Windows 8 In Depth

Synchronizing Your Settings Between Devices

You can run Windows 8 using either a local user account or a Microsoft account. Using the latter enables you to store data online, connect social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and access services such as the Windows Store for purchasing apps.

However, arguably the most useful feature of using a Microsoft account is that you can use it to synchronize your settings across multiple devices. If besides your Windows 8 desktop computer you also have a Windows 8 notebook, a Windows 8 tablet, and a Windows 8 phone, using the same Microsoft account on each device means you can synchronize data between them. You can sync customizations (such as the user account picture and screen backgrounds), system ...