First, activate file and printer sharing for Microsoft networks on both devices (desktop PC & laptop). To do this, proceed as follows:

• In the Windows 10 settings menu, click on “Network and Internet“
• Then change to adapter options
• Next, double click on your active network
• In the Window “Status of Ethernet“ auf “Properties“
• Check the Box next to “File and printer sharing for Microsoft networks“

See fig. (Click to enlarge)

With this, we have basically created the necessary basis to enable a network connection between our devices in the home network.

In the next step we assign a workgroup name. To do this, proceed as follows:

• In the Windows 10 Control Panel click on “System and Security“
• Then go to the point “System“
• In the following window you will see the basic information about your computer, and there click on “Change settings“
• In the “System Properties“ window go to “Change“ and assign a workgroup name
• After changing the workgroup name, you will be prompted to restart, which you should also do so that the changes take effect.

Note:
So that everything works in the end, the workgroup names must be the same on both devices (laptop and desktop PC).

See fig. (Click to enlarge)

In the last step, we now have to check the Windows 10 network sharing settings and adjust them if necessary. To do this, proceed as follows:

• Select the Network and Sharing Center in the Control Panel again
• Go to “Change advanced sharing settings“
• Turn on network discovery there and enable file and printer sharing
• Enable password-protected sharing

See fig. (Click to enlarge)

What we did in the previous steps was basically necessary first to be able to access the files of a network computer under Windows 10. But we are still faced with the challenge of automatically keeping the files up to date on both devices.

Because as already mentioned at the beginning, it all becomes very confusing at some point on which network computer the latest data is. Fortunately, there are also free software solutions with which you can also make incremental backups. What does that mean that the software checks the folders to be synchronized on both devices and only accepts the latest version there. The files and folders that have not been changed do not need to be synchronized. This of course saves a lot of time, depending on the number of folders to be synchronized.

Software solutions for file synchronization:

• All Sync
• Best Sync
• Toucan
• Puresync
• Free File Synctou