Can we say the Sync Center is redundant if we have SyncToy installed? It seems that the Sync Center only works with networked files not local folders while the SyncToy seems to do everything one can imagine. In what circumstances one would use SyncCenter instead of SyncToy? Only inconvenience I can think of is one has to download SyncToy while Sync Center comes with the Windows 7 system.

Hi, Sync Center comes with Vista and Seven and automatically syncs files whenever you access them. You can also force a sync. It has very few options to configure, you just choose a file or folder in explorer that's not on your main drive and click "Always Available Offline" I use it to maintain a backup of some important files, its a little counter intuitive for this because you have to move them off your pc first, then say you want them available offline, then you get them back again but synced! It has limitations with memory sticks, it treats these as media devices and so you cannot sync documents only media. You also cannot sync to a network drive unless you have the Pro or Ultimate versions Sync Toy is a free add on from Microsoft, one of their power toys, it pretty much does everything that Sync Center does and more and without the limitations with versions. The big difference though is that its not automatic, you either have to ask it to sync or create a schedule task to do it. Please refer below link will help you. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa369140(v=vs.85).aspxMohammed Imtiyaz Ali

Yes, what I am doing is also for the purpose of backing up some folders where in one case one of the folders is in one of the computers that is not always turned on and in another case the folder is in an external drive which is not always connected. I am trying to find the easiest way to do them. I have tried again and again, Sync Center doesn't seem to sync folders in an external drive because the "Always available offline" option is not available. Neither can I find the option with memory sticks. I have only a Windows 7 Pro edition and a Windows 7 Ultimate edition. So is there no Windows Sync with Window 7 Home edition? I wonder. Nevertheless we can always install the SyncToy on Windows 7 Home, can't we? One of the things I don't like about the SyncToy is that it has to go through all the files again every time when I want to do a sync. It could take ages for big folders. I wonder if Sync Center has the same problem. I can't test this with the Sync Center as I am afraid it might take up too much space or time.