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Want to be able to use both Laptop and Desktop indepenently with same files, apps, etc.

Anonymous
2023-08-04T20:40:30+00:00

I've been using my HP Envy laptop for a while and just got a Dell Optiplex desktop. I have my OneDrive synced and updated, but I want to make both devices identical in set-up, display, everything. At the moment, not even my wallpapers have changed after syncing. I want to be able to be able to use anything on one device and switch to the other device if needed without losing saved progress. For a somewhat unrealistic example, play the same world save on Minecraft Java

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-08-05T04:12:39+00:00

    Hello, IBetThisNamesOk

    Welcome to Microsoft Community.

    I understand that you want to sync your laptop and desktop in Windows 10, 11 so that you can use both devices interchangeably with the same files, apps, settings, and even game progress. This is possible, but it may require some steps and tools to achieve.

    • First, you need to make sure that you are using the same Microsoft account on both devices. This will allow you to sync some of your settings, such as your desktop theme, language preferences, passwords, and accessibility options. To do this, go to Settings > Accounts > Windows backup on both devices and turn on Remember my preferences. You can also choose which settings you want to sync or not.
    • Second, you need to sync your files and folders across both devices. One way to do this is to use OneDrive, which is a cloud storage service that comes with Windows 10 and 11. You can set up OneDrive to automatically sync your files and folders from your devices to the cloud and vice versa. To do this, go to Settings > Accounts > OneDrive **** folder syncing on both devices and turn it on1. You can also select which folders you want to sync or not.
    • Third, you need to sync your apps and games across both devices. This may be more challenging, depending on the type and source of the apps and games you use. For apps that you download from the Microsoft Store, you can use the Remember my apps option in Settings > Accounts > Windows backup on both devices. This will help you restore the apps you have installed from the Microsoft Store on your new device. However, this may not work for apps that you install from other sources, such as web browsers or third-party software. For those apps, you may need to manually install them on both devices and configure them accordingly.

    For games that you play on Windows 10 or 11, there are different ways to sync your game progress across both devices. For games that you play through the Xbox app or the Xbox Game Pass app, you can use the cloud save feature that automatically syncs your game progress to the cloud. To do this, make sure that you are signed in with the same Microsoft account on both devices and that you have an active Xbox Game Pass subscription or own the game digitally. For games that you play through other platforms, such as Steam or Epic Games Store, you may need to check if they support cloud save or not. If they do, make sure that you are signed in with the same account on both devices and that you have enabled cloud save in the settings of the platform or the game. If they don’t, you may need to manually copy and paste your game save files from one device to another using a USB drive or a cloud storage service.

    See more details and steps from the following article:

    -<How to Sync Your Computers | Microsoft Windows>-<About Windows backup and sync settings - Microsoft Support>

    Best regards,

    Chandy |Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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