Windows 10: Turn On or Off Sync Settings for Microsoft Account in Windows 10

I routinely backup my entire profile (incl Favorites folder) just in case OneDrive sync goes pear-shaped. But manually importing Favorites from a "primary" Win10 machine to my others is not a good idea, because additions, deletions & changes to Favorites are not synchronised.

Hence my desire to "force" the Favorites on a "primary" machine into OneDrive and have them synced down to all other machines. Thereafter, I hope that changes on any machine will sync to all the others.

Make sense?

 

You could move your "%UserProfile%\Favorites" folder using the method in OPTION TWO of the tutorial below to inside your OneDrive folder. Afterwards, repeat on all other PCs to move their Favorites folder to be the one OneDrive. This may serve as a workaround for you.

User Folders - Change Default Location - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

Does this Sync for example sync my laptop if i have to reinstall Windows or does it only works across Windows Phones, Surface, etc.?

 

Hello LM2007, *Smile

If you use the same Microsoft account when you clean install Windows 10 on the same PC, then yes it'll sync back your settings.

 

Will enable it again then, thanks.

 

You're most welcome. *Smile

 

Update: September 21st 2016
The feature below has been removed in Windows 10 Insider Preview build 14931.


Update:

Starting with Windows 10 Insider Preview build 14926, there's a new Windows Anywhere setting in Settings -> Accounts. This new setting is obviously not complete yet, so there should be more details about it in a future build.

When you turn on or off Use Windows Anywhere it will also turn on or off Sync settings.

 

- I usually leave the Ease Of Access syncing switched off..
- all the rest are on..

 

This syncing of your Microsoft account can really make a mess of things when trying to do a fresh install of Windows 10. It seems to default to "ON" when booting from a disc or USB stick. I tried a new install onto a new NVME drive and it was a real mess as bits and pieces of programs and settings were forced onto my drive and mucked up a lot of things. To prevent any residual "syncing" to occur in a new install, simply do not log onto your Microsoft Account when performing the install. You can do that later and after you have turned off syncing.

 

Hi Guys

Long time no see *Smile

I'm having a real issue with sync. Yesterday I planned a clean install of windows 10 Home. I didn't want to keep any synced settings so I stopped sync on the pc opened onedrive web version to delete and synced data and this is what I found.






Nothing Synced or so I thought. Reinstalled activated sync and low and behold down came my desktop background and all the other synced data. Where the hell is the synced data kept, am I missing something here. I also have fetch activated on this Pc and noticed that isn't listed on onedrive either.

Sorrry my first post back here is me moaning. Hope you are all well

Cheers Danny

 

Hello Danny, *Smile

It's good to hear from you.

It's odd that your PC is not listed on OneDrive and still syncs, but see if also removing the device from your Microsoft account devices page below may be able to help stop it from syncing next time.

Sign in to your Microsoft account

 

Hi Shawn

Hope your well, will give that a go now. I've also noticed even though fetch is enabled I cannot access my files from another Pc as obviously its not listed in onedrive. I will report back in a short while.

Thanks Danny

 

Any other ideas.

Removed Pc from microsoft account, stopped sync, Clean install connected to sync and It pulled my settings again (from where I don't know) . Pc is still not showing in onedrive and fetch is still not accessible.

 

Well, the only true way to stop it appears to be to turn it off before it syncs. It may be easier to do so while not connected to the Internet. *Sad

 

It looks that way Shawn for now I will try again and turn off sync and leave it a few days see if the settings disappear. Maybe a time issue. Is there a way to force onedrive to see my pc for fetch.

Thanks for your help Shawn