How to share files between PCs/Making a drive connected to the netwrok

Kelp5127 · February 15, 2020

So I often switch between more than one computer. I have my laptop and my more powerful desk top as well as another PC i use sometimes for testing.
I now use both around the same amount and have began to run into an issue, file differences. When i first built my PC i simply copied all the files from my laptop on to the PC and it worked fine.
But now that i use both. Sometimes I will go to find a file/do something on my laptop. Only to find that nope, you saved that onto your PC. Well now to find it i gotta boot up my PC (if i'm even at a point where i can), find a USB drive, put it on there and then put it onto my laptop.
Is it possible to take an extra drive from my PC per say, and make it so other devices on the network can connect to it and take/put files onto it? Iv'e heard about people building PCs just for the purpose of something like media consumption. But i don't really need an entire PC, i just want a way to be able to access some files from different computers at my house. (If i'm on the go i don't expect to be able to do this.)
Does anyone know anything about this or a way to do it?
Sorry if the answer is obvious.

Electronics Wizardy · February 15, 2020

Yea you can easily make a share in windows by going under a folder or drive properties, then share it and set permissions.

vanished · February 15, 2020

You could choose a "main" computer to leave on at all times and simply share its files as stated above so all other machines can access it. You could even build/buy another machine to serve this purpose. The downside is that the files are only ever on that machine and if you travel away from your home network you won't have access, at least not without some extra faffing around with a VPN.

Another method is to use something like Resilio Sync, which will allow you to keep a copy of all of your files on every machine, and maintain synchronization between them. Anything changed on one will be reflected on the others. Something like OneDrive will serve a similar purpose, but rather than being directly PC to PC, it inserts "the cloud" into the chain. Depending on your needs, you may find this to be a benefit or a disadvantage. Worth noting that Resilio is free since it is nothing but an application to facilitate the transfer of files directly and automatically between your own machines, while OneDrive will cost money for any respectable amount of space since a copy is stored in the cloud.