How to Sync Files & Folders in Real-Time in Windows 11/10/8/7

What is Real-Time File Sync And How Does It Work

Real-Time File Sync is a process where changes made to files in one location are immediately mirrored in another location. This ensures that the data in both locations is always up-to-date. This process is crucial for various applications such as data backup, collaborative work environments, and maintaining data consistency across multiple devices.

How Real-Time File Sync Works:

🚩Continuous Monitoring: The software continuously monitors the source directory for any changes such as file creation, modification, or deletion.
🚩Instant Sync: As soon as a change is detected, the software immediately synchronizes the change to the destination directory.
🚩Bidirectional Sync: Some real-time sync solutions allow for bidirectional synchronization, meaning changes made in either the source or destination are mirrored in the other.
🚩Conflict Resolution: Advanced real-time sync solutions include conflict resolution mechanisms to handle scenarios where changes are made to the same file in both locations simultaneously.

The Benefits of Real-Time File Sync

File synchronization (sync) refers to replicating files & folders to another location with the original format, and structure for direct use. That is, if you want to keep an intact and up-to-date copy in a different directory (even a different drive or device) without dragging and dropping files every time the files get changed, you can use the file sync tool to do automatic sync between 2 folders.

As for the automation, you can either set up a schedule to sync files at a specific time daily, weekly, monthly, or real-time file sync to immediately perform the synchronization when the tool detects any kind of changes made on the source folder.

Data Consistency: Ensures that all data copies are up-to-date, reducing the risk of working with outdated files.
Productivity: Enhances collaboration by providing all team members with access to the latest versions of files.
Backup: Provides an efficient method for real-time data backup, ensuring that the latest versions of files are always backed up.
Redundancy: Increases data redundancy by keeping synchronized copies of data across different locations or devices.

Real-time file sync ensures the files/folders in two locations are updated synchronously without creating a schedule, thus facilitating data transmission and saving your labor of manual operation. However, unlike conventional scheduled backup, the real-time file sync function does not come with Windows OS. To do it effectively, you need specialized file sync software.

Prime Software to Sync Files in Real Time

Choosing a good file sync software will dramatically make things easier. AOMEI Backupper Professional is a sync and backup software for Windows 11/10/8/7. Due to the intuitive interface, all the operations involved in real-time folder sync can be done with a few clicks, so you do not need to constantly do the copying and moving stuff.

You can also set a file filter to exclude the files you do not want to sync. It supports both scheduled sync and real-time sync. What’s more, you can synchronize folders over network or NAS, so you can edit the files on different computers.

How to Set up Real-Time Sync with AOMEI Backupper

AOMEI Backupper is extremely user-friendly. You can easily set up a file sync task by following these straightforward steps. Just open the software, select the "File Sync" option, and proceed with the on-screen instructions:

To set up a file sync in real-time:

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Backupper Professional.

Tip: If you are using a server computer, it's suggested to download the AOMEI Backupper Server.

AOMEI Backupper

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Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

Step 2. Click the "Sync" tab at the left and select "Real-time Sync".

✎Other sync modes for you to choose:
Basic Sync: Set up a one-time sync task or schedule it to run daily, weekly, monthly, or based on specific events or USB plug-ins.
Mirror Sync: Maintain an exact copy of your source directory in the target directory, ensuring identical files and structure.
Two-Way Sync: Also known as bidirectional sync, this mode synchronizes changes in both directions. Any updates in the source are mirrored in the destination, and vice versa.

Step 3. In the next screen, click “Add Folder” to select the folder that needs synchronizing.

Step 4. Choose a destination path to receive the synchronized files & folders.

Step 5. Click “Start Sync” to sync files and folders automatically.

This is it. A real-time file sync task has been created, and then the program will monitor the folder that is set to sync. When it detects any changes, the target folder will also get updated. Besides, AOMEI Backupper also provides many other features like file backup, system backup, hard drive clone, etc. If you create an AOMEI account, you can backup files to AOMEI Cloud. Just go for it!

Conclusion

Real-time file sync is a vital technology for ensuring data consistency and accessibility across multiple devices. By implementing the solutions and tips outlined in this guide, you can streamline your data management processes and enhance productivity. Whether using AOMEI Backupper, Microsoft OneDrive, or Google Drive, real-time file sync will keep your files up-to-date and secure, enabling seamless collaboration and efficient workflows.

FAQs About Real-time File Sync