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There have been complaints about this going back years, but Microsoft has finally caved in and decided to stop nagging users to back up their files to OneDrive: these alerts can now be permanently dismissed with an Opt out of backup button.
As spotted by Windows Latest, the move is going to please users who have no intention of using OneDrive to store their files, and would rather not have occasional reminders from their operating system that this is an option.
The change seems to be tied to the latest stable Windows 11 25H2 build. Previously, if you didn't want to go ahead with the OneDrive sync, you could only pick Remind me later or Remind me in 3 days — and the message would eventually loom back into view.
It's something we see across the majority of software now, and it's what Windows Latest rightly calls "dark patterns": interface choices that are designed to nudge users towards a certain option even if they're not sure about it.
The reaction on Reddit has been mostly positive, with the general sentiment of the comments suggesting that this change was long awaited. "I fully opted out of Windows instead," remarks one commenter in the thread.
Several contributors to the Reddit discussion say they've already bailed on Windows 11 and switched to Linux or macOS — not just over the OneDrive issue, but also for other problems like memory management and privacy concerns.
For many years now, Microsoft has been trying to foist OneDrive and its other Windows-adjacent apps on to users of its desktop operating system, but it appears that it's finally figured out that this may be doing more harm than good.
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To give Microsoft some credit, it has largely been making good on its promise to address the biggest complaints users have had about Windows 11 in recent months, even if a lot of the improvements should've been made a long time ago.
➡️ Read our full guide to the best laptops1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M52. Best budget: Apple MacBook Neo3. Best Windows 11 laptopMicrosoft Surface Laptop 13-inch4. Best thin and light:Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i5. Best UltrabookAsus Zenbook S 16
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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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