Intel Launches Thunderbolt Share for PC-to-PC File and Peripheral Sharing on Windows 11

Following the recent release of the Intel USB4Stream protocol enabling direct PC-to-PC file and peripheral sharing on Linux, Intel has officially released Thunderbolt Share for Windows, which accomplishes the same thing on Windows over a Thunderbolt 4 or 5 connection. Thunderbolt Share allows the same peripheral and file sharing, backup, and migration capabilities as the Linux USB4 protocol, but with an official GUI and somewhat more limited compatibility thanks to a required Thunderbolt Share certification. The software is currently available to download from Intel directly.

Thunderbolt Share works with a direct PC-to-PC connection as well as in cases where two systems are connected via an accessory, like a dock, hub, or monitor. Additionally, only one device in the chain needs to be Thunderbolt Share licensed. There is a list of Thunderbolt Share licensed products on a website hosted by Intel, although it currently appears to be limited to a handful of MSI laptops, nine ASUS, HP, and Lenovo pre-built desktops and DIY motherboards, a smattering of Thunderbolt docks and hubs, an ASUS Thunderbolt 5 expansion card, and a Sparkle Thunderbolt 5 eGPU dock.