Windows 10: Syncing devices and files

Recently it has looked as if the syncing of devices and files has stopped working. For example my renewed Windows password on my PC is rejected by my Windows phone, notifications such at the phone battery status have not appeared, and file updates to my Android devices have not arrived. Yet in Settings I have everything switched to 'ON'.

I have just discovered the Syncing Centre, which not only shows no syncing partnerships, it also will not allow me to create any. Why? This is all new territory for me and various online articles have not been very enlightening. How do I get the full syncing services operating?

:)

 

Syncing 2 devices

What exactly are you wanting to sync?

 

Syncing 2 devices

I have an 8.1 tablet and a 10 laptop, trying to sync them---how do I do that

 

Hi clayto.

Not exactly sure how you have this configure.

To sign into Windows on your PC do you use a Windows account (looks like an email address) or are you signing in with a local account, usually just your name or some other description like "Office"?


Ken

 

Hello

I sign in with a Windows account, using my Outlook email address and a password used for all my MS Windows apps including One Drive etc.

 

Okay. On your Android device did you update your password. I would think it would give you a message that password wasn't correct since you updated your MS account but maybe not. If you head to the Accounts within settings.

As to Windows phone, do you sign into this phone with your MS account?

I would think it also has to go through some sort of account update process.

 

I sign in to my phone with a PIN CODE, the same as I used to use on my PC but a while ago the PIN option ceased to work so I use my Windows PASSWORD. Recently for some reason I was asked to confirm with my password and it was then that I found my updated password was not accepted on my phone. I don't know how to invoke a password request. If I did I would check whether my current password is accepted on my phone. I use the PIN to access my Android tablet too, and only use my Windows password online for specific apps such as Outlook, OneDrive. It occurs to me that maybe things are not synced to the Android anyway but are simply available on the WWW. I will need to check it out.

What I mainly want to sort out is why my Sync Centre does not do what it should, why does it say I cannot create Partnerships 'on this machine' and why does the 'Manage offline files' link not responding at all? It was suggested that I set up another profile to test if the Centre is kaput in that account too --- it is. Surely if the Centre is doing what it there for it is likely that problems with syncing can be dealt with there?

 

For sure on Android you will have to enter new password. Android is not aprt of the MS ecosystem.

I don't have a Windows phone but I know there are specific forums for same. I would search your model and the word forum.


Ken

 

I have not found a relevant Windows phone forum, but anyway it would not relate to my key issue: how to get the Sync Centre to work on my PC.

 

What phone do you have please?

 

Lumia 435

There are phone forums but I have not found any which discuss the issues I have.

 

Forum

Microsoft Lumia 435

 

I use Windows Central (and Android Central) but I had not come across the Lumia 435 sub Forum. It looks like it may be interesting, so thanks. I have not had to use forums for my phone because unlike both my PC and Android Tablet I have hardly any problems at all with the phone, in two years of use (after sorting out a few issues at the start). The Lumia 435 is the bottom of the range, Windows phone fans never mention it --- yet for me it could not be much better. Unlike some higher range models it has accepted all the feature updates, except Creators, the most recent; and it had a low price which I fear will not be the case when I finally have to replace it.

I will post a question on the 435 Forum in case someone can throw light on my syncing issue but I am fairly confident it is a fault with my PC, not my phone, and in particular the PC's none functioning SyncCentre.

 

Good luck. Post back when you get it solved.

Ken

 

Hello clayto. The Sync Center doesn't have any thing to do with the Microsoft account and syncing onedrive files, passwords, etc.

It also only works on Windows 10 Pro (as far as I know). I'm not even sure why it is even accessible in the "home" version of Win10. There may be some type of sync partnership that was/is available to it (home versions), but I don't know what it is and I have only used it on my Win10 Pro Laptop to make network shares available to me while I am out and about and away from my LAN network

The way it functions (on Win10 Pro) is to give you the ability to use network LAN shares "offline" (for instance on a laptop you take with you out of the home or office) You right click on a Network share in File explorer and there will be an option in the context menu for "always available offline". Once the sync is complete, and you are away from your LAN network, you will have all the files that reside in that share cached to you device. Any changes you make to any of the files while you are offline will be synced back to the Network share once you are back on your LAN.

For my machines with only the home version of Win10, I use a program from Microsoft called SyncToy to essentially accomplish the same thing as I do in Win10Pro with offline files.

As to what may be causing your password and other sync issues with you Microsoft account, I don't unfortunately have an answer on that... but Sync Center/Offline files isn't the answer.