How to Sync a Laptop and a Desktop in Windows 10, 11 (2 Cases)
Wanna sync settings or files between a laptop and a desktop in Windows 10/11? Find a complete guide from this article.
The need of syncing a laptop and a desktop
It is quite common that one user owns both a laptop and a desktop. Each device has its merits. A desktop has a good cost-to-performance ratio and it’s easy to upgrade a CPU, GPU, or motherboard in a desktop while a laptop is much more compact and you can use it anywhere with the portable power source.
If you have both a laptop and a desktop, you may want to sync the two devices for following reasons:
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Use the same settings on two computers without spending time manually entering theme customizations, browser options, etc.
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Keep frequently-used files up to date on two PCs without the repetitive work of copy and paste.
Since it’s beneficial to sync a desktop and a laptop, how to realize it easily?
How to sync two computers in Windows 10/11 (desktop and laptop)
Some users want to sync settings between a laptop and a desktop while some want to sync files between two computers. I’ll show you how to sync a laptop to a desktop or sync a desktop to a laptop under two cases separately:
Case 1: Sync files between a laptop and a desktopπ₯
Although Windows 10/11 Sync Center can help you sync the information between your PC and offline files that are saved in the folders of the network servers, various Windows 10 Sync Center not working problems are reported, such as “Enable offline files” greyed out, “Always available offline” missing, etc. Is there a more effective and reliable way to sync files between a laptop and a desktop in Windows 11/10/8/7?
I’d like to recommend the best free file sync software—AOMEI Backupper Standard to you.
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File Synchronization Options: Sync files to local folders, shared folders over the network, NAS devices, or even cloud drives.
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Automated Sync: Auto sync with the Schedule Sync feature.
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Efficiency in Sync: It supports syncing multiple folders simultaneously.
100% Secureβ Preparations:
βΆ Make sure that the laptop and the desktop are on the same wireless or wired network. βΆ Create a network shared folder on the source computer and turn on network discovery on both computers. Get the how-to guide here.
β Best way to sync files between two computers:
1. Launch AOMEI Backupper on your laptop/desktop. Click “Sync” and select “Basic Sync”.
2. Name the task so that you can distinguish it from other sync tasks. Click “Add Folder" to select the folder(s) which you want to synchronize.
3. Click the right edge of the second bar. Then, select “Add Share or NAS Devices” from the drop-down menu.
4. In the Add Share or NAS Devices window, type the IP address of the source computer and click the blue button on the right. Type username and password if it prompts.
5. After the IP address has been added, all network-shared folders under it will be listed. Choose one folder as the destination path to store the folder(s) you plan to sync and click “OK”.
6. Click on “Start Sync” button to perform the operation.
>> Options: you can write a comment for your sync task so that you can figure out the specific sync contents. You can also enable email notification here. >> Schedule Sync: you can set the sync task to run periodically. There are five modes supported: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Event triggers, and USB plug in.
7. After the sync process is finished, you can go to This PC > Network on your second Windows 10/11 device. Find the source computer’s name and double-click it to access the shared folder(s).
β¨ Helpful tips:
1οΈβ£ Except for network share, you still can sync a laptop and a desktop with cloud. Try the Cloud Backup feature in this software. It enables you to backup folders to AOMEI Cloud and restore them on another computer. AOMEI Cloud offers you 1TB of free storage from the time you sign up for an AOMEI account until 15 days.
2οΈβ£ If you want to sync two Mac computers, please turn to AOMEI Backupper Mac version.
Case 2: Sync settings between a laptop and a desktop
Windows 10/11 offers the Sync Settings option to help owners of multiple devices to keep their system preferences in harmony. Follow the steps below to sync settings between PCs in Windows 10/11:
1. Turn on your laptop/desktop. Go to Start > Settings > Accounts.
2. Click Your account and then Sign in with a Microsoft account instead. Enter your Microsoft account information. Skip to step 3 if you have already signed in.
3. Click Sync your settings. Turn on the switch next to Sync settings. Disable any individual settings if you want certain things to not sync.
4. Apply steps 1-3 on your second Windows 10/11 device.
Troubleshoot computer sync issues
1. The synchronization process fails.
Troubleshooting: Check network connectivity, ensure both devices are online, and verify Microsoft Account credentials.
2. Passwords may not sync across devices.
Troubleshooting: Confirm that password synchronization is enabled in Microsoft Account settings. Reset passwords if issues persist.
3. Some files may not sync properly or may be missing.
Troubleshooting: Verify file types and sizes supported for syncing. Check if there are any file conflicts and resolve them.
FAQs about syncing laptops and desktops on Windows 10
Yes, you can sync a Windows desktop and laptop using built-in features like OneDrive or third-party software. Ensure both devices are connected to the internet, then select the files or folders you want to sync across both devices. Follow the prompts to complete the synchronization process, allowing you to access your files seamlessly on both your desktop and laptop.
To link your laptop to your desktop, ensure both devices are connected to the same network. Utilize network sharing options in Windows settings to enable file and printer sharing. Alternatively, use software like Microsoft's HomeGroup (for Windows 7 and 8) or OneDrive to sync files between the two devices. Follow the prompts to set up sharing permissions and establish a connection between your laptop and desktop.
Syncing Windows 10 settings across computers is simple. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sync your settings. Toggle the settings you want to sync across your devices, such as theme preferences, passwords, and language preferences. Ensure that you're signed in with the same Microsoft account on both computers. Windows will automatically sync the selected settings, providing a consistent experience across your devices.
To mirror two computers exactly, consider using disk imaging software like Macrium Reflect or Clonezilla. Create a full backup or clone of one computer's hard drive, then transfer the image to the other computer's hard drive. Ensure both computers have identical hardware configurations to avoid compatibility issues. Alternatively, utilize synchronization tools to replicate files and settings between the two computers, ensuring they remain synchronized in real-time.
Conclusion
Now you know how to sync a laptop and a desktop in Windows 10/11 effortlessly. No matter you want to sync settings or files between two computers, you can find the corresponding solution from this page. Besides syncing files between PCs, AOMEI Backupper can also help you backup hard drives to cloud and clone an SSD to a larger SSD. Download it now and discover more!