How to Transfer Files from Laptop to Laptop in Windows 10

The case: Transfer files between laptops

File transfer is a simple and common operation for Windows users. However, due to the demands of life and work, many people use more than one laptop in practice, as thus a new question arises: “how to transfer files from laptop to laptop in Windows 10?”

Specifically speaking, you may find it necessary to transfer files between two laptops in following occasions:

• Transfer files from old PC to new PC. Most commonly, you bought a new laptop but don’t want to spend a lot of time rewriting all the files on it.

• Work on multiple computers. Maybe you have different laptops in different places. So it’s important to keep these files consistent.

• Share files with friends and family members. You may want to share your happiness with others such as beautiful photos, exquisite videos and so on.

Next, I will introduce three ways to implement it.

👉 Way 1: Transfer files between computers in Windows 10 with freeware🔥
👉 Way 2: Transfer files between laptops with Windows 10 File Sharing
👉 Way 3: Transfer data between two laptops via OneDrive

Way 1: Freeware to transfer files between computers in Windows 10

To share files or folders easily, AOMEI Backupper Standard comes to help. Best of all, it’s free of charge!

AOMEI Backupper

Best Free File Sync Software

• It allows users to transfer files to external/internal hard drives, cloud drives, NAS devices, and network, etc.

• Unlike Windows 10 File Sharing, this freeware allows you to sync multiple files or folders at the same time. 

• You will never have to worry about losing files again as automatic sync is available in this utility.

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

100% Secure

To use this freeware, you should download it at first. Then follow the steps below.

How to share files between two computers

Before doing that, you need to install and launch this freeware.

Step 1. Click Basic Sync under Sync tab.

Step 2. You can modify the Task Name as you like. Click Add Folder to select the folder you want to share.

Step 3. Click the destination box and choose Add Share or NAS Devices.

Step 4. In the pop-up window, input the network path of the source laptop, choose a network-shared folder on it to store all the synced folders, and click OK. Type username and password if it prompts.

Step 5. Confirm your operations and then click Start Sync. After the sync process is finished, go to This PC > Network on the target laptop to access the shared folders.

Tips:

• You can click Filter settings (supported by AOMEI Backupper Professional) in Step 2 to sync files with a certain file extension.

• Writing a comment for your current operation can help you distinguish this sync task from others easily. To use this feature, please go Options > General in Step 5.

• Schedule Sync means your files/folders can be synchronized automatically. You can choose it in Step 5 to set up an auto sync based on Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Event triggers, and USB plug in.

• Do not change the name of the source folder after syncing. Otherwise, this utility cannot sync it anymore.

💛 Alternative way to transfer files between laptops

If you create an AOMEI account, you can also backup laptop files to AOMEI cloud and then restore them on another laptop. You'll get 1TB free storage for 15 days after you sign up for an AOMEI account.

Way 2: Transfer files between laptops with Windows 10 File Sharing

How to transfer files between computers in Windows 10? To do this task, you can copy and paste files to another PC with USB drive or SD card, compress and send files to one PC by email or blue-tooth and so on. However, these methods are neither convenient nor safe.

Fortunately, Windows 10 provides users with built-in File Sharing feature that enables users to transfer files between computers easily and safely. Now, let’s see how it works.

Step 1. Type File Explorer at the Search box (in the lower left corner of your computer) and then open it. Navigate to the files you want to share.

Step 2. Right click the folder and then choose Properties.

Step 3. Select Sharing from the list. Then click Share.

Step 4. Select the Everyone group from the drop-down menu. Then click Add.

Step 5. Select the type of sharing permissions (here is Read) you want the folder to have. Then click Share.

Tips: Read means the users can view and open the files while Read/Write means they can view, open, modify and delete the sharing files.

Step 6. Note the network path of the folder that other users will need to access the content over the network and then click Done.

Step 7. When sharing progress is completed, you can click Close.

For a single file or folder, you can use this method. However, for large amounts of files or folders, it would be much trouble to set them one by one. Care must be taken when using this method as data loss might occur if you make a mistake in the process.

Besides, many users complain that Windows 10 File Sharing not working when they share files or folders. Some users said that it can’t recognize other computers. In a situation like this, you’d better to use an alternative - AOMEI Backupper. This powerful tool breaks through the limitations of the built-in utility and allows users to easily transfer files between computers through the file synchronization feature.

AOMEI Backupper

To sync files with AOMEI Backupper, click here.

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

Way 3: Transfer data between two laptops via OneDrive

Cloud storage like OneDrive makes it simple to copy files between laptops. More pleasing, you can get 5GB of online storage for free. Learn how to transfer files via OneDrive below:

Step 1. On the source laptop, enter “OneDrive” in the search box and select it from the list of results.

Step 2. Sign in with your Microsoft account and follow the wizard to complete OneDrive setup.

Step 3. Open File Explorer and click OneDrive from the left panel. Then, drag the files you want to transfer into the OneDrive folder.

Step 4. On the destination laptop, open OneDrive app and log into the same account.

Step 5. The app will sync files to the OneDrive folder on your second device automatically. Copy the files to a new location on your laptop as you wish.

Verdict

How to transfer files from laptop to laptop in Windows 10? File Sharing and OneDrive can be a good choice. However, AOMEI Backupper Standard is highly recommended because it is easier to use and offers more advanced options. Apart from the file sync feature, this software offers the clone feature to help you transfer data from HDD to SSD. Why not try it now?