How to Use Rsync Windows & Rsync Alternative for Windows 10

What Is Rsync

Rsync stands for remote synchronization. It is a Linux/Unix-based utility for local and remote data backup and synchronization. Using the Rsync command, you can synchronize files and directories across directories, disks, or networked computers.

Also see: How to Install Linux (Ubuntu) on Windows 10 [Ultimate Guide 2021]

Advantages of Rsync

• It can efficiently copy files to or synchronize files from remote systems.
• It supports copying links, devices, owners, groups, and permissions.
• It uses compression and decompression methods to send and receive data at both ends at the same time, so the occupied bandwidth utilization is low.
• It is faster than SCP (secure copy) because Rsync uses the remote update protocol, which only allows the difference between the two sets of files to be transferred.

How to Use Rsync

This part is about how to use Rsync for Windows. The details are as follows.

Step 1: Install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

There are many ways to run Linux commands in Windows 10. One is Linux and Windows dual boot, which allows you to choose which system to start at boot, but it may be troublesome, especially when you don’t try to use Linux often.

Therefore, it is more recommended to install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on your computer. It is used as a Windows utility that enables you to run Linux distributions in command line mode. This is a relatively simple way to use Rsync in Windows 10, and it is also applicable to other Linux utilities.

You can refer to this post – Guide to Install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) in Win 10 to get the detailed steps of installing WSL.

Step 2: Install Rsync

You can use the following command in your Linux distribution to install the Rsync package. Different distributions have the corresponding command. You need to choose it based on your Linux distribution.

On Debian/Ubuntu & Mint – $ sudo apt-get install rsync  

On Arch Linux – $ pacman -S rsync             

On Gentoo – $ emerge sys-apps/rsync       

On Fedora/CentOS/RHEL and Rocky Linux/AlmaLinux – $ sudo dnf install rsync      

On openSUSE – $ sudo zypper install rsync   

Step 3: Start to Use Rsync

Some common options are used with the Rsync command.

• -v: verbose mode
• -z: Compress file data.
• -r: Recursively copy data (but does not retain time stamps and permissions when transferring data.
• -a: Archive mode, allowing recursive copying of files, it also preserves symbolic links, file permissions, user and group ownership, and timestamps.
• -h: Human-readable, output numbers in a human-readable format.

Here we take backing up to an external drive using Rsync as an example. First, you need to connect the drive to your PC. You should be able to see the drive in Windows Explorer. In the Linux terminal, the mounted drive is located in /mnt.

Step 1: Input ls /mnt to list your drives. The letter Windows assigned to your drive partitions will be listed.

Step 2: Maybe you will not find your external drive partition here since it is mounted by Windows, not by a Linux machine. Thus, you need to input the following commands. (J can be replaced with any other partition number)

sudo mkdir /mnt/j

sudo mount -t drvfs J: /mnt/j

Step 3: Input the following command to see the contents of the partition.

ls /mnt/j

Step 4: Suppose you want to back up C:\data\ to J:\. You need to input the following command.

sudo rsync -avn /mnt/c/data/ /mnt/j/

If you want to back up data to the remote server (such as NAS drive) using Rsync. The instructions are as follows.

Here in this example, a directory /abc/djskah which is on a remote server is being copied in your local computer in /efg/klagd. You should type the following command.

rsync -avzh [email protected]/abc/djskah /efg/klagd

Rsync Alternative for Windows 10

From the content above, you can find that as a command in Linux, Rsync can be used in Windows 10, but the process is complicated and time-consuming. Thus, to back up and synchronize files locally and remotely more conveniently, there is a Rsync alternative – MiniTool ShadowMaker for you.

MiniTool ShadowMaker is a professional file backup and sync software. It allows you to sync your files between two computers and it also allows you to back up and restore files & folders and the system you need.

Thus it can help you protect your important data and perform data recovery. Other functions are also available, such as cloning disk and creating bootable media to boot the computer.

This free backup software offers a Trial Edition that allows a 30-day free trial for all backup features.

