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Installing on Windows

Updated

Written for Synergy 3 (v3.8.4) and Synergy 1 (v1.22.3), checked 20 October 2026.

Operating system: Windows

For business and enterprise customers: to install on many computers at once, see: Deploying across your organization, including silent install on Windows

What you need before installation

  • An active Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 license
  • The installation file for your product from the download page
  • At least two computers, each with its own screen
  • Administrator privileges on all computers to install Synergy 1 or Synergy 3
  • Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection (computers must be on the same network)
  • The same product on every computer, since Synergy 1 and Synergy 3 aren't guaranteed to work with each other

The Windows versions each product supports are listed in: Operating system and hardware requirements

Windows on an Arm processor? Use Synergy 1, with Download (Arm64); Synergy 3 has no build for Windows on Arm.

For business and enterprise customers: a Synergy Business license includes both products, so use Synergy 1 on all your computers.

For personal, non-commercial customers: with a personal Synergy 3 license, you can ask us to build Synergy 3 for Windows on Arm: Contacting our support team

Switching a computer from Synergy 3 to Synergy 1? Uninstall Synergy 3 first, or the Synergy 1 installer stops with "A later version of Synergy is already installed. Setup will now exit." The steps are in: Reinstalling or uninstalling

A computer can have Synergy 1 or Synergy 3, not both: installing Synergy 3 replaces Synergy 1 by itself.

Installation steps

  1. Get the latest version of Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 from the download page, with Download (64-bit). For Synergy 1 Enterprise, log in with the email address your license is on. How to choose your product on the download page is covered in: Downloading the latest or an older version
  2. Save the MSI file to a convenient location on your computer.
  3. Double-click the downloaded MSI file in your Downloads folder (or wherever you downloaded it to).
  4. Click Next.
  5. If the installer shows its license agreement:
    1. Select I accept the terms in the License Agreement.
    2. Click Next.
  6. Keep the default install folder and click Next.
  7. Click Install. The installer adds the Windows firewall exceptions Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 needs.
  8. Click Yes on the pop-up that appears with the message "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?"
  9. Click Finish.
    • Synergy 3: the app opens.
    • Synergy 1: the app opens while Run Synergy when finished is ticked, as it is unless you clear it.
  10. Activate the app:
    • Synergy 3:
      1. On the Welcome to Synergy 3 screen, click Continue to login.
      2. Enter the email address and password of the account that has an active Synergy 3 license.
      3. Click Log in.

      You can use your serial key instead: on the Welcome to Synergy 3 screen, click Use serial key manually, paste the serial key from your account page, and click Continue. Both work, as explained in: How license activation works

    • Synergy 1: Synergy 1 Enterprise has no serial key, so skip this step. Otherwise, when Synergy 1 first opens, it asks you to Enter your serial key:
      1. Log in to your account page.
      2. Click the copy button next to your serial key, under Serial key on your license.
      3. Paste the serial key into Synergy 1.
      4. Click OK.
      5. Click OK again on the message that thanks you for entering your serial key.
  11. Name your computer:
    • Synergy 3:
      1. Under Name your computer, enter a name for your computer that you haven't used for another computer (for example, Windows-One).
      2. Click Next.

      Then follow the instructions on screen to configure Synergy 3.

    • Synergy 1: the app names your computer after its Windows computer name, shown next to This computer's name: in the main window. To change it, click the edit button beside the name, type the new name and press Enter. No spaces or special characters, but dashes, underscores and dots will work (for example, WindowsOne, Windows-One or Windows_One).
  12. Repeat steps 1 to 11 on all computers that will be part of your setup, with the same product on each.
  13. Set up and configure: once Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 is installed, you can connect your computers and share your peripherals. For the steps, see: Arranging your computers or Connecting your computers

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