Configure Sync Method

Policy ID
ConfigureSyncMethod
Scope
Computer Configuration, User Configuration
Supported on
At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
Source
Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 11 2026 Update (26H2) (version 1.0)
Category
Windows Components › Microsoft User Experience Virtualization

Description

This policy setting configures the sync provider used by User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) to sync settings between users’ computers. With Sync Method set to ”SyncProvider,” the UE-V Agent uses a built-in sync provider to keep user settings synchronized between the computer and the settings storage location. This is the default value. You can disable the sync provider on computers that never go offline and are always connected to the settings storage location.
When SyncMethod is set to “None,” the UE-V Agent uses no sync provider. Settings are written directly to the settings storage location rather than being cached to sync later.
Set SyncMethod to “External” when an external synchronization engine is being deployed for settings sync. This could use OneDrive, Work Folders, SharePoint or any other engine that uses a local folder to synchronize data between users’ computers. In this mode, UE-V writes settings data to the local folder specified in the settings storage path. These settings are then synchronized to other computers by an external synchronization engine. UE-V has no control over this synchronization. It only reads and writes the settings data when the normal UE-V triggers take place.
With notifications enabled, UE-V users receive a message when the settings sync is delayed. The notification delay policy setting defines the delay before a notification appears.
If you disable this policy setting, the sync provider is used to synchronize settings between computers and the settings storage location.
If you do not configure this policy setting, any defined values will be deleted.

Options

The empty box and the checked box tell the checkbox items of the Group Policy editor apart (a checked box is an item that is selected by default).

  • Sync Method:
    • SyncProvider
    • None
    • External
  • Enable notification
  • Notification delay (in seconds):

Registry

ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
  • SyncMethodREG_SZ
  • SettingsImportNotifyEnabledREG_DWORD
  • SettingsImportNotifyDelayInSecondsREG_DWORD
UserHKEY_CURRENT_USER
  • SyncMethodREG_SZ
  • SettingsImportNotifyEnabledREG_DWORD
  • SettingsImportNotifyDelayInSecondsREG_DWORD

Other policies in the same category

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