How to Prevent Excel, Word etc from prompting me to "BACK UP THIS DOCUMENT" on OneDrive

Question

How to Prevent Excel, Word etc from prompting me to "BACK UP THIS DOCUMENT" on OneDrive

MARK DERISLEY 0

Screenshot 2026-07-21 144147

Work and Excel keep promting me to "BACK UP THIS DOCUMENT" to OneDrive. How to I prevent this prompt from happening

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2 answers

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Answer 1

Anonymous

Hello @MARK DERISLEY

A few things you can check:

1> OneDrive Backup Settings

Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows system tray (bottom-right corner).
Select Settings.
Go to the Backup tab and click Manage backup.
If Desktop, Documents, or Pictures are being backed up, turn them off or select Stop backup for any folders you do not want synced to OneDrive.

2> Office Save Settings

Open Word, Excel, or another Office application.
Go to File > Options > Save.
Uncheck AutoSave OneDrive and SharePoint Online files by default (if available).
Verify that Default local file location points to your preferred local drive or folder under This PC.
You may also want to uncheck Show additional places for saving, even if sign-in may be required, depending on your preference.

After making these changes, please verify that the settings match your intended workflow.

If this is a work or school-managed device, the backup prompts may be controlled by your organization's policies. In that case, your IT administrator may need to adjust the Microsoft 365 or Group Policy settings. The "Restrict KFM from Office" policy is one setting that can be used in managed environments to prevent these prompts.

I look forward to your reply.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Anonymous

2026-07-22T14:53:11.0833333+00:00

Hi @MARK DERISLEY

Just writing to see how things are going with this issue.

Have you had a chance to check the replies provided?

Any update would be appreciated.
MARK DERISLEY 0 Reputation points

2026-07-23T00:56:32.0033333+00:00

The answer does not resolve the problem. I already have these settings since long ago and it does not prevent the pop up. In my view the pop up keeps coming "because" the OneDrive sync is turned off and thats why it keeps prompting.
Anonymous

2026-07-23T13:52:32.18+00:00

Hello @MARK DERISLEY

Thanks for the update. Since you have already verified these settings and the prompt continues to appear, this may require a closer review of your OneDrive and Office configuration within your environment.

If this is a work or school account, I recommend contacting your IT administrator for further assistance. They can review any organizational policies, OneDrive settings, or Microsoft 365 configurations that may be triggering the prompt.

As this is a user-to-user forum, we do not have access to your organization's settings to investigate further.

Thank you for your understanding.
MARK DERISLEY 0 Reputation points

2026-07-24T01:04:00.9433333+00:00

I am an individual user. My Microsoft 365 account belongs to me personally. Although I have the professional version I am not part of any organisation. I will make any changes the the 365 settings.

Look, this is a minor issue, it doesn't affect my work flow in anyway. Its just annoying and was hoping that someone on here would have encounterered this before and would know how to switch it off.

Please I don't want any more guesses. If you know the solution then please tell me. If you don't then dont feel obliged to respond.

Many thanks
Anonymous

2026-07-24T09:33:44.64+00:00

Hello @MARK DERISLEY

Based on the information you've provided, it appears that you're using a personal Microsoft 365 subscription as an individual consumer rather than a Microsoft 365 account associated with a business, school, or organization.

Unfortunately, my scope of support is limited to business and enterprise scenarios, so this issue falls outside the areas I can directly assist with.

To ensure you receive the most accurate guidance, I will transfer your question to the appropriate team that handles consumer and personal Microsoft account scenarios.

Thank you for your understanding, and I hope the appropriate team can help resolve the issue.
MARK DERISLEY 0 Reputation points

2026-07-24T11:25:24.8666667+00:00

My subscription is Microsoft 365 Business Standard.
Anonymous

2026-07-24T11:32:06.54+00:00
I'm a bit confused here @MARK DERISLEY . You mentioned that you're an individual user using the standalone Office Professional 20XX version, but you also said you're signing in with a Microsoft 365 Business Standard license.

Could you please navigate to Excel > Account and share a screenshot showing:

The license/product information displayed there

The account currently associated with the Office installation

This will help clarify exactly which Office license and account configuration is being used.
MARK DERISLEY 0 Reputation points

2026-07-24T11:47:08.84+00:00

I already informed you I have the Microsoft Apps for Business. I am a sole proprietor business but the account is personal to me as I am the only person on the licence.
MARK DERISLEY 0 Reputation points

2026-07-24T11:48:17.3633333+00:00

You appear not to be able to answer my query anyway
Anonymous

2026-07-24T12:06:32.1633333+00:00
Sorry for all the confusion @MARK DERISLEY Earlier, I suggested that you work with your IT administrator to check the device more thoroughly, as we're only community/forum moderators and not Microsoft Support. However, you then mentioned that you're an individual user with no organization involved and that you're using Office Professional. And that's why I believe the Personal support team would be better equipped to assist you than I am.

You also mentioned that I should only reply if I have a solution. To be honest, I'm not sure whether my suggestions will completely resolve the issue or simply lead to more back-and-forth troubleshooting without getting you a satisfactory outcome.

However, if you're willing to try a few more things:

Method 1: Go to Word > File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings, then disable Connected Experiences. After that, close all Office applications and reopen them to see if the prompt still appears.

If that doesn't help, try Method 2:

Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.

Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\OneDrive

If the OneDrive key does not exist, right-click Microsoft > New > Key and name it OneDrive.

In the right pane, right-click and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Name it: KFMBlockOptIn

Double-click it and set the value to: 1

Restart the computer.

If neither of these options helps, and you are the only user and effectively the administrator of this Microsoft 365 tenant, I would recommend contacting Microsoft Support through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center for further investigation, as there may be something specific to your environment that cannot be diagnosed from the forum side. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/get-help-support?view=o365-worldwide

I hope this helps point you in the right direction. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and I apologize for any confusion caused.
MARK DERISLEY 0 Reputation points

2026-07-24T12:12:49.7866667+00:00

No problem Gabriel. Like I said earlier its not a big issue, more of an annoyance. I will have a look at your further suggestions when I next have time. Thanks again.

Answer 2

Senthil kumar 2,410

Hi @MARK DERISLEY

Word / Excel → File → Options → Save

Turn OFF these three settings:

AutoSave files stored in OneDrive and SharePoint
Offer OneDrive as a backup option
Show additional places for saving, even if sign‑in may be required

Try this options give your feedback.

Thanks.

MARK DERISLEY 0 Reputation points

2026-07-23T00:57:42.03+00:00

The answer does not resolve the problem. I already have these settings since long ago and it does not prevent the pop up. In my view the pop up keeps coming "because" the OneDrive sync is turned off and thats why it keeps prompting.
Larry D 10 Reputation points

2026-09-05T20:29:06.26+00:00
AutoSave files stored in OneDrive and SharePoint NOT AN OPTION

Offer OneDrive as a backup option NOT AN OPTION

Show additional places for saving, even if sign‑in may be required ALREADY UNCHECKED.

so, to be clear, this is not factually correct