I was looking for a simple way to connect two laptops and exchange files without the hassle of endless configuration tweaks, and I stumbled across this amazing app from the PowerToys toolset called Mouse Without Borders. It’s free, and it revolutionizes how you interact with multiple machines. You can control up to four computers using a single mouse and keyboard, effectively turning them into one cohesive workspace. Here’s an easy guide to setting up Mouse Without Borders for connecting two laptops.
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Setting up Mouse Without Borders for two laptops
It’s easier than you might believe
First, you will have to download Microsoft PowerToys from Microsoft’s GitHub page or from the Microsoft Store and install it on both laptops. Make sure that you install the same version on both devices or update PowerToys on the device that has a lower version to be on the same page.
You also need to connect both laptops to the same network or Wi-Fi hotspot. Then, open PowerToys, look for Mouse Without Borders, and enable the feature on both devices.
The only step left to do is to actually connect the laptops. You will see a Security key field. Take the key from one device and press Connect on the other. Now, enter the security key from the other device and type its name; then, click the Connect button again.
You’re done! Below, you will see the names of the laptops. The remote device will have a green outline if the connection is active. Of course, you can connect two more devices if you want to, but you will have to use the same security key.
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Customizing the settings
There are plenty of options to choose from
If you scroll down in the connection window, you will see the available options to customize Mouse Without Borders. For instance, you can change the screen layouts, set up hotkeys for switching between devices, and tweak the clipboard sharing preferences for an optimized experience.
You can even designate how the screens are aligned for smoother cursor transitions, or turn on file transferring between the devices. For an added security feature, you can turn on IP validation for the remote device. This is great if you have an extended local network and you don’t want to risk interference or confusion.
Another useful option is Move mouse relatively, which is useful if the remote laptop (the one you connect to) has multiple monitors, or if it has different monitor settings.
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What can you do with Mouse Without Borders
The connected laptops behave as one
Basically, after you connect two or more (up to 4) devices, you will be able to work with them as they are one device. You will see that you can go with the mouse cursor from one device screen to the other and control both of them with one mouse and keyboard.
You can click on all the buttons, launch applications, and type on the remote laptop from the other one. However, the most exciting part of why I enabled Mouse Without Borders is that I can share files between them.
You can simply drag and drop files from one device to the other with your mouse as if it were the same system. The files will be copied into a dedicated Mouse Without Borders folder, and you can use them from there. Moreover, you can share the same clipboard. So, if you copy images or text from one device and press Win + V (to open the clipboard) on the other device, you can simply paste it wherever you want.
From my experience, however, this feature doesn’t always work, even if the file is under 100 MB (the limit for the clipboard feature). The developer recommends using Ctrl + Alt + Del, then hit Esc to fix it, and it worked for me.
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What I don’t like about Mouse Without Borders
The tool is definitely not perfect
While it’s really easy to install and set up, sometimes, it simply disconnects, and you have to refresh the connection. That’s not tragic because the app has a Refresh connections button, and pressing it fixed the problem immediately for me. That usually happens when one of the devices goes to sleep, or you’re using resource-heavy applications on one device.
Another problem is the file transfer speed, which is not ideal. If you want to transfer a file bigger than a few hundred megabytes, you have to be prepared to wait a while. I tried sending a 300 MB archive, and I waited more than five minutes for it to sync on the destination laptop.
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The worst part is that you don’t have any indication about how much it will take or the transfer status. The file will receive a green checkmark when it finishes syncing, so you have nothing else to do but wait. However, if you want to transfer small documents, images, and even a small archive, the transfer is almost instant.
No more complicated networking settings
Microsoft PowerToys’ Mouse Without Borders is a game-changer if you use multiple computers simultaneously. Whether you’re working on a project, testing software, or managing creative tasks, this tool eliminates the hassle of juggling devices and boosts your efficiency. It’s really a time-saver that I can’t live without.
