How to Sync Folders Between Different Drives in Windows 11/10/8/7

Personal computers contain crucial data such as financial records, educational milestones, business information, home videos, music files, and more. You cannot afford to lose this data due to malware or virus attacks. To prevent such situations, you must create backups using external drives or cloud storage. The simplest way is to synchronize files and folders between different drives. In this article, we will share 3 methods to sync files and folders in Windows 7/8/10/11. Stay tuned.

When you need to synchronize a folder between drives

There may be times when you need to synchronize a folder between disks.

1️⃣ The primary motivation is **data security**. By syncing folders between internal and external drives or cloud storage, you create backups to safeguard against potential risks. 2️⃣ The second reason is **data sharing**. When you back up your data to a cloud storage like OneDrive, you can share it with others via a link. Your team members or acquaintances can download it through that link. 3️⃣ The third reason is to avoid **manual copying/pasting**. While you can save files in multiple locations, this doesn't solve the issue. If any edits are made to the source file, the backup copy won't reflect these changes, so repeatedly copying files isn't feasible. With synced folders, all modifications are automatically updated to the backup drive, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

For this reason, we recommend that every PC user learn how to sync folders between drives. In this post, we'll share three methods, complete with step-by-step instructions and screenshots.

The Best Free Tool to Sync Folders Between Drives on Windows

The best and easiest way to sync folders on Windows is by using the Todo Backup Free tool. This software is specifically designed for fast and secure data storage. It can save synced folders to external hard drives, local drives, networks, NAS, and cloud services. It also comes with several advanced file synchronization features, such as:

• Unidirectional and bidirectional synchronization
• Incremental sync, syncing only modified files and folders
• Scheduled sync, setting up automatic file sync tasks by hours, daily, weekly, monthly, or in real-time
• Synchronizing files between desktop and laptop computers
• Easily sync files to an external hard drive

Todo Backup Free offers one-click backup and instant recovery. You can also easily create disk images and clone disks. You can choose to store your backups with password-encrypted multi-path storage. In short, it's one of the most comprehensive data backup tools around. Download and use this file sync tool for free to synchronize folders between drives on Windows.

Use the Todo Backup tool to sync folders between different drives with this simple guide. Make sure to choose different hard disk drives for the source and destination locations.

Step 1: Run Todo Backup and then click “New Sync” at the bottom left corner.

Click the Synchronize button

Step 2: On the left, click Select sync folder.

Step 3: Choose 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 needed.

Select the location to sync.

Tap the Options button to choose a Synchronization Schedule for daily, weekly, event-based, or real-time synchronization.

Click Sync Now to start the sync.

Step 6. Wait for the sync to complete, which you can monitor in the “Files Syncing” column in the top left corner.

Don't forget to share this article on Facebook and Twitter to help others sync their folders too.

Using Robocopy to Synchronize Folders Between Drives on Windows

Robocopy is a command-line tool used for synchronizing folders between the same or different computers. It was initially introduced as a built-in feature in Windows Vista. It allows for easy one-way or two-way synchronization.

Follow these steps to use the Robocopy command for folder synchronization:

Step 1. Open the Notepad program on your computer.

Step 2: Create a batch file and type the following into it.

Step 3: Press Ctrl + S to save the file in your desired location. Make sure to include the .bat extension in the filename.

SyncToy for folder synchronization in Windows

SyncToy is a Microsoft-developed tool that you can use to sync folders between different disk locations. Before you can use it, you'll need to download and install it on your system. While Microsoft has removed the official download link for SyncToy from their website, you can still find it through other sources. Once you've downloaded SyncToy, you can sync your folders by following these steps:

Step 1: Click the SyncToy icon on your Windows desktop to launch the program.

Step 2: At the bottom of the screen, select the “Create New Folder Pair” option.

Step 3: It will display two options; “Left Folder” and “Right Folder.” In the “Left Folder,” select the source folder, and in the “Right Folder,” select the destination folder. Then click “Next.”

Step 4: You will be presented with three options: Synchronize, Echo, and Contribute. Choose the Synchronize option, then click Next again.

