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To disable Windows 10 settings synchronization for the whole computer, edit the device policy at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSettingSync. Create a REG_DWORD named DisableSettingSync with data 2. If users must not be able to change the result, also create DisableSettingSyncUserOverride with data 1. The same key supports separate policies for app settings, passwords, desktop personalization, language preferences, other Windows settings, and syncing over metered networks.
Because this is a computer-level policy, back up the key first, confirm that your Windows 10 edition and build are covered by Microsoft’s policy reference, and check whether Group Policy or mobile-device management will overwrite a local edit.
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What does the Windows 10 SettingSync registry policy control?
The SettingSync policy determines whether Windows 10 transfers selected settings to and from the computer through the user’s Microsoft account. Microsoft describes the all-sync policy as Prevent syncing to and from this PC. The policy is stored under the local-machine hive, so it applies to the device rather than to one Windows user profile.
| Registry location | Value type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
HKLMSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSettingSync |
Registry key | Computer-scoped SettingSync policy container |
DisableSettingSync |
REG_DWORD |
Stops synchronization to and from the PC; Microsoft’s direct registry configuration uses data 2 |
DisableSettingSyncUserOverride |
REG_DWORD |
With data 1, prevents a user from overriding the all-sync policy |
A policy value that is enabled disables its named synchronization group. If a policy is not configured, that group remains enabled by default and the user can configure it in Windows settings. Deleting a value therefore returns that policy item to an unconfigured state; it does not create a new “partly enabled” mode.
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Which Windows 10 editions and builds are covered?
Check the applicability row for the exact policy value before deploying it. Microsoft’s ADMX SettingSync reference lists many entries for Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise on version 2004, 20H2, or 21H1 with KB5005101. The supported edition, release, and servicing requirement can differ by policy, so do not assume that a value documented for one row applies to every Windows 10 installation.
Why the build check matters
Registry Editor will let you create a value even when the corresponding administrative-template policy is not supported on that build. A value outside its documented applicability may be ignored, behave differently, or be replaced by a later management policy. Record the edition, feature-update version, and installed servicing updates before making a change, then compare them with the row for the policy you intend to use.
Windows 10 support status
Microsoft states that Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025. The operating system continues to run, but free Windows Update updates, technical assistance, and security fixes are no longer provided after that date. A registry policy can still change the behavior of an existing installation, but it does not extend the operating system’s support lifecycle.
How should I back up the SettingSync key before editing?
Export the existing policy key before creating, changing, or deleting values. A .reg export gives you a file that can be imported to restore the previous entries.
- Open Start, type
regedit.exe, press Enter, and approve the administrator prompt if Windows displays one. - In Registry Editor, browse to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSettingSync. If the final key is absent, select the nearest existing parent, such asWindows, and export that parent instead. - Choose File > Export. Select a known folder, enter a descriptive filename such as
SettingSync-before-change.reg, and save it. - Keep the export in a location you can access with administrator rights. Do not edit the backup file manually unless you understand which values it contains.
Microsoft also documents the reg export command for exporting a local key. For example, from an elevated Command Prompt you can run reg export "HKLMSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSettingSync" "C:BackupSettingSync-before-change.reg" /y after creating the destination folder. If the key does not yet exist, export its nearest existing parent or use the Registry Editor method.
How do I disable all Windows 10 settings sync with Regedit?
Use the all-sync value when no settings group should synchronize on the computer. The enforced combination is DisableSettingSync=2 plus DisableSettingSyncUserOverride=1.
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- Open
regedit.exeas an administrator. - Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows. - If there is no
SettingSynckey, right-clickWindows, choose New > Key, and name the new keySettingSync. - Select the
SettingSynckey, right-click the empty pane, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name itDisableSettingSync. The value is a 32-bit policy value even on 64-bit Windows. - Double-click
DisableSettingSync, enter2as the value data, and select OK. - Create another DWORD (32-bit) Value named
DisableSettingSyncUserOverride. Open it, enter1, and select OK. - Close Registry Editor. Open Windows Settings and inspect the Sync your settings area to confirm that synchronization is disabled and the switch is unavailable, as described by Microsoft’s policy reference.
Keep the spelling and capitalization of both value names exact. A value placed under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, under a different Windows key, or under a similarly named synchronization component will not implement this computer policy.
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How can I stop only passwords, apps, or personalization from syncing?
