To disable user account sync in Windows 10 and 11, open the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync, create a DWORD value named DisableSettingSync, and set it to 2. This applies the change as a system policy, which is more reliable than using the Settings app toggle — and it prevents Windows from re-enabling sync after updates.
Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: May 27, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The registry method applies a policy-level change — it takes priority over the Settings app toggle and is more resistant to being reversed by Windows updates
- The key you need is under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync — this key may not exist by default and will need to be created
- Set DisableSettingSync to 2 to fully disable sync; set it back to 0 (or delete the value) to re-enable it
- Disabling sync does not affect your Microsoft account login — you can still sign in to Windows and use Microsoft services normally
- You can also disable sync through Winhance — my free Windows optimization tool handles this and dozens of other privacy tweaks through a clean interface, no registry editing required
Quick Steps
- Press Windows + R, type
regedit, and press Enter - Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync(create the SettingSync key if it doesn’t exist) - Right-click in the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
- Name it
DisableSettingSyncand press Enter - Double-click the value, set the value data to
2, and click OK - Close Registry Editor and restart your PC
What Does User Account Sync Actually Do?
When you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account, Windows automatically syncs a collection of your settings across all your devices. This includes your theme and wallpaper, saved passwords, language preferences, ease of access settings, and some app settings. The idea is that you sit down at any Windows PC signed into your Microsoft account and it feels like your machine.
That’s convenient in theory, but it’s not always what you want. If you’re on a shared device, a work computer, or you simply want your settings to stay separate on each machine, having Windows silently syncing things in the background is more of an annoyance than a feature. There’s also a privacy angle here — your settings and preferences are being stored in Microsoft’s cloud.
I’ve covered the broader trade-offs of using a Microsoft account in my post comparing Windows local accounts vs Microsoft accounts. Sync is one of the things that kicks in automatically when you sign in with a Microsoft account, and most people don’t even realize it’s happening.
Why Use the Registry Instead of the Settings App?
Windows does have a settings page for this at Settings > Accounts > Windows backup, where you can toggle sync options off individually. But the registry method is better for a permanent fix — it writes the change under the Policies section of the registry, which is where Windows stores group policy-type settings.
Changes made there take priority over what’s set in the regular Settings app. The sync toggle in Settings will be greyed out after you apply this, and Windows updates are far less likely to overwrite a policy-level setting than a regular user preference. If you want this gone for good, the registry is the way to do it.
How to Disable User Account Sync via Registry Editor
Step 1: Open Registry Editor
Press Windows + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog. Type regedit and press Enter. If a UAC prompt appears asking whether to allow changes, click Yes to continue.
Step 2: Navigate to the SettingSync Key
Navigate to the following path. The fastest way is to click in the address bar at the top of Registry Editor, paste the path, and press Enter:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSyncIf the SettingSync key doesn’t already exist, you’ll need to create it. Right-click on the Windows folder in the left pane, select New > Key, and name it SettingSync.
Step 3: Create the DisableSettingSync Value
Inside the SettingSync key, right-click on the empty space in the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it DisableSettingSync and press Enter.
Step 4: Set the Value to 2
Double-click the DisableSettingSync value you just created. Change the value data to 2 and click OK. The value of 2 is what disables sync at the policy level — it’s not 0 (off) or 1 (on) like most DWORD toggles. Using 2 here is the correct and documented value for this specific key.
Step 5: Restart Your PC
Close Registry Editor and restart your computer. After the reboot, user account sync will be fully disabled. If you check Settings > Accounts > Windows backup, the sync options will be greyed out — confirmation that the policy is active.
One-Line Command Alternative
If you’d rather skip the manual registry steps, you can apply the same change with a single command. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator and run:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync" /v DisableSettingSync /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /fThis creates the SettingSync key if it doesn’t exist, adds the DisableSettingSync value, and sets it to 2 — all in one step. The /f flag forces the change without a confirmation prompt. Restart your PC after running it.
How to Re-Enable Account Sync
To turn sync back on, open Registry Editor and navigate back to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync. Either delete the DisableSettingSync value entirely, or double-click it and change the value data back to 0. Restart your PC and sync will be active again.
You can also undo this with a single command in an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell:
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SettingSync" /v DisableSettingSync /fWant to Skip the Registry Entirely?
If you find yourself making a lot of these kinds of tweaks to get Windows behaving the way you want, check out Winhance — a free, open-source Windows Enhancement Utility I built. It lets you apply privacy settings, disable sync, turn off telemetry, and dozens of other system tweaks through a clean interface without ever opening Registry Editor.
For more Windows privacy tweaks via the registry, I also have guides on how to disable location services, disable Windows telemetry, and disable the advertising ID — all using the same registry policy approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disabling account sync affect my Microsoft account login?
No. You can still sign into Windows with your Microsoft account as normal. Disabling sync only stops Windows from pushing your settings to the cloud and syncing them from other devices. Your Microsoft account login, OneDrive, and all other Microsoft services continue to work as they did before.
Will Windows updates turn sync back on after I disable it?
This method writes the change to the Policies section of the registry, which behaves like a group policy setting. That makes it much more resistant to being overwritten by Windows updates than a toggle in the Settings app. I’ve used this approach on systems running 22H2 through 25H2 and it holds through updates reliably.
Does this work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Yes, the registry path and steps are identical on both Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2). The SettingSync key location hasn’t changed between versions.
What settings does Windows sync by default?
By default, Windows syncs your theme and wallpaper, saved passwords, language preferences, ease of access settings, and other Windows preferences across all devices signed in with the same Microsoft account. Some apps also hook into this to sync their own settings automatically.
Can I disable only certain sync settings instead of all of them?
Yes. Through the Settings app you can go to Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Remember my preferences and toggle individual sync categories on or off — themes, passwords, language, and so on. The registry method we used here disables everything at once at the policy level, which is more thorough if you want it all gone.
