Microsoft is deprecating "Sync Your Settings" and other features in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Windows 10 Cloud Wallpaper
Windows 10 Cloud Wallpaper (Image credit: Microsoft)

Sync Your Settings, among other Windows 10 features are being deprecated or removed with the upcoming Fall Creators Update for PC. This is a standard procedure with each release of Windows 10, removing old features that are no longer used, or deprecating ones that Microsoft has plans to replace.

Today, Microsoft has provided a list of features it is planning to remove and deprecate with the launch of the Fall Creators Update, just as it did with the Creators Update. Among those features is "Sync Your Settings", a popular feature that allows users signed into a Microsoft account to sync settings across devices. That feature is being deprecated, with an updated system currently in the works to replace it.

The following features and functionalities in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update are either removed from the product in the current release ("Removed") or are not in active development and might be removed in future releases ("Deprecated"). This list is intended to help customers consider these removals and deprecations for their own planning. The list is subject to change and may not include every deprecated feature or functionality.

Here's the complete list of features that are being removed or deprecated in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update:

Deprecated Features

  • IIS 6 Management Compatibility
  • IIS Digest Authentication
  • Microsoft Paint
  • RSA/AES Encryption for IIS
  • Sync Your Settings
  • Screen saver functionality in Themes
  • System Image Backup (SIB) Solution
  • TLS RC4 Ciphers
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM): TPM.msc and TPM RemoteManagement
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Remote Management
  • Windows Hello for Business deployment that uses System Center Configuration Manager
  • Windows PowerShell 2.0

Removed Features

  • 3D Builder
  • Apndatabase.xml
  • Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET)
  • Outlook Express
  • Reader app
  • Reading List
  • Screen saver functionality in Themes
  • Syskey.exe
  • TCP Offload Engine
  • Tile Data Layer
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Owner Password Management

Notable features on this list include Microsoft Paint, Sync Your Settings, 3D Builder and more. 3D Builder will still be available from the Windows Store however, so if you still need to use that app, you can get it from there. It's unclear what will happen to Microsoft Paint now that it is being deprecated. Here's to hoping they don't end up removing it.

The deprecation of Sync Your Settings is happening because Microsoft is working on an updated backend that will be used across normal accounts and enterprise accounts. Microsoft says: "The current sync process is being deprecated. In a future release, the same cloud storage system for syncing settings will be used for both Enterprise State Roaming users and all other users. (Currently, these users use different cloud storage systems.)"

Microsoft Paint being deprecated is a likely result of Paint 3D. It appears Microsoft will be pushing Paint 3D as the default Paint app in Windows 10 starting with the Fall Creators Update, which depending how you feel about the Paint 3D app, may be good or bad news.

In fact, it's worth noting a lot of the features being removed are only being removed because they are now available in other apps. For example, capabilities from the Reader app are now available in Microsoft Edge with the Fall Creators Update, as are Reading Lists.

What are your thoughts on these features being deprecated or removed? Let us know in the comments!

Neowin (via MSPowerUser)

Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads