One Drive captured and stored my data without having an account (speculation)

[GON]

My current PC, I purchased a copy of Windows 11 that allowed full setup without a One Drive account, nor Microsoft registration. I wiped out my new/ never used Lenovo notebook and installed this Windows 11 non registration required version.

I have never logged into anything Microsoft on this computer. I do run a retail copy of MSFT office, but a version that didn't require any registration.

A few weeks ago, the One Drive personal drive icon started showing up on the task bar. I would close it, and randomly the icon returned. Today, instead of closing the OneDrive icon, I went to settings. The options offered were to sign on to OneDrive, or unlink this PC from OneDrive. I was a bit surprised as I never linked this PC to OneDrive.

When I selected unlink- MSFT returned "your OneDrive files will stop synching-- a copy of these files will be left on this PC".

My thought became- how is MSFT synching files on my PC to OneDrive, especially without having a MSFT account or a OneDrive account ever connected to this hardware, or this Windows 11 operating system, or to any of the browsers or applications on this PC.

I'll take MSFT at what it returned while attempting to remove the OneDrive icon-- MSFT has been uploading files from my PC to OneDrive, even without a OneDrive account.

UPDATE:
I went into control panel, then programs. I found OneDrive listed. I clicked on the uninstall option, and OneDrive uninstalled.

Speculation- during an operating system update, MSFT without permission or my knowledge, installed OneDrive.

 

[Analog-1]

Yep they do that. Always install windows 11 with a local account. Never ever use a microsoft account or they will steal your data.

 

[redhat]

Did you sign into any other Microsoft service or app? It can pull the user account in for other related services.

 

[Rand]

How do you log into windows? did you setup a local account?

Did it actually sync any files.. if so what files?

 

[wwillson]

Speculation- during an operating system update, MSFT without permission or my knowledge, installed OneDrive.

The OneDrive program is always installed on a PC, that doesn't mean it is syncing any files. The user must authenticate to OneDrive before sync takes place.

Never ever use a microsoft account or they will steal your data.

That sounds a bit alarmist. I think you should grab a pair is scissors and find the fiber or coax coming into your house and cut it. You should also grab a hammer and smash any cellular connected devices. Unplug totally, because they are all stealing your data.

They don't really care about your files, they care about your habits, that information all internet companies are stealing..

Did it actually sync any files.. if so what files?

Great point and no, Microsoft likely didn't actually sync anything.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Yep they do that. Always install windows 11 with a local account. Never ever use a microsoft account or they will steal your data.

Your not wrong - but so does Google, and so does Apple.

I don't know if it even is - but maybe linix with no cloud affiliation might not? Wouldn't surprise me to find that depends on the distribution.

I use Onedrive for work and its very convenient. If work doesn't care about Microsoft I do not either.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

That doesn't sound right. If OneDrive said it was syncing data but you had never used your Microsoft account (if you even have one) on that computer, the OneDrive app should be able to tell you what account is logged into it.

OneDrive is great for work where we're a longtime Microsoft partner, but there's no way I'm going to let let them sync all my personal stuff from my own computer to their cloud. Absolutely not.

 

[Hall]

You're correct - this is all speculation (and wrong)

 

[rijndael]

I use Onedrive for work and its very convenient. If work doesn't care about Microsoft I do not either.

Just because a business uses it doesn't mean they use it for everything. Plenty of them use OneDrive for everything except PII data.

Personally, I'd rather not have my tax documents, and other sensitive data, stored on OneDrive.

 

[SeaJay]

I suspect the use of Windows 11 can do many things Microsoft related without our knowledge.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Just because a business uses it doesn't mean they use it for everything. Plenty of them use OneDrive for everything except PII data.

Personally, I'd rather not have my tax documents, and other sensitive data, stored on OneDrive.

Yes well I said I used it for work stuff, not tax docs.

Honestly my guess is microsoft/google/apple already has my tax docs given they likely supply the IRS, DD, et al.

 

[wwillson]

Just because a business uses it doesn't mean they use it for everything. Plenty of them use OneDrive for everything except PII data.

Personally, I'd rather not have my tax documents, and other sensitive data, stored on OneDrive.

OneDrive has a "Vault" that you supply the private key, which means nobody can decrypt it but you. Store whatever you want in the vault and you'll know nobody else but you can ever read it. Do not lose your key.

 

[rijndael]

It is better than regular one drive, but I'm still not using it.

I don't store my docs in the cloud, other than pictures I share with others.

 

[wwillson]

It is better than regular one drive, but I'm still not using it.

Why?

I don't store my docs in the cloud

You have a much higher probability of losing your docs in a crash, unless you become your own cloud provider and back them up somewhere. Maybe to a portable drive stored in a safe somewhere other than in your house.

 

[rijndael]

I have my own NAS units to cover my needs. No one's nagging me to subscribe to more storage or some other added feature.

When I'm out, if I need it, I can VPN back to get it.
I have offsite backups covered.

 

[GON]

Yep they do that. Always install windows 11 with a local account. Never ever use a microsoft account or they will steal your data.

This PC was installed with a local account only- that is why I was surprised to see OneDrive show up one day, and later couldn't get OneDrive to go away--- yet I never installed OneDrive. I speculate MSF quietly installed OneDrive on my local only machine during a windows update.

 

[GON]

Did you sign into any other Microsoft service or app? It can pull the user account in for other related services.

As shared in the original thread- no, I never signed into ant MSFT service or app.

 

[wwillson]

This PC was installed with a local account only- that is why I was surprised to see OneDrive show up one day, and later couldn't get OneDrive to go away--- yet I never installed OneDrive. I speculate MSF quietly installed OneDrive on my local only machine during a windows update.

OneDrive comes with Windows, there is no way around it. If you install Windows, OneDrive will be installed. You may not see it until Windows starts to nag you about signing up for OneDrive, but I promise you it's there.

 

[GON]

Great point and no, Microsoft likely didn't actually sync anything.

That is where the "red flag" occurred. When I went to shut down OneDrive, the response was "data synching will be stopped". Why would MSFT report it is stopping synch, unless it is in fact synch data to OneDrive.

 

[wwillson]

That is where the "red flag" occurred. When I went to shut down OneDrive, the response was "data synching will be stopped". Why would MSFT report it is stopping synch, unless it is in fact synch data to OneDrive.

That's just a canned message. It will say that even if you never were syncing.