Use a group-specific policy when other synchronization categories should remain available. Create the relevant DWORD under the same SettingSync key and enable it according to the policy reference.
| DWORD value | Group affected | Microsoft-described effect |
|---|---|---|
DisableApplicationSettingSync |
App settings | Prevents the app settings group from syncing |
DisableAppSyncSettingSync |
Apps | Prevents the Apps group from syncing |
DisableCredentialsSettingSync |
Passwords and credentials | Prevents the passwords group from syncing |
DisableDesktopThemeSettingSync |
Desktop personalization | Prevents desktop personalization from syncing |
DisablePersonalizationSettingSync |
Personalization | Prevents the personalize group from syncing |
DisableLanguageSettingSync |
Language preferences and dictionary | Prevents language preferences and dictionary settings from syncing |
DisableWindowsSettingSync |
Other Windows settings | Prevents the Other Windows settings group from syncing |
DisableSyncOnPaidNetwork |
Paid or metered connections | Controls whether synchronization runs on paid or metered networks |
Creating a selective policy
- Back up the key as described above.
- Open
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSettingSync. - Create a new
REG_DWORDwhose name exactly matches the group you want to control. - Enter the data specified by the applicable Microsoft policy row, then close Registry Editor.
- Verify the affected category in Windows Settings. Leave unrelated values absent so their groups remain governed by their own policy state.
The group names are not interchangeable. For example, the app-settings value and the Apps value represent separate policy groups; creating one does not automatically disable the other. Likewise, disabling desktop theme synchronization is distinct from disabling the broader personalization group.
What is the difference between disabling sync and blocking a user override?
DisableSettingSync=2 is the all-sync disable instruction. DisableSettingSyncUserOverride=1 adds enforcement so a user cannot turn the all-sync setting back on through the Windows interface.
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If you want an administrator-enforced block, configure both values together. If you omit the override value, the all-sync policy may not provide the same protection against a user changing the setting, depending on the management configuration and policy processing on that device. For a group-specific policy, use the corresponding group value; do not substitute the user-override value, which is associated with the all-sync control.
How do I verify that the registry change worked?
Verification should check both the registry data and the user-facing policy result.
- Reopen the
SettingSynckey and confirm that each value is aREG_DWORDwith the intended data. Check the path in the address bar rather than relying on a similarly named key. - Open Windows Settings and locate the Sync your settings page under the account and synchronization settings. The all-sync policy is expected to turn off and disable that switch; a group policy should disable its named group.
- If the expected switch remains available, check whether the policy value was created under the wrong hive, whether the name contains a typo, or whether the selected Windows edition and build support that policy row.
- On a managed device, determine which layer is authoritative. Group Policy or mobile-device management can write the same policy path and may replace a local value during the next policy refresh.
Registry Editor does not provide a separate “apply” button for a DWORD. The useful test is whether Windows reports the corresponding policy as disabled, not whether the value appears immediately after you close the editor.
How do I undo the registry setting?
Use the export when you need to return the key to its previous state, or remove only the values you added.
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Restore the exported file
- Open Registry Editor as an administrator.
- Select File > Import, choose the saved
.regfile, and confirm the merge. - Recheck the
SettingSynckey and the Sync your settings page after the import.
Return a policy to unconfigured
- In
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSettingSync, right-click the policy value you added. - Choose Delete and confirm. Delete only the values you intend to remove; unrelated policies may be managed in the same key.
- Close Registry Editor and verify that the corresponding group is no longer disabled by this local policy.
Removing a value does not guarantee that synchronization immediately resumes if another management system still applies a policy. In that case, the central Group Policy or MDM configuration must also be changed.
What should I do if the policy has no effect?
Most failures come from scope, spelling, applicability, or policy conflicts rather than from the DWORD data itself.
The key is in the wrong hive
The documented path begins with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. A value under HKEY_CURRENT_USER is a per-user registry entry and is not the SettingSync computer policy described here. Move the value to the machine path, using administrator rights, and test again.
The value name or type is wrong
Windows policy processing expects the exact names in the policy reference and a REG_DWORD type. A similarly named string value, a misspelled suffix, or a value placed one level above or below SettingSync can be ignored. Delete the incorrect entry and recreate it with the exact documented name.
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The Windows build is outside the policy row
Compare the installed edition and feature-update version with the applicability information for that value. The documented rows include Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise combinations around versions 2004, 20H2, and 21H1 with KB5005101, but not every value necessarily has identical coverage. An unsupported combination should be treated as unconfirmed rather than forced into production.
