Microsoft's OneDrive platform can sync settings across multiple devices

If you use more than one desktop, laptop or tablet running Windows 8.1 then you can use Microsoft's OneDrive platform to sync some settings across all of these devices — from the background wallpaper to the passwords stored in your browser.

Here's how to configure: In the midst of trying to force a colourful, blocky Start screen interface on its users, Microsoft also used the opportunity of Windows 8/8.1 to more tightly integrate its OneDrive service. This extends to the accounts you set up within Windows as well as the files that are synchronised between your desktop and the cloud.

Choose to add a new user account on a Windows 8/8.1 machine and you'll be pushed towards making it a Microsoft one, linked to an Outlook. com email address. This same Microsoft identity also signs you into OneDrive and can be used to sync settings over all the devices you access.

Syncing with OneDrive

The default behaviour for Windows and OneDrive is now to sync all of your settings and let you disable the ones you don't want to use rather than the other way around. Click the Settings, choose Change PC settings and follow the OneDrive link.

Open up the Sync settings screen to get the relevant dashboard. There are plenty of options to play around with here, covering desktop personalisation (Start screen layout), Windows Store apps and the associated settings and even the way you've set up File Explorer and the mouse.

Switching off settings

As handy as this syncing setup is, perhaps you don't want photos of your kids as a backdrop whi le you're at work. Switching off syncing options is as easy as toggling the switch next to the setting you want to disable. If you'd rather switch them all off at once, click the Sync Your Settings on this PC option so it reads Off.