Automatic File Sync in Windows 11/10/8/7: 3 Free Ways

Automatic Sync Is Necessary

File sync is a great function to help you keep your folders or files identical in two locations. It can be regarded as a kind of file backup, but with more emphasis on data updates - if you made changes to the source directory, you can have the changes happen in the destination location as well. It could be very useful in the following scenarios:

• Keep an intact and updated copy of your important files in case of data loss or corruption.
• Share the latest version of files with co-workers.
• Transfer files from PC to PC on the same network.

The easiest way to do file sync is to make a copy of the folder and paste it to the target location. However, if the files in the source folder change frequently, it would be quite troublesome to copy the folder manually again and again.

Instead, if you set up an automatic syncing task, the files can be auto updated without manual intervention, thus saving your effort and minimizing human errors. But how can you do it in Windows 10, 11, or even earlier OS? Three ways will be described below.

Method 1. Auto Folder Sync in Windows via Easiest Tool

Here, we recommend AOMEI Backupper Standard to you, for its complete functions and simple interface. It works with Windows 11, 10, 8.1/8, 7, Vista, and XP, and provides a powerful Sync feature to help you synchronize files/folders flexibly with easy operation:

👍 Batch Sync	You are able to sync multiple folders simultaneously, thus saving you from tedious work.
⏰ Auto Sync	You can set up a schedule to run the file sync task daily, weekly, monthly or based on a special event.
💾 Supported Devices	It supports various source and target storage devices, including local/external drives, network locations, cloud, etc.
📂 Backup Features	It includes backup features to back up OS, files, partitions, and disks automatically.

You can simply download the freeware AOMEI Backupper Standard, and follow the guide below to get started:

Windows sync folders automatically via AOMEI Backupper:

Step 1. If you want to auto sync files/folders to an external device, connect it and make sure it can be detected by File Explorer first. Then launch the main interface of the software.

Step 2. To automatically sync files, here you need to click Basic Sync under the Sync tab.

Tip: Basic Sync performs one-way sync from the source location to the destination location. If you want to do two-way sync, please upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional.

Step 3. Click Add Folder to select the folders that you want to sync regularly. Then, click the column below to select a destination path to hold the synced folders.

Step 4. Click Schedule Sync and select daily, weekly, or monthly after enabling it. Then, click OK to exit.

Step 5. Click Start Sync > Add the schedule and start sync now to begin the process. When the process reaches 100%, click Finish. Congratulations, you have done automatic sync successfully.

Tip: 
Versatile sync settings are available in Options, such as:
• Comments: write a comment for your current operation.
• Email notification: set up email notification so that you can receive timely notifications about task results.
• Sync the deletions in the source directory to the destination: when files are deleted from the source directory, the same files in the destination directory will also be deleted.

Method 2. Windows Folder Sync via Sync Center

Before Windows 7, it may be difficult for users to sync files. Users must set up sync by a system administrator, which could be very complex for average users. However, there's a tool built in Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11 called Sync Center, which makes things much easier. That's because there are no server settings to worry about, and people can sync files by themselves.

How to run automatic file sync in Windows comptuers:

Note: You can only sync files on the network drive to local using Sync Center. If you want to sync local folders to network or other locations (external drive, cloud, etc.), please turn to method 1.

1. Open Sync Center.

• In Windows 11/10/8, type mobsync in the search box on taskbar and press Enter.
• In Windows 7, click Start button -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Sync Center.

2. In the pop-up window, click Manage offline files on the left pane.

3. In the next window, click Enable offline files and OK. Then, restart your computer to make changes take effect.

4. Search "\\IP address" or "\\hostname" from Start to open network drive. All shared folders will be displayed. Right click on the folder or file you want to sync and select Always available offline.

5. After the process is done, go to Sync Center again.  Click View sync partnerships in the left pane, and then double click the network drive. Select the folder you want to sync automatically, and then pitch on Schedule button on the menu bar. At last, follow the prompt to finish configuring auto sync.

But, there are some shortages in Sync Center. As mentioned above, it can’t sync local folders to another place. What’s more, when doing automatic sync, it will get an error if you don't change the password. 

Method 3. Windows Auto Sync Folders via OneDrive

Cloud storage enjoys great popularity nowadays. If you’d like to sync PC folders to cloud, OneDrive is a good choice. Microsoft offers 5GB of free storage space for each user. Learn how to sync local folders to OneDrive as follows:

1. Type “onedrive” in the search box. Click the top result and sign in with your Microsoft account.

2. On the This is your OneDrive folder screen, use the default folder location or change it to a new location and click Next.

3. Click Open my OneDrive folder to get to your OneDrive folder.

4. You can either drag and drop or copy and paste the files/folders you wish to sync into the OneDrive folder. The client will then automatically synchronize them to the OneDrive website.

FAQs about Automatic Sync

1. Can I sync files between network drives and local folders?

Yes, you can use Sync Center or AOMEI Backupper to sync files between local folders and network drives. This can be particularly useful for businesses or users who need to share files across multiple systems or locations.

2. Can I sync files between Windows and cloud storage services like OneDrive?

Yes, OneDrive is integrated into Windows and allows you to sync files automatically between your local system and the cloud. Files stored in your OneDrive folder are automatically synchronized across all devices connected to your account.

3. Is there a way to automatically sync files with a USB flash drive?

Yes, AOMEI Backupper enables you to sync files with a USB flash drive. There is a practical feature called “USB plug in” embedded in AOMEI Backupper. It will sync files to/from a USB drive once it detects the drive is connected.

Conclusion

There are three ways offered on this page to help you run automatic sync in Windows.

• If you want to sync network folders to local, pick Sync Center.
• If you want to sync local folders to cloud, choose OneDrive or other reputable cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox.
• To sync two folders automatically between various locations, AOMEI Backupper will do you a favor.

AOMEI Backupper allows you to sync folders on local/external/network drives to another location. Moreover, you can do the backup, restore, and disk clone with it. Don’t hesitate to give it a try!