A computer-implemented method comprising the steps of: a computing device of a synchronization service receiving a request to unlink a personal computing device from the synchronization service; the computing device of the synchronization service unlinking the personal computing device from the synchronization service; an agent provided by the synchronization service and executing on the unlinked personal computing device identifying, from among a first set of content items stored in a device repository at the personal computing device, one or more content items of the first set of content items that are synchronized with the synchronization service and one or more content items of the first set of content items that are pending synchronization with the synchronization service, wherein the identifying is based on synchronization data received by the agent from the synchronization service that includes cryptographically generated checksums indicating the first set of content items and the versions of the first set of content items, wherein the cryptographically generated checksums are compared to cryptographically generated checksums generated from the first set of content items stored at the unlinked personal computing device to determine which of the first set of content items stored at the unlinked personal computing device are pending synchronization with the synchronization service; and the agent treating the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as synchronized with the synchronization service differently from the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as pending synchronization with the synchronization service, wherein the step of treating differently comprises at least one of: moving the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as pending synchronization with the synchronization service from their current location at the unlinked personal computing device to another location at the unlinked personal computing device; and receiving an encryption key for cryptographically encrypting the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as pending synchronization with the synchronization service. a computing device of a synchronization service receiving a request to unlink a personal computing device from the synchronization service; the computing device of the synchronization service unlinking the personal computing device from the synchronization service; an agent provided by the synchronization service and executing on the unlinked personal computing device identifying, from among a first set of content items stored in a device repository at the personal computing device, one or more content items of the first set of content items that are synchronized with the synchronization service and one or more content items of the first set of content items that are pending synchronization with the synchronization service, wherein the identifying is based on synchronization data received by the agent from the synchronization service that includes cryptographically generated checksums indicating the first set of content items and the versions of the first set of content items, wherein the cryptographically generated checksums are compared to cryptographically generated checksums generated from the first set of content items stored at the unlinked personal computing device to determine which of the first set of content items stored at the unlinked personal computing device are pending synchronization with the synchronization service; and the agent treating the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as synchronized with the synchronization service differently from the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as pending synchronization with the synchronization service, wherein the step of treating differently comprises at least one of: moving the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as pending synchronization with the synchronization service from their current location at the unlinked personal computing device to another location at the unlinked personal computing device; and receiving an encryption key for cryptographically encrypting the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as pending synchronization with the synchronization service. moving the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as pending synchronization with the synchronization service from their current location at the unlinked personal computing device to another location at the unlinked personal computing device; and receiving an encryption key for cryptographically encrypting the one or more content items of the first set of content items identified as pending synchronization with the synchronization service.