In my experience, OneDrive does ask to be activated, and it prompts you before it enables backups. It never asks what I want to delete, because it doesn't delete anything unless I've told it to. In fact, I've seen the reverse, OneDrive alerts me to local file deletions and ask if I'm sure I want to delete those files online as well.

I'm not sure a "default main location" makes sense for a cloud storage service that synchronizes across multiple computers and cloud storage. I want all the locations to be in sync. How would a "main" location make any sense for something that's designed to keep multiple locations in sync? Only allow changes in one place?

OneDrive has been around a lot longer than the technology being marketed as AI.

It doesn't delete your files when you turn it off either. At least, it never has in my experience. When you disable OneDrive backup, it clearly asks you where you want the files to be kept. If you remove your account entirely, it leaves all local files in place. I find it really interesting that the TikTok at the root of the original article has no demonstration of the supposed behavior. It's just some dude ranting. I'd really like to see how it happened because my guess is he was angrily clicking, not paying attention, and selected "Only in OneDrive" as the location to keep the files when he disabled OneDrive backup.

The TikTok that prompted the original article doesn't provide any screenshots, and I can't replicate the behavior he says happened. If you disable OneDrive Backup it clearly and simply asks you where you want to keep your files - online or local.

I understand everyone wants to hate the evil empire, but there are plenty of legitimate reasons to do so. You don't have to make stuff up.

OneDrive wouldn't really be an effective synchronized cloud storage service if it didn't replicate a deletion.

Rather than resolving the issue by deleting files and expecting it to magically know that you're only looking to delete the online copies, you need to make sure all files are kept locally and then disable the backup (or remove your account from OneDrive). It won't delete the local files then.

I'm not defending Microsoft's pushy attitude at all; that sucks.