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Configure Synergy for multi-user support

Updated

Product: Synergy 1 (1.18 and above)
Operating system: Windows, macOS, and Linux

 

Note - this is a Synergy 1 Business feature

 

Steps

Synergy can be configured for use by multiple profiles on the same computer. For example, if three people share one desktop with their own logins, Synergy keeps the settings and works for each of them.

To set up Synergy for multi-user use:

  1. Install Synergy using an account with administrator privileges.
  2. Open Synergy as administrator.
  3. Open the "Preferences" window (Edit > Preferences).
  4. Under "Settings profile", change the option from "Current user" to "All users", as in the screenshot below.

  5. Click the save option.
  6. Exit Synergy and restart the computer.

After completing these steps, log in as a different user and open Synergy. The settings are kept for each additional user profile.

 

For Windows-specific deployments

With "All users" enabled, the settings are saved to an .ini file under the ProgramData folder:

C:\ProgramData\Synergy\Synergy.ini

By default, the permissions on C:\ProgramData\Synergy\ and the files in it are:

  • Administrators: full control (read and write).
  • Users: read-only, provided the folder was created by an administrator. If a standard user launched Synergy before C:\ProgramData\Synergy\ existed, Windows made that user the owner of the folder and they have full control of it, including Synergy.ini. Create the folder from an administrator account or your deployment tool before users first launch Synergy, and check it with this command: 
    icacls "C:\ProgramData\Synergy"

With the "All users" profile, only administrators can change settings. If end users need to change settings in Synergy themselves, add permissions to the C:\ProgramData\Synergy\ directory so that new files can be created there. This is needed because the core server configuration file is regenerated from Synergy.ini each time the server starts.

 

To lock individual settings, such as TLS or clipboard sharing, so that they cannot be changed from any profile, use the locked settings file. It is described in: Lock down Synergy settings so users cannot change them

Zero-touch deployment on Windows is covered in: Synergy Business Silent & Automated Deployment (Windows)

Should you need further help, please contact our business support team

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