WHY was Sync Settings Removed in CC 2015.1

[Nick Vee]

I tripped over this now-closed thread:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/why-was-sync-settings-removed-in-cc-2...

I am curious... does anyone still feel there's a requirement for this?

A potentially unofficial/official response in the original thread stated that its removal was partly due to Libraries being introduced at the time. However, I don't see how Libraries caters for app Sync Settings, 10 years following that post.

[creative explorer]

@Nick Veeprobably! I am always manually loading them!

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

Features are very rarely removed. When they are, it's either because they are no longer compatible with current operating systems - or that they have proved problematic for other reasons, causing more problems than benefits.

As for migrating settings, I always advise against that. Save out the important things like actions and brushes, and set up the rest fresh.

The reason is that settings (indeed the whole application configuration) are rewritten on every application exit, and an irregular shutdown can corrupt them. Small errors will accumulate and carry over. A new version will have partly new code, which means latent problems can unexpectedly surface. Corrupt preferences usually look like application bugs and are often mistaken for that.

The only thing I miss is an easy way to save out keyboard shortcuts and toolbar. Not because it's difficult to remember, but just because it takes a little extra time.

[Nick Vee]

Thanks for the response and additional thoughts, @D Fosse 

The potential for corruption sounds identical to Illustrator, which is the app I have most experience of.

[jane-e]

A potentially unofficial/official response in the original thread stated that its removal was partly due to Libraries being introduced at the time.

By @Nick Vee

Another reason given in the thread you linked to is this:

“technical issues: the servers used for the feature are going away”

I used it before, but have adapted in the decade that followed its removal.

Jane