Sync files between desktop and laptop – easily!

"File synchronization," in simple terms, refers to sharing and maintaining an exact copy of a file across two devices. Many people wonder if they can sync files between their desktop and laptop. If you're one of them, you've come to the right place. In this article, you'll learn how to sync files between two computers.

Read on to learn how to sync data between your desktop and laptop for easy access.

Do I need to connect the computer and laptop during synchronization?

You don't need to connect your desktop to a laptop before you start syncing files. This means that the two devices don't need to be wired together to begin the sync. The sync occurs remotely, allowing you to share files with other computers in distant locations.

To sync successfully, you'll need to transfer the files from your desktop to a shared connection that your laptop can access, whether that's through a network, a NAS (network-attached storage) device, or the cloud. Once the two computers are in sync, any changes made to the files on the source computer will be reflected directly on the target computer.

You may also be interested in:  How to Sync Files Between Computer and USB

The best free tools to sync files between PCs and laptops

The best way to sync files between a desktop and laptop is through third-party software. One file synchronization tool that we've tested and can confirm works well is Todo Backup Free. This software lets you sync files between different computers without physically connecting them.

Install it on both the source and target computers, and start the sync process. This file sync software allows you to sync small and large files without limitation. Aside from syncing, Todo Backup also serves as a backup and recovery tool.

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Please make sure to download the Todo Backup tool today for efficient synchronization of files between your desktop and laptop. The steps to use this tool are straightforward and easy to understand.

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Step-by-step instructions for syncing files between a desktop and a laptop:

Step 1: Launch the Todo Backup program and then click the “New Sync” button at the bottom left.

Click the Sync button

Step 2: Click on Select Sync Folder on the left.

Step 3: Select the folder you want to synchronize, then click OK. The source folder can be Desktop, My Documents, Favorites, Computer, Network, or a NAS.

Step 4. Choose the destination location for your synced files. You can opt for either a Two-way Sync or a One-way Sync method, as per your preference.

Select the sync location

TIP: Click the Options button to choose a Synchronization Schedule for daily, weekly, event-triggered, or real-time sync.

Step 5: Click Synchronize Now to start the sync.

Step 6: Wait for the sync process to complete. You can see the file sync progress in the top-left corner.

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Sync files between a desktop and laptop over the Web

Aside from using third-party tools, you can also sync files by connecting two computers to the same network. Then, you can configure the settings on the first computer to allow network sharing of files that can be accessed on the second computer. This method has two phases:

Stage one: Start the sync on the first computer (the desktop).

Step one: Right-click on the folder you want to sync, select “Properties,” then go to the “Sharing” tab and hit “Share.”

Step 2: When prompted to “Choose who to share with,” click the drop-down menu and select “Anyone.” Then, click the “Add” button to set the permission level for people accessing your file.

Step 3: Tap the “Share” button and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the sharing process. When done, you can close the window.

Step 4: Next, open the Control Panel and click on “Network and Internet” then “Network and Sharing Center” and then “Change advanced sharing settings.”

Change the settings

Step 5: Click the drop-down arrow next to Private, and check Turn on network discovery. Scroll down to the File and Printer Sharing section, and check Turn on file and printer sharing.

Step 6. Finally, scroll down to the “Password Protected Sharing” section and select “Turn on password protected sharing.” This will require visitors to enter a password before accessing your files. When you're done, click “Save Changes” and exit.

Phase Two: Access the synced files on the second computer (laptop).

Step one: Open the file browser on your laptop. Click the “Network” section in the left sidebar, and then select the desktop computer that's sharing the files.

Step 2: Press Win + R to open the "Run" dialog box. Type "\", then enter the network path of the shared folder on your desktop. Finally, click OK to access the file on your laptop. That's it! You've now synced files between two computers over a network.

Syncing files between two computers using cloud services

You can synchronize files between your desktop and laptop using cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. This is done by accessing the same cloud service account on both devices.

First, you have to upload them from one computer so that you can access them on the other. For example, we'll show you how to sync files between computers using your Microsoft account with OneDrive. Here's how.

Step one: On your desktop computer, log in to your OneDrive account through a web browser. Click “Upload” and choose the files you'd like to sync.

Step 2: After selecting the files from your local storage, click the "Open" button to transfer them to OneDrive. Wait for all the selected files to upload.

Step 3: After this process is complete, you can log in to the same OneDrive account on your laptop using a web browser, such as Microsoft Edge. This will give you access to all the synced files on your laptop, which you can view or download to the device.

While this method is efficient due to its automatic synchronization, the limitation is that you cannot sync your Windows settings account and apps. It only allows for the syncing of files and folders.

Related: OneDrive Not Syncing on Windows PC

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Last Words

This article outlines how to synchronize files between a desktop and a laptop. You can do this with third-party tools, over a network, or with a cloud service. Synchronizing over a network can be slow if you have large files. With cloud services, you cannot synchronize your settings and programs.

We recommend using tools like Todo Backup to sync files and data between computers to avoid these limitations. This third-party software can sync various data types, including files, programs, and settings. Be sure to download Todo Backup today and take advantage of its free file sync feature.

Frequently Asked Questions on Synchronizing Files Between a Desktop and a Laptop

Here are some common questions about syncing files between a laptop and a desktop computer.

How can I clone one computer to make it exactly the same as another?

To display the same content on two computers' screens, follow these steps:

On the first computer, open Settings, then go to System > Connect to this PC.

Step 2. Next, click on Optional features, and then select Add a feature. Search for Wireless Display in the search bar.

<Step 3> Select Cast in the search results, then tap Install.

<Step 4> After installation, launch the Connect app on the second computer.

Step 5: Finally, on the first computer, open the Screen Mirroring settings and choose the second device. From now on, the second computer will display roughly what the first one does.

What is the fastest way to share files between two computers sitting next to each other?

The fastest way to share files between two computers that are right next to each other is by using the “Nearby Sharing” feature on Windows 10. Once you've enabled it on both computers, you can quickly share files over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

How do I wirelessly connect my laptop to a desktop computer?

You can wirelessly connect your laptop to a desktop computer using Bluetooth. You'll need to enable the feature on both computers and pair them. This will create a Personal Area Network (PAN) that allows you to share files and data between devices.