Windows 10: How do I stop OneDrive syncing a folder it says contains my Desktop Folder but doesn't?

I'm trying to stop OneDrive sync on a folder on my desktop. Whenever I try to do this, I get a message saying, "The folder you tried to unselect contains the Windows Desktop folder, which is an important folder in Windows and currently points towards OneDrive." I have checked multiple times, and this folder does not contain my desktop folder at all. I have successfully deleted the folder from my device, but OneDrive doesn't stop uploading files to my online storage because I can't delete it from my OneDrive files.

:)

 

Not Syncing Folders with OneDrive

There is no way to selectively sync folders (meaning "selectively backup folders to OneDrive"). It's either sync all folders or no folders.

If you uncheck a folder it will disappear from your device. When you check folders you are selecting which online OneDrive folders you want synced to your device. That's what "sync" means in OneDrive. What you have experienced
is the way it works.

So I stopped Backup for Desktop. This in turn made all other files on the Desktop disappear... at this point I came here and decided to simply ask.

Stopping the Backup (at OneDrive settings > Backup tab >
Manage backup) of your Desktop should not make the desktop folders disappear. Perhaps you are still backing up these folders to OneDrive and you unchecked these desktop folders?

 

Stop onedrive from Syncing my Documents+desktop folder!

I have Installed FF14 from steam onto my External drive and have tried to install the games Launcher onto my external drive as well but Windows insists on choosing its default as my Onedrive Documents/Desktop folder and I can't move it. I cannot access the Settings at all when Syncing is paused. When it says 'your files are synced' and I try to un-choose the Documents folder it states it Can't stop syncing folder because its the Windows Documents/Desktop folder and is an important folder in Windows and is pointed to OneDrive. How the heck can I fix this to keep it from syncing my Desktop and Documents?!?
Worst comes to worse I have all documents saved on another External Harddrive just incase.

 

Is there any way to use the onedrive app WITHOUT syncing core folders?

Yes. You can choose not to sync your personal shell folders during the OneDrive setup. If syncing has been enabled already for your core shell folders, you can disable syncing using these steps:

To revert the shell folder locations to default, open OneDrive and do the following:

Important: Before proceeding, copy the files in those special folders to another folder or external drive. Please don’t copy them anywhere under Desktop/Documents/Pictures. This is because disabling OneDrive backup for a folder erases the local copies of the files. Copying them to a different location beforehand will ensure that you don’t need to download them again from the OneDrive cloud.

1. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the Notification area and click Settings.
   
2. Select the Backup tab, and click Manage Backup
   
3. In the Manage folder backup dialog, click on the Stop backup link under the special folder (Desktop, Documents, or Pictures)
   
4. Click Stop backup in the confirmation dialog that appears.
   
5. Repeat the step for each shell folder you want to revert to the original location.
   

See also

• Error “The folder can’t be moved here” Moving Documents/Pictures, Caused by OneDrive
  
• Libraries are placed in onedrive folder instead of local folder - Microsoft Community