Stop OneDrive from Syncing over a Metered Connection

Windows treats a metered connection as expensive and holds background transfers. The setting is per network profile and survives a reconnect.

Get-NetConnectionProfile | Select-Object Name,NetworkCategory,InterfaceAlias
Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles\*' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object PSChildName,Cost
Get-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceAlias 'Wi-Fi' | Set-NetConnectionProfile -NetworkCategory Public

The UI checkbox writes a cost value that OneDrive reads. Setting it from the command line is the reliable way on a machine where the toggle is hidden.

Start-Process ms-settings:network-wifi
# Wi-Fi > your network > Metered connection > Set as metered
Get-NetConnectionProfile | Select-Object Name,NetworkCategory
Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object -First 1

OneDrive has an independent switch. With it off, sync pauses on a metered link and resumes on an unmetered one without losing state.

Get-Process OneDrive -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object Id,Path
Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\OneDrive' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object * -ExcludeProperty PS*
# OneDrive tray icon > Settings > Sync and backup > Advanced settings

A throughput cap keeps small files moving while stopping a 20 GB photo sync. The setting exists in the same advanced page and applies per hour.

Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\OneDrive\Accounts\Business1' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object * -ExcludeProperty PS*
# OneDrive settings > Sync and backup > Advanced > Limit download/upload rate

Files On-Demand keeps the folder but not the content. Excluding a large folder from sync removes it from the local disk and from future transfers.

Get-ChildItem "$env:USERPROFILE\OneDrive" -Force | Select-Object Name,Mode | Select-Object -First 10
Get-Item "$env:USERPROFILE\OneDrive" | Select-Object Attributes
# OneDrive settings > Account > Choose folders

A capped sync should show a small, steady rate. A spike means the setting did not apply and the app is uploading at full speed.

Get-NetAdapterStatistics | Select-Object Name,ReceivedBytes,SentBytes
Start-Sleep -Seconds 30
Get-NetAdapterStatistics | Select-Object Name,ReceivedBytes,SentBytes
Get-Process OneDrive | Select-Object Id,CPU,WorkingSet