Sync Your Settings - Turn On or Off in Windows 8 | Page 2

How to Turn On or Off Your Sync Settings Between PCs in Windows 8 and 8.1

Information

If you use a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 8 or 8.1, then you will be able to sync your settings between your other confirmed trusted PCs running Windows 8 or 8.1 that you sign in to with the same Microsoft account.

This tutorial will show you how to turn your sync settings on or off for your Microsoft account in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

Note

Settings to Sync in Windows 8 and Windows RT
When you turn on sync settings on your PC, you will also be able to turn on or off the individual settings to sync between your PCs.

Personalize - Colors, background, lock screen, and your account picture
Desktop personalization - Themes, taskbar, and more
Ease of Access - Settings for Narrator, Magnifier, and more
Language preferences - Keyboards, other input methods, display language, and more
App settings - Certain settings in your apps, but not all
Browser settings - Internet Explorer history and bookmarks (favorites)
Other Windows settings - File Explorer and mouse settings
Sign-in info - For some apps, websites, networks, and HomeGroup

Settings to Sync in Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1
When you sign in to Windows 8.1 with a Microsoft account, the PC settings and app data you choose to sync are also saved on OneDrive. When you turn on sync settings on your PC, you will also be able to turn on or off the individual settings to sync between your PCs.

Start screen - Start screen tiles and tile layout
Appearance - Colors, background, lock screen, and account picture
Desktop personalization - Themes, taskbar, high contrast, and more
Installed Apps - Apps installed on your PCs
App settings - Your settings and purchases with apps. (This setting can only be synced and not backed up.)
Web Browser - Your favorites, open tabs, home pages, history, and settings
Passwords - Your sign-in info for some apps, websites, networks, and HomeGroup
Language preferences - Keyboards, input methods, display language, personal dictionary, and more
Ease of Access - Settings for Narrator, Magnifier, and more
Other Windows settings - File Explorer mouse, printers, and more
Back up settings - Allows you to set whether you want Windows 8.1 to back up your settings even if you don't choose to sync them between PCs and devices.

When you are setting up Windows 8.1 with a Microsoft account (see step 17E at link), you will be able to select to copy one of your synced settings from any Windows 8.1 PC that is still available in "Backed up device settings" on your OneDrive.

Tip

If you're having problems syncing your settings, you can try running the Microsoft Accounts troubleshooter. It's an automated tool that can find and automatically fix some syncing problems.

Warning

You will not be able to sync your settings if you sign in to Windows with a local user account. You will need to use a Microsoft account to use to sign in to Windows with instead.

CONTENTS:

Option One: To Turn On or Off your Sync Settings in PC Settings
Option Two: To Turn On or Off your Sync Settings in Registry Editor

OPTION ONE

To Turn On or Off your Sync Settings in PC Settings

1. Do step 2 or step 3 below depending on what Windows you have.

2. In Windows 8 and Windows RT, open PC settings, and click/tap on Sync your settings on the left side.

A) If you have not already, then you will need you will need to click/tap on the Trust this PC link on the right side to add this Windows 8 PC as a trusted PC before you will be able to sync with your Microsoft account. (see screenshot below)

B) Go to step 4 below.

3. In Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1, open PC settings, and click/tap on OneDrive on the left side. (see screenshot below)

A) Click/tap on Sync settings on the left side of "OneDrive". (see screenshot below)

B) If you have not already, then you will need to click/tap on the Verify link on the right side to add this Windows 8.1 PC as a trusted PC before you will be able to sync with your Microsoft account.

C) Go to step 4 below.

4. Do either step 5, step 6, step 7, or step 8 below for what you would like to do.

5. To Turn On Sync Your Settings

A) On the right side under Sync settings on this PC, move the slider to the right to turn it on, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshots below step 3C and below)

6. To Turn On or Off to Back up Settings that Aren't Synced

A) In Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, under Back up settings on the right side, move the slider to the right (turn on) or left (turn off) for what you want, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below step 3C)

7. To Change Sync Settings

A) If you have not already, do step 5 above.

B) On the right side you can move the slider to the left (off) or right (on) for each individual sync setting to what you want, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshots below steps 3C and 5A)

8. To Completely Turn Off Sync Your Settings

A) On the right side under Sync your settings, move the slider to the left to turn it off, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below)

NOTE: This will gray out all sync settings.

9. When finished, you can close PC settings if you like.

OPTION TWO

To Turn On or Off your Sync Settings in Registry Editor

1. Press the :winkey: + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and click/tap on OK.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

3. In Registry Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SettingSync\Groups

4. Expand open the Groups key, and click on the subkey for the sync setting that you want to turn on or off. (see screenshot above)

Registry Subkey	Sync Setting	Description
Accessibility	Other settings -> Ease of Access	Narrator, Magnifier, and more
AppSync	App settings -> Apps	The list of apps I've installed
BrowserSettings	Other settings -> Web Browser	My favorites, open tabs, home pages, history, and settings
Credentials	Other settings -> Passwords	My sign-in info for some apps, websites, networks, and HomeGroup
DesktopTheme	Personalization settings -> Desktop personalization	My themes, taskbar, high contrast, and more
Language	Other settings -> Language preferences	Keyboards, input methods, display language, personal dictionary, and more
PackageState	App settings -> App data	My settings and purchases within apps
Personalization	Personalization settings -> Appearance	My colors, backgrounds, lock screen, and account picture
StartLayout	Personalization settings -> Start screen	My Start screen tiles and tile layout
Windows	Other settings -> Other Windows settings	File Explorer, mouse, printers, and more

5. In the right pane of the subkey (ex: Accessibility), double/click tap on the Enabled DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)

6. Do step 7 or 8 below for what you would like to do.

7. To Turn On Sync Setting

NOTE: This is the default setting.

A) Type 1, click/tap on OK, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below)

8. To Turn Off Sync Setting

A) Type 0 (zero), click/tap on OK, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot above)

9. Repeat step 5 if you would like to turn on or off any other of your sync settings.

10. When finished, you can close Registry Editor.

That's it,
Shawn

Sync Your Settings - Turn On or Off in Windows 8

To Turn On or Off your Sync Settings in PC Settings

To Turn On or Off your Sync Settings in Registry Editor

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