How to Disable OneDrive KFM for Shared Kiosk Computers

You need to disable Known Folder Move for shared kiosk computers to prevent user folders from being automatically redirected to OneDrive. When KFM is enabled on a shared device, each kiosk user’s Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders are uploaded to their personal OneDrive, which can cause sync conflicts, storage quota issues, and confusion for the next user. This article explains how to disable KFM using Group Policy, the Microsoft 365 admin center, and registry edits so that kiosk computers remain stateless and easy to maintain.

What Is Known Folder Move and Why Disable It on Kiosk Computers

Known Folder Move is a OneDrive feature that automatically redirects the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders to OneDrive. When a user signs into OneDrive on a shared kiosk computer, KFM can trigger a sync of those folders. This creates two problems: the user’s personal files remain on the local drive after they sign out, and the next kiosk user sees a mix of their own and the previous user’s files. Shared kiosk computers are meant to be stateless. Disabling KFM ensures that each session starts with a clean local profile and that OneDrive only syncs files the user explicitly opens or saves to OneDrive.

KFM is enabled by default in OneDrive for Business deployments that use the standard silent configuration. On a kiosk computer, the device is often configured with a shared or guest account, or with mandatory user profiles that reset on sign-out. In either case, KFM interferes with the intended ephemeral behavior. Disabling it requires a policy change at the device level or the tenant level.

Prerequisites for Disabling KFM on Kiosk Computers

Before you begin, confirm the following:

• The kiosk computer runs Windows 10 or Windows 11 with the OneDrive sync app installed.
• You have local administrator rights on the kiosk computer, or you can deploy Group Policy from a domain controller.
• If using the Microsoft 365 admin center, you have Global Admin or SharePoint Admin role.
• The kiosk computer is not currently syncing any Known Folders. If it is, pause sync or sign out of OneDrive before applying the policy.

Method 1: Disable KFM Using Group Policy

This method applies to domain-joined kiosk computers or devices managed with local Group Policy. The policy setting blocks the KFM prompt and prevents the redirect from starting.

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor
   Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. If the kiosk computer is domain-joined, edit the relevant Group Policy Object from the Group Policy Management Console instead.
2. Navigate to the OneDrive policy folder
   Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > OneDrive. If the OneDrive templates are not listed, download and install the OneDrive administrative templates from Microsoft.
3. Open the KFM policy setting
   Double-click Prevent users from moving Windows known folders to OneDrive.
4. Enable the policy
   Select Enabled, then click OK. This setting prevents OneDrive from prompting users to move their Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders.
5. Apply the policy
   Run gpupdate /force in an elevated Command Prompt. The change applies immediately to new OneDrive sessions.

If users are already signed into OneDrive with KFM active, they must sign out and sign back in for the policy to take effect. The policy does not reverse an existing folder move — it only blocks new moves.

Method 2: Disable KFM via Registry Edit

Use this method for kiosk computers that are not domain-joined or where you cannot deploy Group Policy. The registry key mimics the Group Policy setting.

1. Open Registry Editor
   Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control.
2. Navigate to the OneDrive policy key
   Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\OneDrive. If the OneDrive key does not exist, right-click the Microsoft key, select New > Key, and name it OneDrive.
3. Create the DisableKFM DWORD
   Right-click the OneDrive key, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it DisableKFM. Double-click the new value, set Value data to 1, and click OK.
4. Restart OneDrive
   Right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray and select Exit. Open OneDrive from the Start menu to restart it. The registry change takes effect immediately.

To re-enable KFM later, change the DisableKFM value to 0 or delete the DWORD.

Method 3: Disable KFM Tenant-Wide in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Use this method if you want to disable KFM for all users in your organization, including kiosk computers. This setting overrides local policies.

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center
   Go to admin.microsoft.com and sign in with an account that has Global Admin or SharePoint Admin permissions.
2. Open Org settings
   In the left navigation, select Settings > Org settings. On the Services tab, scroll to and click OneDrive.
3. Locate the Sync section
   In the OneDrive settings panel, find the Sync section. Click Edit.
4. Disable Known Folder Move
   Uncheck Show the Sync button (Known Folder Move) prompt to users on their Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders. Click Save.
5. Wait for propagation
   The change may take up to 24 hours to apply to all users. For immediate effect on a specific kiosk computer, sign out and sign back into OneDrive.

Disabling KFM tenant-wide also removes the prompt for all non-kiosk users. If you need KFM for regular users but not for kiosk computers, use the Group Policy or registry method instead.

Common Issues When Disabling KFM on Kiosk Computers

KFM prompt still appears after applying Group Policy

If the prompt persists, verify that the policy is applied. Run gpresult /h result.html in an elevated Command Prompt and check the report for the OneDrive policy. Also confirm that the OneDrive administrative templates are installed and that the policy path is correct. On Windows 10 version 1809 and later, the policy path is under Computer Configuration, not User Configuration.

Users cannot sign into OneDrive after disabling KFM

Disabling KFM does not block OneDrive sign-in. If users cannot sign in, check for other policies such as Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage which blocks the entire sync app. That policy is separate from the KFM policy.

Existing Known Folder Move folders are not reverted

Disabling KFM only prevents new folder moves. To revert an existing move, open OneDrive settings > Sync and backup > Manage backup, and click Stop backup for each folder. The files remain in OneDrive and a shortcut is placed in the original location.

Group Policy vs Registry vs Admin Center: Key Differences

Item	Group Policy	Registry Edit	Microsoft 365 Admin Center
Scope	Per computer or per user in domain	Per computer	Tenant-wide for all users
Requires Active Directory	Yes for domain deployment; local GPedit works on standalone PCs	No	No, but requires admin role
Reverses existing KFM	No	No	No
Blocks prompt only	Yes	Yes	Yes
Propagation time	Immediate after gpupdate	Immediate after restarting OneDrive	Up to 24 hours

For kiosk computers that are not domain-joined, the registry method is the fastest approach. For managed domain environments, Group Policy gives you granular control without touching the registry. The admin center method is useful only if you want to disable KFM for all users, including non-kiosk devices.

You can now disable Known Folder Move on any shared kiosk computer using Group Policy, the registry, or the Microsoft 365 admin center. Start with the registry method for a single device, or deploy Group Policy for multiple domain-joined kiosks. After disabling KFM, test the kiosk by signing in as a guest user and confirming that the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders remain local. For additional control, consider setting up a mandatory user profile or using Windows 11 kiosk mode to further restrict file sync.