How to Connect a Laptop to a Desktop PC Using USB

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Transfer files between computers via USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt

Written by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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Windows

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Mac (Intel Models)

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Mac (Apple Silicon Models)

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Video

Now that wireless networks are just about everywhere, it's super easy to transfer files between your desktop and laptop computers. But if you can't connect one or both computers to Wi-Fi, things get tricky. Having an Ethernet cable on hand is one way to connect your computers, but you can also use your USB and/or Thunderbolt ports if you have the right cables. This wikiHow teaches you how to connect a PC laptop to a desktop using a bridging cable, and how to connect a MacBook to a Mac Desktop using a USB or Thunderbolt cable.

Connect a Desktop and Laptop with USB

If you’re connecting two Windows computers, you’ll need a special USB bridging cable. These cables come with their own file transfer software.
To transfer files between Macs with Intel processors, you’ll need a Thunderbolt cable. Put the Mac you want to share in Target Disk Mode.
Macs with Apple Silicon chips can transfer files over USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt using the Sharing option in Recovery Mode.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Windows

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1
Get a USB bridging cable. Connecting your PC laptop and desktop computers through USB ports requires a special bridging cable. These cables are also called USB networking cables, as they can "network" two computers through USB ports. Bridging cables look similar to male-to-male USB cables, but with chips in the middle of the cable (encased in hard plastic) that enable file transfers.^{[1]
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- USB bridging cables come in many forms, including USB-A to USB-A (standard USB on both ends) and USB-A to USB-C. Check both the desktop and the laptop to see what types of USB ports they have, and make sure to get the right cable.^{[2]
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Connect each end of the bridging cable to available USB ports. Many bridging cables come with their own file transfer software built into the cable. Simply plugging the cable into both PCs will prompt you to install software on each.^{[3]
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- Some cables come with software that you must install separately before setting up the bridge, so read the instructions that come with your specific product. There might be a disk or thumb drive included with the necessary software on it, or a link where you can download the software directly onto each computer.
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If you are not prompted to install software on your computers after connecting them with the bridging cable, go to the cable manufacturer's website and look for a Downloads section. You may need to download the software and run the installer manually.
You'll usually find the application at the top of the Windows Start menu in your recently-added apps list. In some cases, it doesn't matter which computer you open the app on, as either can now access files on both systems.^{[4]
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Research source} However, some bridging cables require you to install the software on both computers. Check the manual or visit the manufacturer’s website if you’re not sure.
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Follow any on-screen instructions to set up your USB bridge. Depending on the brand of cable you’re using, there might be some additional steps before you can start transferring files. For example, in some cases, the app might prompt you to enter a product key (located on the packaging or a label on the cable itself).
- If prompted to do so, restart your computer after setting up the software.
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Drag files between the local and remote computers. The "Local" or "This PC" area contains the files on the PC you're using now—so if you opened the software on the laptop, you'll see the files on the laptop here. The "Remote" area shows the files on the other computer. You can drag any file to or from the Remote PC to copy it as needed.^{[5]
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- File transfer can take a while over USB, so be patient.
- The file-sharing interface might vary depending on the specific software and type of cable you’re using.
- Some data transfer apps might offer additional options, such as syncing your files across both computers, transferring data from one computer to the other, dragging and dropping individual files, or virtually controlling one computer from the other.
When you're no longer waiting for files to transfer between computers, close the bridging cable software and remove the cable—you can do this safely without ejecting through Windows.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Mac (Intel Models)

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Know when to use this method. If both the desktop and laptop have Thunderbolt ports and Intel processors, you can use a Thunderbolt cable to connect them for file sharing.^{[6]
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Research source} Not all USB-C cables support Thunderbolt, and a non-Thunderbolt USB-C cable will not work if either Mac is running macOS 11 or later. To see if each Mac has an Intel processor, perform these steps on both computers:
- Click the
  Apple menu and select About This Mac.
- If you see "Processor" followed by the name of any Intel processor, you can use this method.
- If you see "Chip" followed by Apple M1 (or similar) on either the desktop or the laptop, see the method for connecting a silicon-based Mac.
- If you’re using two Macs running macOS X or earlier, you should be able to do this with a regular USB or USB-C cable.
Thunderbolt cables are essentially USB-C cables with added features, so the ports are the same that you'd use for USB-C peripherals. Most Thunderbolt cables have lightning bolts printed on each end of the cable.^{[7]
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Open System Settings on the Mac you want to share. You can share the hard drive from either the laptop or the desktop, it doesn't matter. You'll find System Settings in the Apple menu. If you’re using an older version of macOS, this might be called System Preferences.
- No matter which computer you share, you'll be able to transfer files to and from each computer's hard drives.
It’s near the top of the System Settings menu in the left menu pane. You can skip this step in some older versions of macOS.
It's the icon of a hard drive.^{[8]
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This will shut down your Mac and boot it into a special mode that allows you to share files over Thunderbolt.^{[9]
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On the computer that you didn't just restart, you should now see a hard drive icon on your desktop. Double-clicking this icon will display the contents of the shared computer's hard drive.
You can drag files from the computer with the shared drive into any folder on the computer you're using now, or vice-versa.^{[10]
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Eject the drive and reboot the shared computer. When you're finished, just drag that new hard drive icon from the desktop to the Trash to eject the shared disk. You can also right-click (or Ctrl-click) the disk and select Eject from the context menu. You can then shut down the shared computer by pressing its power button. When you restart it, it will come back up as normal.^{[11]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Mac (Apple Silicon Models)

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1
Know when to use this method. If either the desktop or laptop computer has an Apple silicon processor, use this method to connect the two computers with a USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt cable.^{[12]
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Research source} When you use this method, the Mac with an Apple silicon chip (if there's only one) will appear as an external hard disk to the other computer.^{[13]
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Research source} As of 2021, these models all have Apple silicon processors, and so will all newer models:
- iMac 24-inch (2021)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020)
- MacBook Air (2020)
- Mac Mini (2020)
Any of these cables will work, but for the best performance, use a Thunderbolt cable.
If both Macs have Apple silicon chips, shut down the one that has a hard drive you want to share with the other computer. To shut down the Mac, click the Apple menu and select Shut Down.
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Start the Mac up in Recovery Mode. Here's how:
- Press and hold the power button until "Loading Startup Options" appears. At that point, release the power button.
- Click Options.
- Click Continue.
- Log in with an administrator account and click Continue.
The selected hard drive is now accessible from the other Mac.^{[14]
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You'll see Network under "Locations" in the left panel of Finder.
You should see it listed in the Network section of the left Finder panel. A login screen will appear.
There will be no need to enter a password—just choose the account called Guest and click Connect to log in.^{[15]
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You can drag files from the computer with the shared drive into any folder on the computer you're using now, or vice-versa.^{[16]
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When you're finished, just click the Eject button (it's a triangle above a horizontal line) next to the shared drive in Finder to disconnect. At that point, you can restart the shared Mac to stop sharing.