How to Synchronize Folders

Sharing Folders on Windows

1. 
   Create the folder that you want to synchronize if necessary. If you want to synchronize a new folder rather than an existing folder, create a folder by doing the following:

   1. Go to the location in which you want to create the folder (e.g., the desktop).
   2. Right-click an empty space.
   3. Select New
   4. Click Folder
   5. Type in a name.
   6. Press ↵ Enter.
   7. Add files to the folder by dragging and dropping them onto the folder's icon.
2. 
   Open Start

   

   . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. The Start menu will pop up.
3. 
   Open File Explorer

   

   . Click the folder-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Start menu.
4. 
   Select the folder. Go to the location of the folder that you want to synchronize, then click the folder to select it.
5. 
   Click the Share tab. It's in the upper-left side of the folder. Doing so prompts a toolbar to appear at the top of the window.
6. 
   Click Specific people…. You'll find this option in the "Sharing" section of the toolbar. Clicking it prompts a new window to open.
7. 
   Click the

   

   drop-down box. It's near the top of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.
8. 
   Click Everyone. This option is in the drop-down menu.
9. 
   Click Add. It's to the right of the drop-down box. Doing so enables folder access for anyone on your network for your selected folder.
10. 
    Allow others to add or remove files. Click Read ▼ to the right of Everyone, then click Read/Write in the resulting menu.
11. 
    Click Share. This option is at the bottom of the window.
12. 
    Click Done. It's at the bottom of the window. This will close the window, signifying that your folder is now being shared with other computers on your network.
13. 
    Make sure that the other computer is on your network. In order to synchronize the folder between your two computers, both computers must be on the same wireless network.

    1. If the computer with which you want to synchronize files isn't on the same network, connect it to the same network before proceeding.
    2. You can check your computer's current network by clicking the Wi-Fi
       
       icon in the lower-right side of the screen (Windows) or the Wi-Fi
       
       icon in the upper-right corner of the screen (Mac) and looking at the top network name.
    3. This will work if your computers are both on the same wired (Ethernet) network as well.
14. 
    Access the shared folder from the other computer. Once you've shared the folder, the other computer should be able to view the folder's contents and add files to (or remove files from) the folder:

    1. Windows — Open File Explorer, click the other PC's name in the left-hand column of folders (you may need to scroll down first), and open the folder.
    2. Mac — Open Finder, click your PC's name in the lower-left side of the window, and open the folder.