Resetting Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 and finding their settings files

Written for Synergy 3 (v3.8.4) and Synergy 1 (v1.22.3), checked 20 October 2026.

To put Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 back to its default settings on one computer, reset it from inside the app. If it won't open far enough, use the other way given for your product below. Reinstalling keeps your settings as they are, so reset before you reinstall.

Synergy 3

Reset Synergy 3 to its defaults

Before you start: resetting permanently deletes this computer's Synergy 3 settings and can't be undone. That includes your license on this computer, so you'll need to log in or enter your serial key again (your license stays on your account), and its encryption certificate, so your other computers may ask you to verify this one again.

1. Go to Local settings (under Advanced).
2. Next to Reset all settings to default, click Reset settings.
3. Click Reset this computer to reset only this one, or Reset all computers to reset every computer connected to it.

Synergy 3 restarts by itself afterwards.

Can't open the settings? Use the diagnostic tool's reset instead, which works even when the main window won't load:

1. Go to Help > Run Diagnostic Tool, or click Run diagnostic tool if Synergy 3 shows it below a message.
2. Click Reset settings.
3. Click Reset this computer. If a Hard reset window opens instead, click Reset.
4. Click Restart app.

If it says Reset failed, reinstall Synergy 3: Reinstalling or uninstalling Synergy 1 or Synergy 3

Where Synergy 3 keeps its files

• Windows: C:\ProgramData\Synergy
• macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/Synergy
• Linux: ~/.config/Synergy
• Linux, installed from the Flatpak: ~/.var/app/com.symless.synergy/config/Synergy

The settings are in that folder, or on Windows in the config folder inside it. Config file location in Local settings shows the text config file Synergy 3 makes from your layout there. Beside it are the encryption certificate, normally synergyCert.pem, and the computers you trust, in local.json.

Where the log is saved is shown under Log path in Troubleshooting: Log and troubleshooting settings in Synergy 3

To open a folder, paste its path into the address bar of File Explorer on Windows, or into Go > Go to Folder in the Finder on macOS.

Removing Synergy 3's settings files

Deleting its folder resets Synergy 3 by hand, for when the reset above isn't possible, and finishes a full uninstall. Do it after uninstalling, or after choosing Exit from the Synergy 3 icon in the system tray (the menu bar on macOS).

• Windows: delete the C:\ProgramData\Synergy folder.
• macOS: open the Terminal app and run rm -r ~/Library/Preferences/Synergy
• Linux: open the Terminal app and run rm -r ~/.config/Synergy
• Linux, installed from the Flatpak: run rm -r ~/.var/app/com.symless.synergy

If you've used Synergy 1 on this computer, it keeps some of its own settings in the same Windows and Linux folders, so removing them resets Synergy 1 too.

Synergy 1

Reset Synergy 1 to its defaults

Before you start: resetting removes your layout, hotkeys, preferences and this computer's encryption certificate, so other computers will ask you to trust this one again. On macOS and Linux it can also remove your saved serial key, so have it ready from your account page.

1. Open the Help menu.
2. Choose Clear settings.
3. Click Yes when asked Are you sure you want to clear all settings and restart Synergy?

Synergy 1 deletes its settings and starts again with the defaults.

If Synergy 1 won't open far enough to reach the menu, start it from a terminal with the --reset option instead:

• Windows: "C:\Program Files\Synergy\synergy.exe" --reset
• macOS: /Applications/Synergy.app/Contents/MacOS/Synergy --reset
• Linux: synergy --reset
• Linux, installed from the Flatpak: flatpak run com.symless.synergy --reset

Where Synergy 1 keeps its files

Synergy 1 uses the per-user settings file, unless All users is chosen on the Scope tab (Synergy 1 Business) or there's no per-user file yet and an all-users one exists.

Synergy 1 also keeps its encryption certificate and the computers it trusts in a tls folder: the certificate is synergy.pem, unless you chose your own under Certificate on the Network tab of Preferences, and the trusted computers are listed in trusted-servers and trusted-clients. Beside the tls folder is the server configuration Synergy 1 generates (synergy-server.conf). On Windows they are always in C:\ProgramData\Synergy, whichever settings file is in use. On macOS and Linux they are in the same folder as the settings file in use.

On Linux, if XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set, the per-user settings file is in $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/Synergy instead of ~/.config/Synergy. The Flatpak sets it, so there the settings file is in ~/.var/app/com.symless.synergy/config/Synergy.

Settings an administrator locks are set by Group Policy, a configuration profile or a policy file. Where each goes: Lock down Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 settings so users cannot change them

Removing Synergy 1's settings files

Deleting these files resets Synergy 1 by hand, for when Clear settings and --reset aren't possible, and finishes a full uninstall. Do it after uninstalling, or after quitting Synergy 1 from its icon in the system tray (the menu bar on macOS). The lists include places older versions used.

