What does Enterprise State Roaming sync?

Question

I have Enterprise State Roaming turned on for my account. I can verify it works by changing the mouse from Left to Right and seeing that change sync to a second computer I am logged into within a minute or so.

My Question is what settings does ESR Sync? When I read the articles about ESR, they say go to Settings->Accounts->Sync your Settings (That doesn't Exist)...

My end goal is to sync as much as is reasonable so users can move around without too much reconfiguration.

I would like to have a user log into a new computer and have Outlook already setup, OneDrive already logged in etc.. Maybe even desktop already synced (icons and their location and background).

Am I barking up the wrong tree or is this possible?

J

Answer 1

Hello @JuJuBee

Based on the provided documentation, Enterprise State Roaming (ESR) syncs various settings across Windows devices to provide users with a unified experience. ESR syncs settings such as Date, Time, Region, Language, Keyboard preferences, Mouse settings, Pen preferences, Touchpad settings, Voice Access settings, Voice Typing settings, and Wi-Fi profiles. These settings can be configured to sync across Windows 10 (21H1 or newer) and Windows 11 (22H2 or newer) devices.

Notably, ESR does NOT sync:

Desktop wallpaper, icons, or their layout

Desktop backgrounds or themes

Application-specific settings (like Outlook or OneDrive sign-in state)

Files or folders.

enterprise-state-roaming-windows-settings-reference

ESR does not sync application sign-ins or configurations like Outlook, OneDrive, and other apps will not be automatically set up or logged in when a user signs into a new device with ESR. It is not designed to provide a "zero-touch" experience where all apps and desktop customizations follow the user. Its focus is on basic OS and input settings, not full user environment migration.

ESR does provide some value for basic settings sync, but it will not deliver the seamless, fully personalized experience you described.