Configure Sync Method
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft User Experience Virtualization User Configuration\Administrative Templates\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.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_UserExperienceVirtualization/ConfigureSyncMethod ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_UserExperienceVirtualization/ConfigureSyncMethod 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. ⓘ
Applying both scopes creates an ambiguous configuration (computer takes precedence over user). Only do this intentionally.
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Configure Sync Method
; State: Enabled
; Scope: Computer (HKLM)
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration]
"SyncMethod"="SyncProvider"
"SettingsImportNotifyEnabled"=dword:00000001
"SettingsImportNotifyDelayInSeconds"=dword:0000000aMore formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Sync Method
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SyncMethod' -Value 'SyncProvider' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyEnabled' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyDelayInSeconds' -Value 10 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_UserExperienceVirtualization/ConfigureSyncMethod
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="SyncMethodConfiguration_list" value="SyncProvider"/>
<data id="SettingsImportNotification_Enable" value="1"/>
<data id="SettingsImportNotification_Delay" value="10"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Sync Method
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration' -Name 'SyncMethod' -Expected 'SyncProvider' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration' -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyEnabled' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration' -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyDelayInSeconds' -Expected 10 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Sync Method
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SyncMethod' -Value 'SyncProvider' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyEnabled' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyDelayInSeconds' -Value 10 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Sync Method
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
# 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: Configure Sync Method
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration' -Name 'SyncMethod' -Expected 'SyncProvider' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration' -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyEnabled' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration' -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyDelayInSeconds' -Expected 10 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Sync Method
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\UEV\Agent\Configuration'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SyncMethod' -Value 'SyncProvider' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyEnabled' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SettingsImportNotifyDelayInSeconds' -Value 10 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.