How to Run Two-Way Sync with AOMEI Backupper
The Two-Way Sync is a feature that newly added, modified or deleted files in the source directory will be synced to the target directory, and the newly added, modified files or deleted in the target directory also will be synced to the source directory. Simply put, any changes in the source or destination directory will be synced with each other when you run the Two-Way Sync task.
Here are some common scenarios where file two-way sync is used:
Multi-device synchronization: File two-way sync makes it convenient to access and edit files across multiple devices. For example, you can sync files between your computer so that you can access the latest version of files regardless of which device you're using.
Team collaboration: File two-way sync is useful for collaborative work among team members. Team members can share files in a folder, and each person's changes are synced to the devices of other team members. This allows team members to view and edit the most up-to-date version of files in real-time, facilitating teamwork.
Backup and restore: File two-way sync can serve as a method of data backup. By syncing files to other devices, you can ensure that backup copies of files are stored in a secure location. In the event of data loss or device failure, the synced copies can be used to restore files.
Offline access: File two-way sync allows files to be available offline. If you need to access files without an internet connection, you can sync the files to your local device when you have a network connection and access them while offline.
How to run Two-Way Sync in Windows 11/10/8/7 easily
Prerequisites for two-way sync
Please download paid file sync software AOMEI Backupper Professional first and then install it on your computer.
And you need to create a file to sync.
Detailed steps about how to do a two-way sync
1. Click the “Sync” tab on the left side and then select “Two-Way Sync”.
2. You are allowed to customize the task name to help you distinguish it from other sync tasks. The task name is Two-Way Sync by default. Click "Add Folder" to select the folder which you want to sync.
3. Select a destination location to sync the folder to.
4. Click "Start Sync" to launch the syncing process.
Tips:
- While sync is running, you can click an icon in the lower-left corner to set to Shut down/Restart/Hibernate/Sleep PC after sync completion.
- When the sync is running, you can also click the underlined sentence to check the sync process in detail.
5. Please kindly wait for the sync process to complete and then click the "Finish" button.
6. As a result, you can see the source folder’s files are the same as the target folder.
The Results of Two-way sync
Before two-way sync
1) Source folder:
2) Target folder:
After two-way sync:
1) Source folder:
2) Target folder:
Tips:
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If there are files with the same name but different sizes on two sides, when you run the Two-Way Sync, these files on the target folder will be overwritten.
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If there are files with the same name but different modified dates on two sides, when you run the Two-Way Sync, the files with a newer date will overwrite the files with an older date.
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When you run the Two-Way Sync task again, the added, changed and deleted data in the source or destination directory will be synced to the other side.
Sync Settings
When creating a new Two-Way Sync task, you will find a "Options" button in the lower-left corner of the interface.
Click the button and it will show "General", "Command" and "Advanced" options.
General
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Comments: Write a note for your task to help you distinguish it from other sync tasks.
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Email notification: In unattended operations, a notification can be emailed containing the result of each sync.
Command
In this option, you can set the pre-command and post-command.
Advanced
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Operation Priority: Please select the operation priority of the task. The higher the priority it is, the faster the task execution speed will be.
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Others: If you need the same name as the Basic Task folder in the destination, you need to tick the box "Automatically create a folder with the same as the task in the target location" before you create the basic sync task. (This option is unticked by default.)
Schedule Sync
Select the “Schedule Sync” option upon which a dialog box will appear. Schedule the required sync task to sync files Daily, Weekly, Monthly, etc. Also, Event triggers and USB Plug in can be used as a sync method. Please click here to know more details.
Notes:
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Please don't modify the folder name of the source folder(s) once two-way sync has been set up, otherwise, the sync process can not function properly.
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For a new Two-Way Sync process, if the source file name is the same as one of the destinations which have been synced before, the destination copy will be overwritten. There is no way to keep a different version of a file using the same names.
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The maximum file path of Two-Way Sync is restricted by the maximum path length allowed by the Windows API to 256 characters. So, please check the names of the folders you are going to synchronize and shorten them when it's necessary. AOMEI Backupper can't synchronize folders that have special characters in their names.
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Two-Way Sync supports VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service). This allows to synchronize files that are being used by other programs. However, you need to make sure that the "Volume Shadow Copy" service on your computer is enabled. If some files are in use by other programs exclusively, they are not synchronized.
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If there are some special system files or folders with special security attributes in the source folders, they won't be synchronized and the program will prompt you to skip them.
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If the target path is located on a FAT/FAT 32 partition, any files larger than 4 GB won't be synced to the target path because a single file larger than 4 GB cannot be stored on FAT/FAT 32 partitions.
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The source folder and the target folder cannot have a containment relationship.
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Neither the source folder nor the target folder can select CD files.
Conclusion
The significance of File Two-way sync lies in ensuring file backup and recovery, seamless cross-platform work experience, smooth collaboration and sharing, improved work efficiency and flexibility, as well as automated and simplified file management processes. This synchronization mechanism enables files to stay synchronized across different devices and platforms, providing users with a more convenient and efficient working environment.
FAQs:
Q: Does AOMEI Backupper support real-time two-way synchronization?
A: Sorry, AOMEI Backupper doesn't support real-time two-way sync.
Q: How can I synchronize between two computers?
A: For two computers on the same LAN, you can create a NAS on the target computer and then sync the files from the source computer to that target computer.