How to Delete a Microsoft OneDrive Account Permanently: Easy Guide

Microsoft OneDrive is one of the widely used cloud storage. It offers users the convenience of seamlessly storing files and accessing them from any remote location. There can be several reasons for deleting a Microsoft OneDrive account permanently. Users want to switch to other cloud storage providers, maybe they have multiple accounts and want to delete one. We have to find out how to delete the Microsoft OneDrive account permanently.

Microsoft is a collaboration platform integrated with several apps. In case you delete the OneDrive account you have to delete the Microsoft account associated with it. If you are using any app with that account, you will not be able to access it once it gets deleted. This article will cover all the important points when deleting a Microsoft OneDrive account. Let’s find out:

Points to Consider Before Deleting a Microsoft OneDrive Account

• Save the content of the apps, you used within that account.
• Make sure the people you are collaborating with are aware of that, you are closing an account. So they should download the files you shared with them.
• Cancel the subscription plan for that account immediately to avoid financial loss.
• Download your files on the local device or upload them to another account.
• You can recover your account before the 60 days. After 60 days your account will be permanently deleted.

Steps to Delete a Microsoft OneDrive Account Permanently

1. Sign in to your OneDrive account using https://onedrive.live.com/login/.
2. Go to OneDrive settings. Click on the security tab. Under the security tab navigate to “more security options” and click on it.
3. Verify your identity using your email and phone number. Microsoft makes sure that you are deleting your account to prevent unauthorized access.
4. After successful verification, navigate to the “Close your Account” section and click on “Close”
5. Review your information and get to know what will happen to your account after closing the account.
6. Click on the “Checkbox” and click on Next.
7. Re-enter your password and your deletion request will be processed.

We have seen the process of deleting a Microsoft OneDrive account. But before deleting an account it’s important to keep the necessary data for future use. In this case, we have two solutions either we download and upload it to another account or save it on the local device. Let’s explore both methods in detail:

Download and Upload Microsoft OneDrive Files Manually

1. Open a browser and sign in using https://onedrive.live.com/login/ to your OneDrive account.
2. Select the files you want to download and click on the download option from the above menu.
3. Once the files get downloaded to the local computer, upload them to another OneDrive account manually.

Also Read: Office 365 Tenant Restrictions.

Drawbacks of the Manual Method

• Require a stable internet connection and uninterrupted power supply.
• Time-consuming as the transfer of large data can take time of several days or weeks.
• Make sure there is enough storage on your local device to download the OneDrive files.
• You have to download and upload each file manually. Any disruptions can cause data loss.

Saving data to local devices is not a good approach because,  if the hard drive corrupts you will lose all your critical data. We can use the download and upload method but it increases complexity in case of large data size. It is also a time-consuming process and has several drawbacks. In case of data migration, we recommend you use a Migrator Wizard OneDrive Migration Software.

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Steps for Using a Migration Software

1. Download and install the software. Launch the software.
2. From the setup tab choose source and destination as “Office 365”. Click on the document checkbox.
3. Select migrate document permissions and user group mapping. Use a date filter to migrate data of a specific time.
4. Enter the source admin email and application ID and click on validate. Click next after permissions are validated.
5. Enter the destination admin email and application ID and validate. After validation, click on next.
6. Map source and destination users. Download the user template list file by clicking on the three(….) on the right-hand side. Upload this file for user mapping.
7. Users are added to execute the migration. Permissions are validated. Click on Start to execute the migration.
8. After migration is completed, users can retry for failed items, Re-run full migration, and delta migration for migrating new items.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed account deletion in Microsoft OneDrive, and important points to remember before deletion. We have seen two methods manual and automated to migrate the OneDrive data. The manual method is very complex and time-consuming while having several drawbacks. In the case of large data migration, this method is not feasible. So, we recommend using the above migration software to perform large migrations easily and securely.