What is a mirror folder?
Mirror folder is a real-time mirroring and synchronization software integrated with Windows, which can help you mirror one or more important folders to local/network/removable drive or sync the entire local disk to another internal disk. The process can be auto-sync or in real-time. Once you set a mirror, mirroring/synchronization will be done quietly in the background as if you did nothing.
What does it mean to mirror files?
Mirroring files means to make an exact copy of original files on different locations, that’s redundancy or fault tolerance, so you can get your files back instantly. Below are some situations you may want to mirror/sync files and folders.
- Sync folders on the local drive to another internal/external/network drive.
- Sync files between a laptop and desktop computer over network.
- Sync files between two computers that are in the same location.
- Migrate entire system drive to another drive.
Now learn how to perform folder mirroring in Windows with two effective tools below.
Method 1: Mirror folder in Windows 10 via AOMEI Backupper
AOMEI Backupper Professional, a specialized file sync tool designed for Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP, is worth trying.
✨With its clear interface and user-friendly design, users even the novices can find all options effortlessly, operate like a professional and get the final result clearly. ✨It supports 4 different sync solutions to meet different users' needs. They are Basic Sync, Mirror Sync, Two-Way Sync and Real-Time Sync. ✨You are allowed to schedule sync files in daily/weekly/monthly, or use specific event triggers and USB plug in feature.
Download and install the best file sync software on your computer now.
Easiest folder mirroring software for Windows PC.
Before you use AOMEI Backupper Professional to mirror one or more folders, you need to make some preparations:
- If you want to mirror folder to external hard disk, please connect the prepared device and be sure it can be detected.
- If you want to mirror folder to network drive, you need to make sure your computer and the network drive are connected.
- If you want to mirror folder to cloud storage, install the desktop app of the cloud you want to use and sign in on your computer.
Without further ado, let's get started to perform Windows mirror folder with the following steps.
Step 1. Launch AOMEI Backupper Professional, and then click “Sync” and “Mirror Sync”.
Note: If you want to mirror files or folders immediately when any changes occur, you could use "Real-Time Sync".
Step 2. Click "+ Add Folder" to select folder on your computer that you want to sync.
Step 3. Select a destination path.
>> To mirror folder to an external drive, click the destination box and "Select a local path". Then choose the previously connected removable device.
>> To mirror folder to network drive, click the destination box and "Add Share or NAS Devices". In the pop-up window, type IP address of the network drive and enter username and password if prompted. Then, you can choose the shared folder on network drive as destination.
>> To mirror folder to cloud storage, click the destination box and "Select a cloud drive". Then choose the cloud drive you signed in before.
Step 4. To automatically sync files, click “Schedule Sync” and select daily/weekly/monthly, event triggers, or USB plug in.
Notes: ◉ Event triggers: It allows you to sync files at a specific event, such as user logon, user logoff, system startup, system shutdown. ◉ USB plug in: A unique feature designed for USB device, which can automatically mirror files from or to USB flash drive when it's plugged in. ◉ Wake the computer to run scheduled tasks: Sync files anytime even without your attention, such as midnight.
Step 5. Click “Start Sync” to begin the mirroring process. Then, you will see the Finish button when the process is 100% completed.
Method 2: Windows 10 mirror folder with MirrorFolder software
MirrorFolder software can also help you mirror a folder in Windows 10. You can set auto sync, real-time sync or two-way sync as you like.
Well then, download MirrorFolder online and install it on your PC. Please note you need to restart your computer to complete the entire installation. It looks like a folder with two files. Follow the instructions below to mirror files or folders in Windows 10:
Step 1. Double-click MirrorFolder to access the main program and MirrorList tab. Then, click “New” at the next of source box.
Step 2. Click "Browse" for Source path and select the folder you want to mirror. Click "Browse" for Mirror path and select a target path to save the folder, then click “Ok” to apply. You can mirror important folders to local disk, network drive, or USB flash drive, etc.
Notes: ◉ To exclude subfolder, you should uncheck “Include all subfolders for mirroring” and tick “Exclude”, click “Add” and “Browse” subsequently to exact subfolder name. Also, you can exclude later by clicking Options for Source. ◉ To set more mirror, repeat Step 1 and Step 2 until you select all folders.
Step 3. By default, this tool mirrors for selected source, but you can change it to all sources from the context menu. Then, click “File” > “Save” and then "File" > “Synchronize” > “Synchronize All” to start the pending mirror.
Notes: ◉ If this is the first time for you to make a mirror, this tool will treat it as a change, so you will see a (*) sign in the upper right corner of MirrorList. Please remember to save changes before syncing, otherwise this tool will not mirror folder. ◉ The default sync mode is auto-sync. To change it in real-time, click “Options” at the right side of Mirrors for Selected source and check “Synchronize in real-time” under the SyncMode tab. ◉ To perform two-way data synchronization, click the SyncOptions tab and check “Bi-directional synchronization”.
Final words
That’s all for how to mirror folder in Windows 10. MirrorFolder can help you auto sync files or in real-time, but it’s really not user friendly and makes users feel confused. By contrast, AOMEI Backupper has an intuitive interface that make the mirroring process simple and efficient.
Except for file/folder sync, AOMEI Backupper can do more for you, such as system/disk/partition/file backup, NVMe SSD clone, etc. Try it now to discover more!
✍ You May Also Like
4 Free Tools | Sync Files to External Hard Drive in Windows 11/10