Synchronise multiple computers

Synchronisation
But the best solution is to automatically synchronise your files across your various computers ­ – and modern technology has made this possible. You can work on your personal accounts or Powerpoint presentation and have access to these documents on any computer, irrespective of operating system, wherever the computer is located in the world.

With fast broadband, push synchronisation is now possible, so as soon as you update the file on your computer, the synchronisation software should recognise that a flagged file has been altered and then automatically sync this online.

How does the synchronisation process work? In effect, these applications are a step up from the traditional online backup tools. You download an application, open an online account (choosing the amount of space you require for your files), install and then decide which files you might want to synchronise across your computers. For example, you could synchronise your work documents, audio tracks, fonts and desktop images.

The next step is to install the same synchronisation tool on the other computers where you want your most important files. Synchronisation is a two-way process. If you alter your accounts files on your desktop PC, the same files will appear on your Mac laptop. If you alter a document on your laptop, it will be synchronised back to your desktop PC.

Tools for the job
Sugarsync is a synchronisation tool for the PC, Mac and iPhone (you can sync audio, video and similar files with your iPhone and view them on the move), which offers an initial 45-day trial. The Starter Plan offers you 10GB of online storage at $24.99 per year (approx £14), which is more than enough if you plan to synchronise basic documents and work files.

Install Sugarsync on a PC and/or Mac and select the files you want to synchronise. One of the better features is the facility to sync files between your Documents folder, whether you are on a PC or Mac. As an example, if your accounts are in a folder called Accounts in My Documents on your PC, Sugarsync will synchronise these files so you have the same folder in your Documents folder on your Mac. Any files you place in this folder will be synchronised across each computer.

With Sugarsync, you’re not limited to installing the software manager on every computer where you want access to your files. As your files are stored online, you simply open a web browser on any computer, log in to your secure account and access your files as if they were on your home PC. Your Accounts folder will be present within Documents online. Simply select the documents you want on your host PC and download.