Sync Two Folders between Drives in Windows 10 or 1 1 (3 Ways)

Yeah, there are many situations in which you need to sync two folders between drives in Windows 10 or 11, even in previous systems. For example, to sync files to external hard drives or cloud drives (or sync external drive to Cloud) to protect data safely or share files with team members, friends, or families. In addition, you don't need to copy and paste files manually.

So how to sync folders between drives in Windows 10 or 11? This article describes 3 effective methods in the following.

Sync Two Folders Between Drives using SyncToy

SyncToy is a free sync tool designed by Microsoft to sync files and folders between different data locations or devices. It's is a good tool for less experienced computer users due to its graphical user interface. Let’s find out how to make Windows 10 sync folders between drives with this free tool.

1. Run SyncToy on your computer if you have installed it.

2. Click on Create New Folder Pair beneath.

3. Click Browse to select the folder you want to sync from (Left Folder) and to (Right Folder ).

4. Select a sync mode among Synchronize, Echo, and Contribute in the following window. Echo is the most commonly used one when syncing two folders between drives.

5. Now, name the folder pair to distinguish. Click Finish to exit the wizard and you've done.

SyncToy may not always be the best choice

It is very easy to keep Windows sync folders between different drives or on the same drive. Nevertheless, you need to turn to other sync tools in some cases.

In addition, some users complain SyncToy requires .NET Framework 2.0.5727 when trying to install it on Windows 11. You can try to install the .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) in the Windows features.

Click on Start, search for "Turn Windows features on or Off" and open it. Then, select the .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) and click Ok to install it. Restart your computer when finished.

Schedule Sync Folders between Two Drives using Software

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a free backup & restore tool that embeds with a powerful Sync feature. It allows you to synchronize two or more folders from one drive to another drive, even on different disks.

AOMEI Backupper

Free Windows Sync Software

• Full sync functions: Sync folders to other internal/external drives, NAS, network share, cloud drive (e.g. sync local folder to OneDrive), etc.
• Deletion sync: Sync the deletions in the source directory to the destination directory as well.
• Schedule sync: Automatically sync files daily, weekly, or monthly.

Download Freeware
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

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With this tool, you can even sync files between desktop and laptop. Reading here, you may want to give it a shot. click the download button to get started.

1. Start AOMEI Backupper to get into the main console. Then, click Sync and Basic Sync.

2. Click on Add Folder to add the folder you want to backup. All subfolders will be synced by default.

3. Click the second column to add the destination folder to save files. You can choose a local path, share or NAS devices, or cloud drives (as long as you install the desktop apps).

4. Click Schedule Sync > Enable Schedule Sync to set daily, weekly, or monthly sync to sync folders between drives automatically. You can also click Options to set email notification or sync deletions (if you want).

5. Click Start Sync to sync files right now or at the next scheduled time.

You can also use advanced features if you upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional like "Real-Time Sync", "Mirror Sync", or "Two-Way Sync" to sync folders in real-time, or like a mirror, or bi-directionally.

Automatic Sync Two Folders between Drives using Robocopy

Robocopy is a command line utility that can help you copy files from one drive to another. If you want to run this task automatically, please combine Robocopy and Task Scheduler in Windows.

Step 1. Create a new text file and rename it with the .bat extension.

Step 2. Then, copy and paste the following command into the text file and test it. Replace the path of the source folder and destination folder.

robocopy \sourceserverShareName D:SharesShareName /e /b /copyall /PURGE /r:5 /w:5 /MT:64 /log+:D:Shareslog_ShareName _%date:~-10,2%"-"%date:~7,2%"-"%date:~-4,4%.txt /v

Step 3. Open Task Scheduler by searching it in the Search box. Then, click Create Basic Task at the right side.

Step 4. In the following wizard, type a unique name and description. Then, click Next.

Step 5. Choose a frequency to start the task. You can select Daily, Weekly, Monthly, One time, and more. Then, click Next.

Step 6. Set the start date and time and leave it to run every day.

Step 7. Click Start a program to perform the task. Then, click Next.

Step 8. Click Browse to find the batch file. Once done, click Next.

Step 9. Review the sync settings. Check Open the Properties dialog for this task when I click Finish and click Finish.

Step 10. In the Properties window, find and make the following changes.

• In the General tab, check Run whether user is logged on or not and Run with highest privileges.
• Then, switch to the Settings tab. Check Stop the task if it runs longer than x day and change the default interval to 1 day. Then, click OK to save changes.

Summary

3 easy ways are provided to make Windows sync folders between drives in Windows. Syncing files to external hard drive can be achieved easily as well. SyncToy does not always satisfy your needs and it has been disconnected. For security reasons, it's suggested to use free & easy-to-use file sync software - AOMEI Backupper, or Robocopy.

I prefer using AOMEI Backupper as it provides more than Robocopy and is easier for most users. It allows you to sync external drives, NAS, network share, cloud drive, etc. It also owns cloud storage - AOMEI Cloud that offers 1TB of free storage within 15 days after signing up for an account. It's worth trying when you want to backup files to Cloud.

FAQs

#1. Does Windows 10 have file synchronization?

Yes, Sync Center is a built-in file synchronization feature in Windows 10. You can use it to sync data between two computers or your computer and a network drive. Additionally, you may sync data with a cloud storage platform like OneDrive using Sync Center. But Sync Center may not work in folder sync between drives.

#2. Does Windows provide a native feature for automatic folder syncing between drives?

Windows does not have a built-in feature for continuous automatic syncing between drives, but scheduled tasks or scripts can be used for periodic syncing.

#3. How do I sync files between computers in Windows 10?

You can sync data between PCs using professional sync software, like AOMEI Backupper, which allows you to sync files across all Windows devices easily.

#4. Can I sync folders between internal and external drives in Windows?

Yes, you can sync folders between any combination of internal and external drives using tools like Robocopy, Xcopy, or third-party synchronization software.

#5. How do I perform data sync between PCs?

Using AOMEI Backupper software, you can do files or folders across devices with the help of Share and NAS devices.