Windows

1. Run regedit and delete these registry keys, left by older versions (if they exist):

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Symless
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Synergy
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Synergy

2. Delete these directories (if they exist):

   %APPDATA%\Synergy
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Synergy
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Symless
   C:\ProgramData\Synergy
   C:\ProgramData\Symless
   C:\ProgramData\Synergy v2

   %APPDATA%\Synergy holds your own settings (Synergy.conf) and your serial key (Synergy.extra.conf). C:\ProgramData\Synergy holds the "All users" settings, if you use them, the certificate, the server configuration, and the policy file, if your administrator deployed one. Deleting them loses your saved settings, and if you've used Synergy 3 on this computer, it keeps its settings in C:\ProgramData\Synergy too.

macOS

1. Open the Terminal app and run these commands to remove the settings (don't worry if the files or directories don't exist):

   rm -rf ~/Library/Synergy
   rm -rf ~/Library/Symless
   rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/Synergy
   rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/Symless
   rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.symless.Synergy.plist
   rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.https-symless-com.Synergy.plist
   rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.http-symless-com.Synergy.plist

   If you've used Synergy 3 on this Mac, ~/Library/Preferences/Synergy holds its settings too.
2. Run this command to unload the preferences:

   killall -u $USER cfprefsd

3. If you used the "All users" settings, also delete them (from /Library/Synergy, or /Library/Preferences/Synergy for Synergy 1 (v1.20 and earlier)):

   sudo rm -rf /Library/Synergy /Library/Preferences/Synergy

   Note: In this case, you will lose previously saved settings. These folders can also hold a locked settings file your administrator deployed, and deleting them removes it.

Sometimes the cfprefsd command fails silently, so if your old settings come back, run the commands again.

Linux

1. Open the Terminal app and run these commands to remove your settings (don't worry if the directories don't exist):

   rm -rf ~/.config/Synergy/
   rm -rf ~/.config/Symless/
   rm -rf ~/.synergy/
   rm -rf ~/.symless/

   If you've used Synergy 3 on this computer, ~/.config/Synergy holds its settings too. If you installed Synergy 1 from the Flatpak, run rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.symless.synergy as well.
2. If you used the "All users" settings, also delete them (from /etc/Synergy, or /etc/xdg/Synergy for Synergy 1 (v1.20 and earlier)):

   sudo rm -rf /etc/Synergy /etc/xdg/Synergy

   Note: In this case, you will lose previously saved settings. These folders can also hold a policy file your administrator deployed, and deleting them removes it.

Upgrading from Synergy 1 (v1.20)

Synergy 1 (v1.21.3 and later) moves your settings into the files above the first time it starts, so there's nothing to copy by hand. Your screen layout, serial key, update channel and log file all come across.

Once they're moved, a Settings migrated button appears in the status bar at the bottom of the window. Click it to see where your old settings were backed up. The backup sits beside the new settings file, named Synergy.conf.legacy.bak. If you used All users settings in 1.20 and Synergy 1 couldn't write them for all users, it moves them into your own settings instead, and the backup is Synergy.conf.system.legacy.bak in your own settings folder.

A few settings that no longer exist are left behind. On macOS and Linux, that includes the Windows service settings, which only apply on Windows.

Asked to trust your computers again after the upgrade? Compare the fingerprints on both computers and accept them, as you did the first time. Synergy 1 (v1.21 and later) keeps a new certificate and a new list of trusted computers in the tls folder, and the lists 1.20 kept are in an older format, so copying them across has no effect. How to compare fingerprints: Encryption and verifying your computers in Synergy 1 or Synergy 3

Went through Synergy 1 (v1.21.0 to v1.21.2) on the way, and your settings look wrong or incomplete? See: Re-run the settings migration after upgrading from Synergy 1.20 to 1.21

Where Synergy 1 (v1.20) kept its files

Once your settings are moved, Synergy 1 empties the 1.20 settings and keeps the backup described above. The 1.20 certificate and trusted computers stay where they were.

With All users settings, 1.20 kept its settings in Synergy.ini and its certificate beside it: in C:\ProgramData\Synergy on Windows and /etc/xdg/Synergy on Linux.

The trusted computers were listed in TrustedServers.txt and TrustedClients.txt, in an SSL\Fingerprints folder beside the certificate. A certificate you chose under Certificate in Preferences stayed wherever you put it.

On Linux, the per-user settings file is the same one in 1.20 and later versions; the move rearranges the settings inside it.

Related:

• Reinstalling or uninstalling Synergy 1 or Synergy 3
• Local settings in Synergy 3: updates, appearance, login screen and config file
• Configure Synergy 1 for multi-user support
• Lock down Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 settings so users cannot change them
• Re-run the settings migration after upgrading from Synergy 1.20 to 1.21