Storage Without Deleting Important Emails covers another part of shared Google storage.

Official Google References

• Use Google Drive for desktop
• Stream and mirror files with Drive for desktop
• Customize Drive for desktop settings
• Fix problems in Drive for desktop
• Manage Google Drive for desktop: Advanced guide
• Back up photos and videos

Choose the Smallest Change That Matches the Problem

Turn off one local folder when only that folder is unwanted. Switch from Mirror to Stream when the full My Drive copy is using too much disk space. Disconnect the account only when you want to remove the entire account from Drive for desktop. In every case, wait for syncing to finish and verify the online files before deleting a local copy.