How to Enable or Disable Sync Apps and Preferences for Microsoft Accounts in Windows 11
- 17 steps
- Needs administrator rights
- Group Policy needs Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise or Education
- Includes a restart or sign-out
Syncing apps and preferences lets Windows save settings and app data to your Microsoft account and bring them to other computers you sign in to.
This makes setting up a new PC easier. Windows can reinstall your favorite apps and bring over preferences such as passwords, language settings and mouse speed. Windows 11 can also remember your theme colors and keyboard layout.
Managing sync is a privacy and control issue, especially if you use several PCs. It decides whether Windows 11 settings and app data, such as your desktop background and Microsoft Edge history, follow you to every device.
This guide shows how to turn app and preference syncing on or off for all Microsoft accounts on one computer. You can let settings copy to your other devices, or have a new PC start completely fresh.
Before you start:
- These settings apply only to personal Microsoft accounts, not work or school accounts.
- You need administrator rights to change them.
- The method below uses the Registry Editor, which is included in both Windows 11 Home and Pro. This matters on Home, because it does not include the Local Group Policy Editor, so the registry is the practical route there.
- Plan on one restart at the end.
To turn Windows sync settings on or off for every Microsoft account on one PC, open Registry Editor as an administrator and go to 🗝️HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
What Windows Syncs
When you sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account, Windows remembers parts of your setup, such as app settings and theme preferences. This feature is called Sync settings. It saves you work when you get a new computer or reinstall Windows, because the new install can pick up where the old one left off.
Sync is split into two parts, Remember my apps and Remember my preferences. The next two sections explain what each one covers. The registry change in this guide controls sync as a whole, so it affects both parts at once.
Remember My Apps
The Remember my apps setting keeps a list of the apps you download from the Microsoft Store. On a new or reset PC signed in with the same account, Windows can use that list to bring those apps back.
Remember My Preferences
The Remember my preferences setting saves your personal choices so they match across your Windows devices. Once you sign in with your Microsoft account, these details update automatically on every computer you use. It covers:
- Passwords: Your saved passwords for websites and apps.
- Language Settings: Your preferred language, keyboard layouts, and regional settings.
- Accessibility Settings: Things like text size, high contrast modes, or narrator settings.
- Other Windows Settings: This can include device settings (like printer setups or mouse speed), File Explorer choices (like how folders look), and your notification settings.
In short, it tries to make a new or reset computer feel like your old one, so you don’t have to set everything up again. If you share a PC or don’t want your passwords and settings stored with your account, turning this off is a reasonable choice.
How to Manage Sync Settings Using the Registry Editor
You can control sync for every account on the PC by changing a value in the Registry Editor. This is a policy-style setting, so it applies to the whole computer rather than one user.
Back up the registry first. In Registry Editor, you can use File Export to save a copy. Creating a restore point before you begin is also a good habit. If something goes wrong, you can import the saved file or roll back to the restore point.
Step 1Open the Registry Editor
These steps turn the Windows sync settings for apps and preferences on or off for every Microsoft account on the PC. The numbering carries through the sections below, so keep going from one section to the next. First, open the tool that lets you change registry settings.
- Press Win+R. The Run box opens in the lower-left corner of the screen.
- Type
regeditinto the Run box. Type it exactly as shown. - Press Enter, or click OK. Windows starts the registry tool and may show a permission prompt.
- Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. This needs administrator privileges. If you are signed in as a standard user, Windows asks for an administrator password instead.
The Registry Editor window should now be open, with a tree of keys on the left.
Step 2Go to the Right Registry Location
Next, go to the registry key that holds the sync policy. The key is under 🗝️HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
- Paste the key path into the address bar at the top of the window. Copy this path first:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Experience. You can also click through the folders (called keys) on the left until you reach it, but pasting is faster. - Press Enter. The tree on the left jumps to that key.
- Click the
Experiencefolder to select it.
The right side of the window now lists the values stored in that key.
Step 3Find or Create the ‘AllowSyncMySettings’ Value
Now look on the right side for a value named AllowSyncMySettings. It may not exist yet. If it doesn’t, you create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value with exactly that name. Steps 9 to 11 are only for the case where the value is missing.
- Look for AllowSyncMySettings in the right pane. If it is already there, skip to step 12.
- Right-click an empty spot on the right side. A small menu appears.
- Choose New DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new entry appears in the list with its name highlighted for editing.
- Name the new item exactly
AllowSyncMySettingsand press Enter. A misspelled name will do nothing, so check the spelling and capital letters. - Double-click the
AllowSyncMySettingsvalue. This works for an existing value and for the one you just made.
An Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value box should now appear, with fields for Value name, Value data and Base.
Step 4Set the Value
In the edit box, you set the value data to 1 to turn syncing on, or 0 to turn it off. Set Base to Hexadecimal before you save so Windows reads the number as intended. For 0 and 1 the result is the same in either base, but it is worth checking.
- Select Hexadecimal under Base. It is usually selected already, so just confirm it.
- Type your choice in the Value data box. To allow sync apps and preferences, type
1. To stop sync apps and preferences, type0. - Click OK. The box closes and the value appears in the right pane with your number next to it.
What the numbers mean: In the registry, 1 usually means “On” or “Allowed,” and 0 means “Off” or “Not Allowed.”
Step 5Close Registry Editor and Restart
- Close the Registry Editor. Click the X in the top-right corner of the window. Registry changes save as soon as you click OK, so there is no separate save step.
- Restart your computer. The change does not take effect until Windows starts again. After it restarts, your new sync settings will be active.
Since this is a computer-wide policy, the sync options in the Settings app may be locked or show a message that some settings are managed. That is expected. To undo the change, go back to the same value, set it to the opposite number, and restart again. If you created the value yourself, deleting it also removes the policy, after a restart.
References:
Summary
To enable or disable sync apps and preferences in Windows 11, set the AllowSyncMySettings value in the Registry Editor to 1 (on) or 0 (off), then restart your computer. Back up the registry first, and use an administrator account.
Frequently asked questions
If I have downloaded a wallpaper on my laptop from Microsoft store that has two accounts, will the account information be saved?
Windows keeps your Microsoft Store downloads tied to the Microsoft account you used to get them, not to the laptop itself. Each Windows user account on the laptop has its own settings and sign-in. If sync is on, your desktop background setting can also copy to other PCs signed in to the same Microsoft account.
How tor emove Microsoft sync?
Open Settings, go to Accounts, then Windows backup. Turn off Remember my preferences and Remember my apps. Turning sync off stops new settings from being saved, but copies already stored in your Microsoft account stay there until you delete them.
Can I enable syn on any later? just like that?
Yes, you can turn sync back on at any time. Go to Settings, then Accounts, then Windows backup, and switch on Remember my preferences or Remember my apps. Settings from earlier backups may return to the PC once sync is active again.
How to stop sync 🪟 Windows 11?
Open Settings, go to Accounts, then Windows backup. Switch off Remember my preferences and Remember my apps. Microsoft Edge has its own sync option, so you also need to turn that off in Edge's profile settings.
How to adjust sync settings for org explorer Microsoft?
File Explorer has no separate sync setting. Files sync through OneDrive, so manage them from the OneDrive icon in the taskbar, then open Settings and Sync and backup. Choose which folders sync, or pause syncing for a set time.
How do I sync my settings in 🪟 Windows 11?
Sign in with a personal Microsoft account first. Then open Settings, go to Accounts, and select Windows backup. Turn on Remember my preferences to sync settings such as language and mouse speed, and turn on Remember my apps to reinstall apps on new PCs.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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