Forum Discussion
Link to windows does not allow removal of old devices
On Samsung my Samsung Phone, the Link to windows app display my laptop 3 times. One is active, the other two are inactive. I assume there are duplicates because of resetting that laptop to factory defaults a couple of times since I got it 5 years ago.
The problem is I cannot remove the old ones. They show as disconnected. There is no option to remove them.
I use the copy/paste function across devices (very useful), but every time I copy/paste and get irritating messages on the phone saying 'cannot copy to xxxxxx device' where that devices is the laptop the phone is connected to. It's saying it cannot copy to the device I'm actually connected to, but it's referrring to old definition of that device.
I've tried many ways to remove these old versions of the devices. For the last attempt, I removed the current connection from the phone, completely removed it from the laptop, then on the phone I cleared the data and cache for the link to windows app, then successfully re-paired the device. The old versions if device came back too!
I believe the information is store in my Microsoft Account, but it's not externalised. Additionally, in my list of devices where my Microsoft Account is in use, it doesn't show the either the laptop or the phone, just a desktop PC and an Xbox.
There clearly needs to be some way to permanently remove the connected history, particularly when the laptop has been used before but was reset.
I've seen this issue reported many times, but there seems to be no way to fix this problem.
5 Replies
I hope Microsoft can address this issue. I use Link to Windows a lot, it's very useful for cut & paste across devices. I am getting persistent 'cannot copy to xxxxxx device' messages on my Android phone for old devices and I can't do anything about it. Please Microsoft, update Link to Windows app on Android so that old devices can be permanently removed, not just disconnected.
Your issue with removing old device entries in Link to Windows and the persistent duplicate listings on your Samsung phone is a common frustration among users who have reset or changed devices multiple times. The core of the problem is that device information and connection history are often stored in your Microsoft Account, but not always easily accessible or manageable through standard interfaces.
You're absolutely right — residual files in locations like AppData can clutter systems over time and may cause confusion or conflicts. Automating their cleanup during uninstallation would enhance user experience and help maintain a cleaner system.
I hope these steps help you resolve the issues with your Link to Windows app and your Samsung phone. If you're still experiencing problems, feel free to provide more details, and I'll do my best to assist you further.
Puzzled. I don't see any steps added to this post. Did you mean to add some?