Group Policy or MDM is overwriting the local edit
On a managed computer, inspect the organization’s policy configuration before repeatedly editing the registry. A centrally delivered policy can restore a different value after a refresh, making a local change appear unreliable. Change the authoritative policy, then use Registry Editor only to verify the resulting value.
The wrong synchronization group was selected
The table contains separate controls for app settings, Apps, credentials, desktop themes, personalization, language, other Windows settings, and paid-network behavior. Disabling one group leaves the others available unless you configure their values too. Review the exact group named in the Windows interface and match it to the corresponding DWORD.
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Should I use Registry Editor, Group Policy, or MDM?
All three approaches can represent the SettingSync policy, but they differ in administration and rollback.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registry Editor | All sync or selected groups, depending on the values created | Can enforce the all-sync block when the override value is also configured | Local computer policy at HKLM |
Check edition, version, and servicing applicability; restore an exported .reg file or delete added values |
| Group Policy | Uses the administrative-template policy choices for the supported groups | Policy settings are centrally administered | Computer Configuration, commonly applied to managed Windows devices | Central policy is authoritative; rollback means changing the policy to not configured or restoring the prior policy |
| Mobile-device management | Can deliver the organization’s supported SettingSync policy configuration | Organization controls the setting and refresh behavior | Cloud or enterprise management service | Verify the policy’s Windows applicability and remove or revise it in the management service |
For a one-time local change, Registry Editor is direct and transparent. For multiple devices, central policy management avoids configuration drift and explains why a manually edited value may later change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is this policy the same as User Experience Virtualization?
No. SettingSync and User Experience Virtualization are separate Windows policy areas with different paths and synchronization semantics. The SettingSync values in this guide belong under SoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSettingSync; UE-V uses a separate path, SoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftUEVAgentConfiguration. Do not place one product’s values in the other product’s key.
What happens to existing synchronized settings?
The documented policy behavior is to prevent synchronization to and from the PC and to disable the applicable switch or group. It does not describe a separate command for deleting settings already stored elsewhere. If your requirement includes removing previously synchronized account data, treat that as a separate account or service-management task rather than assuming that changing the registry value erases it.
FAQ
Can I apply the SettingSync registry policy to only one Windows account?
The documented registry mapping is under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and corresponds to Computer Configuration, so it is device-scoped. A per-user preference is not represented by the policy path covered here; use the supported user-management method for your environment if account-level behavior is required.
Does setting DisableSyncOnPaidNetwork disable every kind of synchronization?
No. That value addresses whether sync runs on paid or metered networks. It is a network-condition control, whereas DisableSettingSync is the all-sync policy.
Can I use these exact values on Windows 11?
This procedure is written for Windows 10 and relies on the Windows 10 applicability rows in Microsoft’s SettingSync reference. Do not assume that an identical value has identical support on another operating system; check the policy documentation for that platform and build before deployment.
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Why is the Sync your settings switch still visible after I set the value?
First confirm the machine-level path, value type, and spelling, then compare the device’s edition and feature-update version with the policy’s applicability row. If those are correct, check whether Group Policy or MDM is writing a competing configuration, because a central policy can supersede a local Registry Editor change.
What is the safest way to test a selective policy?
Export the key, add one group-specific DWORD, and verify only that group in Windows Settings before adding additional values. Keeping one change per test makes it possible to identify an incorrect mapping and restore the prior state from the export.
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Can I apply the SettingSync registry policy to only one Windows account?
The documented registry mapping is under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and corresponds to Computer Configuration, so it is device-scoped. A per-user preference is not represented by the policy path covered here; use the supported user-management method for your environment if account-level behavior is required.
Does setting DisableSyncOnPaidNetwork disable every kind of synchronization?
No. That value addresses whether sync runs on paid or metered networks. It is a network-condition control, whereas DisableSettingSync is the all-sync policy.
Can I use these exact values on Windows 11?
This procedure is written for Windows 10 and relies on the Windows 10 applicability rows in Microsoft’s SettingSync reference. Do not assume that an identical value has identical support on another operating system; check the policy documentation for that platform and build before deployment.
Why is the Sync your settings switch still visible after I set the value?
First confirm the machine-level path, value type, and spelling, then compare the device’s edition and feature-update version with the policy’s applicability row. If those are correct, check whether Group Policy or MDM is writing a competing configuration, because a central policy can supersede a local Registry Editor change.
What is the safest way to test a selective policy?
Export the key, add one group-specific DWORD, and verify only that group in Windows Settings before adding additional values. Keeping one change per test makes it possible to identify an incorrect mapping and restore the prior state from the export.
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