Step 5: Give the job a name and click Run to start synchronizing the two folders.

Don't forget to share this article on Facebook and Twitter to help others sync their folders.

Last Words

In our world, data is the most precious commodity. People's personal, financial, educational, and professional data are stored on computers. Losing it due to malware/virus attacks or system failures is unacceptable. To mitigate this risk, you should always have a secure backup by synchronizing folders across drives.

This blog will introduce three methods to sync folders in Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11. According to our research and experiments, Todo Backup Free proves to be the most efficient and secure data storage solution. Download Todo Backup software to ensure your data is 100% safe.

Frequently Asked Questions about Synchronizing Folders Between Drives in Windows: 1. What is folder synchronization between Windows drives? Answer: Folder synchronization between Windows drives refers to the process of keeping the contents of a folder on one drive in sync with a corresponding folder on another drive. This is typically achieved using specialized synchronization software or built-in Windows features to ensure that data in both locations remains up-to-date. 2. Why synchronize folders? Answer: Synchronizing folders helps back up important data, protecting it from loss. It also facilitates sharing and accessing files across different devices or drives, especially when working offline or with multiple computers. 3. Does Windows 10 have built-in folder synchronization functionality? Answer: Windows 10 doesn't offer direct drive-to-drive folder synchronization, but you can indirectly achieve this through OneDrive or other cloud storage services. Third-party software can also be used for this purpose. 4. How do I sync folders using OneDrive? Answer: First, set up and sign in to your OneDrive account in Windows 10. Right-click the folder you want to sync, then choose "Include in OneDrive." This will keep the selected folder synchronized across all associated devices. 5. What are some recommended third-party synchronization tools? Answer: Some popular third-party sync tools include Synctoy (offered by Microsoft but no longer updated), GoodSync, Allway Sync, and SugarSync. These tools provide more customization options and advanced syncing strategies. 6. Can folder synchronization cause data conflicts? Answer: If the same file is modified on both drives simultaneously, data conflicts may occur. Most sync software has mechanisms to resolve conflicts, such as keeping the most recent version, merging changes, or letting users manually resolve issues. 7. Does folder synchronization consume a lot of hard drive space? Answer: Synchronizing a folder will consume the same amount of disk space as the source folder. If using cloud synchronization, consider the storage quota of your cloud service. 8. How can I set up automatic folder synchronization on a schedule? Answer: Most sync software supports scheduled or real-time syncing. You can configure tasks according to your preferences to have folders automatically sync at specified times. 9. Is folder synchronization secure? Answer: The synchronization process itself is generally safe, but ensure you use software from a trusted source and that your data is encrypted during transmission to prevent data breaches. 10. What happens if I stop synchronizing? Answer: When synchronization is discontinued, the folders on both drives will no longer be in sync. There might be files or updates that haven't been propagated to the other side, so make backups before discontinuing synchronization.

Yes, the Windows 10 operating system includes several synchronization features and programs, such as: 1. **OneDrive**: This is Microsoft's cloud storage service that syncs your files, photos, and other data to the cloud, keeping them in sync across different devices. 2. **Settings Sync**: In Windows 10, you can enable or configure setting sync across devices under "Settings" > "Accounts" > "Sync your settings." This includes options like themes, browser favorites, language preferences, and more. 3. **Microsoft Edge Bookmark and Settings Sync**: If you use the Microsoft Edge browser, you can sync bookmarks, history, passwords, and other information. Please note that these sync features typically require a valid Microsoft account login, and their availability may vary depending on the version of Windows 10 and individual user settings.

Windows 10 includes a feature called Sync Center that can synchronize files or folders between Windows computers and cloud storage if they're connected to the same network. This feature was first introduced in Windows Vista.

What's the easiest way to sync files and folders between my computer and OneDrive?

The easiest way is to use Todo Backup tool to sync files and folders between your computer and OneDrive. It offers 100% secure and accurate synchronization with no issues.

What is the best way to sync files?

We recommend using Todo Backup for syncing files between computers. It's faster and more efficient than any other software of its kind.