New Surface Laptop 7 Setup

I got a new Surface Laptop 7 13.8". Out of the box I did a new setup and chose to import settings from my other computer also on Windows 11. It automatically turned on the backup of desktop, documents, and another folder to Onedrive. I do not use Onedrive and use Dropbox. So I decided to uninstall Onedrive but these folders were still inside of Onedrive folder. I could not figure out how to get these folders not in onedrive and instead created a new profile account with another MS account I have, I then deleted the first profile account, and then added that profile back and set up the profile again.

I assume there is a better way to do it but did this already. any downside or will this profile function the same? I do not think there is a need to try and reset the pc to try and start out of the box all over again.

On setting up the new profile on first login, it is different than the intiial setup. it does not ask if you want to restore from another computer. There is an option to backup files to onedrive on save on this pc. I chose save on this pc.

Is there a way to restore settings and not include folders? These folders are not backed up on my other PC. There PC is a Dell Precision 7560 so I figured restoring the settings woudl be easiest.

Thanks,

Mike

Hello Mike,

Unfortunately, Microsoft no longer asks if you want to back up these folders to OneDrive when you sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account. It just automatically does now.

Usually, you would want to turn off backing up these folders to OneDrive before uninstalling OneDrive to avoid that.

thanks. some more questions.

1. is it worth resetting the machine and trying to start all over or it would not really be much different than where I am at now by creating a new profile account? Mike 1 was primary MS account. I added Mike 2 second MS account and then used that to delete Mike 1. I then created Mike 1 again.
2. is restoring settings only that much of a help? Even with restoring settings before, my desktop image did not restore. The taskbar was to the left like the old machine so that setting did restore. I need to change that on this new profile where I did not do a restore
3. On setting up a new profile, should it ask to restore or is that only with the new pc setup?

I have not done anything else yet on the new machine and planned on going through and compare on older and new machine the privacy settings, taskbar settings and maybe some others to get it the same. Note the old machine is still primary. I just got the surface as a more mobile when I go places.

Q1) This shouldn't require a clean install to fix.

Q2) I find it really only helpful for the same device. Otherwise, you can just let most settings sync via the Microsoft account as usual.

Q3) Correct. You're only asked if you wanted to restore a device's settings during Windows Setup.

thanks again. I will just stick with the new profile I created.

It does not look like any settings are synching from my other PC. But I also am not using Onedrive. is there a setting to sych? Under windows Backup, I see Appl list and Preferences Backed up. OneDrive not synching since not turned on on either machine.

If you mean sync for your Microsoft account, then:

thanks. I have both of these on. I see some (not all) the wifi networks did sync. Printers did not sync. Desktop background did not sync. I already made changes to touchpad so not sure if that would have synched.

It'll need to be turned on for each device you want to sync with. Settings may take a bit to sync though.

Anything that doesn't sync will of course need to be manually changed.

thanks. It has been on, on the other PC since setting it up. Now on this new one.

Should the desktop image synchronize?

Personalization settings are supposed to be included, but I noticed they don't always sync everything.

so out of curiosity. I deleted that profile again. I went online and removed the device from my MS account. I added that profile and logged in. Again chose to save to pc and not OneDrive. This time OneDrive was running and linked but it was not backup up desktop and documents (which is what I wanted). Backup and Sync is on for App List and Preferences. Task Bar is still the fefault in the center where other machine is left. Touch pad settings are the default. Some but not all wifi networks synched.

After around 20 minutes, under settings / Accounts / Windows Backups it shows Onedrive "synching" where as the taskbar shows it is done. App List and Preference shows backed up. Still did not move the task bar to the left or change the touch pad settings or the desktop background. maybe with the surfaces they prevent it?

Not all settings will be synced. Most are device specific.

thanks. I read the articles on uninstalling and disabling one drive. is there any advantage to disable instead of uninstalling? I use Dropbox so really do not use OneDrive now.

rinconmike said:

thanks. I read the articles on uninstalling and disabling one drive. is there any advantage to disable instead of uninstalling? I use Dropbox so really do not use OneDrive now.

Click to expand...

Uninstalling OneDrive alone may not kill it if something like an update should reinstall it.

Disabling OneDrive by policy should normally keep it disabled.