SyncToy Windows 11: Is It Workable?
As a free tool in Microsoft’s PowerToys series, SyncToy enables you to easily synchronize files and folders. You initially need to create a folder pair (Left folder & Right folder) to sync. The folders & files can be on your external drive, local hard drive, or a network share on another PC.
SyncToy offers three different types of operation to sync your two folders:
- Synchronize: Two folders have the exactly same files. You can update the left or right folder and another folder also changes.
- Echo: It looks for changes in the left folder and makes the right folder match the left folder.
- Contribute: It is similar to Echo but it doesn’t delete any files.
If you use a Windows 11 PC, you may want to sync files and folders, then a question comes: will SyncToy work with Windows 11? As stated above, it is compatible with in Windows 10, 7, Vista, and XP but Windows 11 doesn’t support it. The latest version is SyncToy 2.1 which was discontinued in January 2021.
However, according to some videos and forums, some users can use SyncToy for Windows 11. To use this tool on your PC, you should try an additional tip – install .NET Framework 2.0.
SyncToy Windows 11 Download & How to Use
How can you use this tool in Windows 11? Do as follows:
Step 1: Install .NET Framework 2.0.
- Click the Start icon, enter Turn Windows features on or off and press Enter.
- In the Windows Features popup, check .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0), and click OK.
- Restart Windows 11 when done.
Alternatively, download .NET Framework 2.0 from Microsoft and install it using the downloaded file.
Step 2: Download SyncToy 2.1 from CNET and then run the SyncToySetupPackage_v21_x64.exe file to install this file sync tool on Windows 11.
Step 3: Launch SyncToy and then click Create New Folder Pair.
Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete a sync task. To find more information on how to sync folders using SyncToy, refer to our previous post – How to Use SyncToy Windows 10 for File Sync? Here Are Details.
MiniTool ShadowMaker: SyncToy Alternative for Windows 11
Although Microsoft SyncToy is a reliable tool and SyncToy Windows 11 can be workable after installing .NET Framework 2.0, some of you want an alternative to this software. If you need to automatically sync many folders, you need to turn to Task Scheduler. Besides, SyncToy isn’t officially compatible with Windows 11, so perhaps potential issues can happen during the process.
MiniTool ShadowMaker, a free PC backup software and file sync software, enables you to back up Windows & data and sync files and folders in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7.
When it comes to automatic file sync, this tool can satisfy your needs. Moreover, it supports a wide range of file types – pictures, videos, audio, Word/Excel documents, and more. Also, you can run MiniTool ShadowMaker to sync your data to a local drive, external drive, or a shared folder of another PC in the same LAN.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 1: Launch this SyncToy alternative for Windows 11 and click Keep Trial after loading.
Step 2: Under the Sync tab, go to SOURCE and choose the files or folders you want to sync. Then, tap DESTINATION to choose a target.
Step 3: Click Sync Now to begin the sync task.
Verdict
From this post, much information on SyncToy Windows 11 has been introduced. You can still run this software on your Windows 11 PC after installing .NET Framework 2.0. Follow the given guide for this task. Or, run MiniTool ShadowMaker – an alternative to SyncToy to easily sync folders and files in Windows 11.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 7 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.