Now, we will show you how to back up data step by step with pictures.

Step 1: Download and install MiniTool ShadowMaker and launch it, click Keep Trial to continue.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 2: After entering its main interface, go to the Backup page. Then click the Source module to choose the backup source. As for data backup, please choose Folders and Files to continue and choose the files you want to back up.

Step 3: Returning to the Backup page, click the Destination module to select the destination path to save the backup image. It is recommended to choose an external hard drive. Here, you can also choose NAS drive as your destination.

To get an extraordinary file backup experience, there are three important things you can do.

• MiniTool ShadowMaker is a user-friendly program that enables you to set an automatic file backup by clicking the Schedule button.
• MiniTool ShadowMaker also provides three different backup schemes so that it enables you to manage disk space by deleting some old backup images. The Incremental backup scheme is chosen by default and you can click the Scheme feature to change.
• You can set some advanced backup parameters such as changing image creation mode, compressing files size, and so on by clicking the Options button.

Step 4: After having successfully selected the backup source and destination, you can click Back up Now to perform the data backup action immediately. Or you can choose to click Back up Later to delay the process of files backup.

When the process is finished, you have successfully backed up files and have protected the data. From the above information, you can see MiniTool ShadowMaker is a great Rsync alternative, which is very easy and convenient to back up files.

You can also use the Sync feature of MiniTool ShadoaMaker to back up your data. Detailed operating steps are listed as follows:

Step 1: Enter Main Interface

Step 2: Specify Folders and Path to Sync

• Go to the Sync page and click it in the toolbar.
• Specify the source and destination for files sync.

What to Sync

1. Go to the Source section.
2. Under the Sourcetab, three paths are available: Administrator, Libraries, and Computer. You can choose a source to select files. Then click OKto continue.

Where to save synchronized folders

Under the Destination tab, there are four paths available: Administrator, Libraries, Computer, and Shared. To sync files to NAS, choose Shared, type Path, User name and Password in sequence, and click OK to finish.

Step 3: Start to Sync Files

• Please go to Sync.
• You can click Sync Now to perform file sync or click Sync Later to postpone it. Besides, you can continue this sync task on the Manage page.

If you want to sync files automatically, you can also click the Schedule button. Here are also four schedule settings available: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and On Event. You can choose one to set up a time point and click the OK button to confirm the setting for automatic file sync.

If you want to set some advanced sync parameters, you can click the Options button. Here, you can compare and filter the files that you want to sync.

You can also try Windows snap-in tool – Backup and Restore (Windows 7) to back up data. Here is how to use it step by step. It is also a Rsync alernative.

Step 1: Type Control Panel in the search box of Windows 10 and choose it to continue.

Step 2: In the popup window, choose the Backup and Restore (Windows 7)  link to continue.

Step 3: Next, click Set up backup under Back up or restore your files section to go on.

Step 4: Now, you are required to decide where you want to save the backup images and click Next to continue.

Step 5: In the next window, you will see two options. If you want to choose the backup source by yourself, you need to select the Let me choose option and click Next to continue.

Step 6: Select the files you want to back up and click Next to continue.

Step 7: Then you need to review your backup settings. And if you want to set an automatic backup or change the backup schedule, you can click Change schedule to continue. Next, click Save settings and run backup to perform the data backup action.

Step 8: Then the file backup process will begin. After that, you have successfully backed up your files.

How to Use Backup and Restore Windows 7 (on Windows 10)

This article tells how to use Backup and Restore Windows 7, this Windows built-in free backup software, to backup and restore Windows 10 or Windows 7 PC.

Read More

Bottom Line

Here is the information about Rsync Windows 10. You can know what it is and how to use it. However, it’s complicated and time-consuming. Thus, you can try the Backup feature and Sync feature of MiniTool ShadowMaker as the Rsync alternative for Windows 10.

If you have any questions about Rsync Windows 10, you can share them in the comment zone. Besides, if you have any problem with the MiniTool software, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the email [email protected].