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I'm no longer sure that "GuestOnly" is really the registry key I need to change to prevent file syncing between a handheld device and the PC to which it is connected.

If I open ActiveStync's "Windows Mobile Device Center", select "Mobile Device Settings" then "Change content sync settings" and check or uncheck "Files - Sync Settings", it does not alter the value of the "GuestOnly" registry key in "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows CE Services"

The "GuestOnly" value remains 0x00000000 (0) no matter whether I check or uncheck "Files - Sync Settings" (I do mash F5 to refresh the display in regedit).

So is there some other registry key that corresponds to toggling "Files - Sync Settings", or have all my travails to set this value been to no avail? There must be some registry key that's getting set...

B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven
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    Defining GuestOnly is something hidden from the GUI. The sync settings are for paired devices only, with GuestOnly we do not have a pairing. To wtach for reg changes use snapshots or regmon (http://www.thewindowsclub.com/monitor-changes-in-the-windows-7-registry) – josef Jan 23 '15 at 05:24
  • All down but nine, pard; set 'em up on the other alley. Do you mean that changing the GuestOnly registry entry does not turn off file syncing? That's all I want to do - turn off file syncing (programmatically). – B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven Jan 23 '15 at 16:03
  • That link seems to be specific to Windows 7 and 8; this is a Windows CE (Windows 0.4 or so) situation. – B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven Jan 23 '15 at 16:11
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    You need to watch the registry on your PC, as ActiveSync (AS) and the GuestOnly setting is on your PC and not on the device! The GuestOnly setting is a hack and not available via the PCs AS GUI. It should be set BEFORE you connect a device and then AS will NOT ask for a partnership and special sync settings for this device. If GuestOnly is not set and you connect a device you will normally setup a Partnership or not (a GUEST connection). The sync settings in AS are independent of that. If I would not have set GuestOnly I would have 15 or more partnerships at my development PC. Read&understand – josef Jan 23 '15 at 21:36
  • Are you sure about that? When I run my registry updating code to set GuestOnly to "1", it tells me it works (I had a MessageBox.Show() in there) - it changes the val from 0 to 1. Yet on my PC it remains "0"; so I think it IS the registry on the device that's being updated, not the PC. – B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven Jan 23 '15 at 21:52
  • So you say the Sync Settings are independent of GuestOnly mode; that's what I really want to programmatically control: the sync settings. I want to set them to "do not sync." Is that not possible? – B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven Jan 23 '15 at 21:58

1 Answers1

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The GuestOnly registry setting is for supressing the Setup Partnership Wizard that will come up for newly connected Windows CE based devices. If set, there will be no PartnerShip Wizard, if not set, the Partnership Wizard comes up.

This setting is not to enable/disable any syncing options in ActiveSync/WMDC.

If you like to find the registry settings or file changes when changing sync options of a device you have to use either a snapshot or monitor approach.

josef
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