Windows 8 to Sync user settings and apps

Since the Microsoft Build event the other week features have been coming out of the woodwork about some of the new capabilities of Windows 8.  One of the key capabilities is the ability to allow Windows 8 users the option to log onto their devices with their Windows Live ID.  The benefits of which are below.

Microsoft revealed at the Build conference that users will be allowed to sign into their Windows 8 PCs using a Windows Live ID, this is only an option and not compulsory.  Some of the key features stated by Microsoft in doing this are as follows:

• Associate the most commonly used Windows settings with your user account. Saved settings are available when you sign in to your account on any Windows 8 PC.
• Reacquire your Metro style apps on multiple Windows 8 PCs. (”The app’s settings and last-used state persist across all your Windows 8 PCs.”)
• Save sign-in credentials for the different apps and websites you use and easily get back into them without having to enter credentials every time.
• Automatically sign in to apps and services that use Windows Live ID for authentication

The Windows 8 control panel has a section called Sync PC Settings to enable of disable this capability.  This can be dictated by users or administrators through GPO.  The configuration allows for variable settings to be synced such as Personalisation, Themes, Ease of access, Language preferences, Apps, Web browser and Some passwords.

The syncrhonised settings data is stored in the Microsoft cloud separately from users’ other Windows Live data.

Microsoft said on their blog “Using the new Restore/Refresh tools, it is possible to easily create an image that has your preferred desktop apps installed, and then use that as a refresh point.  If you do want to roam your settings for desktop apps then you can continue to use the mechanisms available for roaming profiles and client side caching of files available with Active Directory and Windows Server.”

Should make the transition between tablets and desktop a lot smoother allowing for personalisation of the user profile is a key concept that businesses consider when transforming to Windows 7 or virtualising the desktop.  We think that this is a shrewd move by Microsoft to close the gap between desktop and tablet.