Windows 10: Syncing two computers but I want one computer's settings to overwrite the other's

Discus and support Syncing two computers but I want one computer's settings to overwrite the other's in Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade to solve the problem; Hi, I have a surface pro 4 which is my primary computer for work and personal stuff. I need to send it back to Microsoft for replacement (for the... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade' started by Jane Clark (jane), Aug 12, 2019.

  1. Syncing two computers but I want one computer's settings to overwrite the other's


    Hi,


    I have a surface pro 4 which is my primary computer for work and personal stuff. I need to send it back to Microsoft for replacement (for the screen flicker issue) so I need to go back to using our old laptop while my Surface is in transit. My husband has been using our old laptop and couldn't get his microsoft signin to work so has been using it logged in as me. He has installed various apps and made goodness knows what other changes. I've never had "sync your settings" turned on on either machine. But now that I have to send away my Surface, I have turned on Sync my Settings on the Surface and backed up everything to OneDrive or Dropbox.


    I want to be able to sign into my old laptop and have the synced settings from my Surface to overwrite everything on my old laptop. I definitely don't want anything from my old laptop's current settings being synced onto my backup up Surface settings.


    Is this possible to do?


    A related question also: my old laptop has a PIN set up to sign into my MS account. It works on the old laptop but not on my Surface (where I use Windows Hello most of the time anyway). My MS password works on either device. How is it possible that the PIN works on one but not the other?


    Both computers are running Windows 10.


    Thanks, help very much appreciated. I have become quite confused and I'm scared to try anything and risk stuffing up all the settings I need.




    Moved from: My account, billing and sign-in / Windows 10 / Office 365 Home

    :)
     
    Jane Clark (jane), Aug 12, 2019
    #1
  2. Mystere Win User

    Sync - Which computer controls the settings?


    Think of "syncing" as a backup of *some* of your settings. Whenever you make a change on any computer, it stores that change in your OneDrive account. The next time any other computer that uses that Account looks at those settings, it pulls them down overwrites whatever settings they have on that computer.

    Syncing does not apply to everything, only a small list of features. It doesn't apply to third party apps, however, you should understand that there are no additional licenses involved with installing the same app on multiple devices. The store allows you to install an app on up to 81 devices without a new license. At least this is what it was for Windows 8.1 and I don't see them changing this, unless it's to raise it even higher.

    Microsoft Dramatically Raises Limit on Windows 8.x/RT App Installs | Windows 8 content from SuperSite for Windows
     
    Mystere, Aug 12, 2019
    #2
  3. Mystere Win User
    Sync - Which computer controls the settings?


    No. When you set a computer to sync, it syncs whatever was the last settings stored in your onedrive account. So the new computer gets the synced settings, not the other way around. If you make a change, however, after you have synced, then those settings will be sent to every other computer that is already syncing.

    Please remove from your mind the idea that sync syncs between computers. It'd doesn't It syncs only with whatever is stored in OneDrive. Any other computers also sync with onedrive, so whatever is last stored there wins.
     
    Mystere, Aug 12, 2019
    #3
  4. Syncing two computers but I want one computer's settings to overwrite the other's

    Sync - Which computer controls the settings?


    Thank-you, I think I have got it now!

    One lingering question: As an example, let us start with five computers, all with similar settings but each with some differences. Should I understand that first one is set to sync. Next a second is set to sync and the first unit's settings that are part of this process is set in accordance with the second computer's settings. Next the third computer is set to sync (sync is turned on), so computers number one and two now are set to the third computer's configuration, and so on when the fourth and fifth computers have each, in turn, sync engaged?
     
    brucemc777, Aug 12, 2019
    #4
Thema:

Syncing two computers but I want one computer's settings to overwrite the other's

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