Netbook Network

Having multiple computers can be a pain in terms of keeping your files in check. If you have a laptop and a desktop, some work that you did on your laptop will have to be transferred via flash drive or e-mail to have the files moved onto your desktop computer. You can solve this problem by using Windows Live Mesh – a new application in the 2011 edition of Windows Live Essentials. Windows Live Mesh is a program that can sync your files across multiple computers, and works in the background so it doesn’t interfere with your productivity.

First, you have to get yourself a copy of Windows Live Essentials 2011. Windows Live Mesh is packaged within Windows Live Essentials, and you don’t have to install the other programs in WLE to use Windows Live Mesh.

After that, run the application and login with your Live ID. Don’t have one? You’ll need to sign up.

Upon logging in, you’ll be presented with Windows Live Mesh’s main screen (see image above). To start syncing a folder, click on the “Sync a folder” button. Select the folder you want to sync – I chose my music folder. The folder will be tagged to sync on your Live ID.

In order to sync across multiple computers, you have to install Windows Live Mesh on all the computers you want to sync with as well. Windows Live Mesh supports Live Skydrive, and offers you 5gb of storage if you want to keep your files online as well. Once you’ve installed Windows Live Mesh on all the computers you want to sync with, go back to the application and click on “Select Devices“.

From here, you can check off which computers you want the selected folder to sync with. On the selected computers, you must select a location to have the files placed. Click on the “Location” link and an explorer menu will pop up.

On the computers you’ve synced a folder with, you’ll be prompted with an Explorer window to choose which folder will be synced to. You can always turn on and off sync for any folder on any system.

Congratulations! You’ve now synced a folder. Remember that all computers with Windows Live Mesh can upload and download to keep files consistent across computers.