Do not sync app settings
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Sync your settings Description
Prevent the "app settings" group from syncing to and from this PC. This turns off and disables the "app settings" group on the "sync your settings" page in PC settings. If you enable this policy setting, the "app settings" group will not be synced. Use the option "Allow users to turn app settings syncing on" so that syncing it turned off by default but not disabled. If you do not set or disable this setting, syncing of the "app settings" group is on by default and configurable by the user.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync Value name: DisableApplicationSettingSync
Enabled: DisableApplicationSettingSync = 2
Disabled: DisableApplicationSettingSync = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_SettingSync/DisableApplicationSettingSync Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Do not sync app settings
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync]
"DisableApplicationSettingSync"=dword:00000002
"DisableApplicationSettingSyncUserOverride"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not sync app settings
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSync' -Value 2 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSyncUserOverride' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_SettingSync/DisableApplicationSettingSync
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="CheckBox_UserOverride" value="0"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not sync app settings
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync' -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSync' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync' -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSyncUserOverride' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not sync app settings
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSync' -Value 2 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSyncUserOverride' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not sync app settings
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not sync app settings
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync' -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSync' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync' -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSyncUserOverride' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Do not sync app settings
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSync' -Value 2 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableApplicationSettingSyncUserOverride' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.