Windows 7 / Getting Started

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File and Data Synchronization

While using mobile computers, sometimes you are connected to a corporate network and other times you are not. Sometimes you might want to work on the files stored on a network server even when you are not connected to the network that holds the network server. You might also want to connect mobile devices such as phones and PDAs to your mobile computer or desktop computer so that information can be copied back and forth.

The Windows 7 Sync Center provides a single easy-to-use interface to manage data synchronization between multiple computers including network servers and with mobile devices you connect to your computer. To start the Sync Center, click the Start button, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Sync Center to generate the screen.

To set up synchronization between two computers, you create a sync partnership between two or more sync locations, which specifies what files and folders to sync, where to sync them, and when. You can schedule an automatic sync on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, or when a specific event occurs, such as every time you log on to your computer. You can also perform a manual sync at any time, such as when you are getting ready to disconnect a mobile PC from the network and want to make sure you have the latest copies of files on a network server.

Note: The ability to sync with network folders is not included in Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic, or Windows 7 Home Premium.

Every time you sync files between two locations (such as between a computer and a mobile device), Sync Center compares the files in both locations to see if they still match or if any have changed. It determines if any files need to be updated in order to stay in sync.

If the files differ, Sync Center determines which version of each file to keep and copies that version to the other location, overwriting the other version there. It selects the most recent version to keep, unless you have set up the sync partnership to sync differently. Sometimes, Sync Center prompts you to choose which version of a file to keep. This usually occurs when a file has changed in both locations since the last sync. When this happens, Sync Center notifies you of a sync conflict, which you must resolve before it can sync the items in conflict.

When you set up the synchronization, you may set up a one-way or two-way synchronization. In one-way sync, files are copied from a primary location to a secondary location, but no files are ever copied back to the primary location. In two-way sync, Sync Center copies files in both directions, keeping the two locations in sync with each other. Most sync partnerships are automatically set up to perform either one-way or two-way sync, although some sync partnerships let you choose.

You might set up two-way sync between a network folder and your computer, where you instruct Sync Center to copy the newest version of any file it finds to the other location, overwriting any older versions of the same file. This is a good way to sync if you work with the same files on both the network folder and your computer, and you want to make sure you always have the most recent version of every file you've worked on.

You might set up one-way sync for a portable music player, for example, where you instruct Sync Center to copy every new music file from your computer to the mobile device but never to copy music files in the other direction (from the device to your computer).