How to Sync a Flash Drive

A flash drive, also known as a USB drive, is a portable memory stick capable of holding data. It's good to use when you are on the go for an important meeting, or sharing files with friends. Large file transfers from the PC to your flash drive and vice versa could take awhile, and sometimes there just isn't enough time. Synchronizing a flash drive will expedite the process.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Flash drive

Instructions

1. Download SyncToy from the Microsoft website and install it. You need to have Microsoft NET Framework v2.0, as well a 1GHz processor, 256MB of RAM and 20MB worth of free disk space.

2. Run SyncToy from the Start Menu. The "Create New Folder Pair" dialogue box will appear and ask you to choose the folders for synchronization.

3. Select the folders you want to synchronize by pressing the "Browse" button. Keep in mind that the left folder designates the PC's hard disk, while the right folder should be designated to the flash drive connected to your system. When you are finished, click "Next" to proceed.

4. Select the "Synchronize" when asked to select which method you wish to employ. You may also use "Echo," where synchronized data changes such as renames or deletions occur as they would on the flash drive. You also may choose "Contribute," where any synchronized data changes you do to the flash drive will directly affect data in the PC. When you have finished your selection, press "Next."

5. On the final window, select "Run" to begin the synchronization process. How quickly this finishes will depend on the specs of your PC.

References

• How to Sync Files between a PC & USB Thumb Drive

Resources

• Download SyncToy 2.1 from Microsoft