SyncCrate
Team Fortress 2 guide · Updated
Same TF2 custom content for the whole team.
Share a HUD and configs with your team, or give a LAN party the custom maps before the first round. SyncCrate copies the host's custom, maps and config folders to each PC, and after the first time only what changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why sharing TF2 custom content is a chore
Team Fortress 2 has a long tradition of custom content: HUDs, hitsounds, crosshairs, model and sound replacements, and class configs in cfg. Getting a group onto the same setup means sending folders around and explaining where each one goes, and doing it again whenever the HUD updates.
Custom maps are the other half. On a community or LAN server, players download the map when they join, which can be slow, and at a LAN party everyone does it at the same moment.
SyncCrate copies the host's custom content, maps and configs to each PC. Files are compared by content, only the differences are copied, and you see the list before anything changes.
// 02 What syncs
What SyncCrate syncs for Team Fortress 2
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Custom (HUDs, Skins, Sounds) | custom/Everything in tf/custom: HUDs, hitsounds, crosshairs and other custom content, as folders or .vpk files. | All files |
| Maps | download/maps/Custom maps (.bsp, .nav) in tf/download/maps, where the game keeps maps downloaded from servers. | .bsp .nav |
| Configs | cfg/Configs like autoexec.cfg and class configs. The game's own config.cfg with your keybinds and settings is never synced. | .cfg .txt |
// Where it looks
- Steam
steamapps/common/Team Fortress 2/tfin every Steam library, on every drive- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for Team Fortress 2
- Turn mods on and off. Disabled mods move to a
_Disabledfolder the game doesn't load. - Game-running warning. SyncCrate warns you before syncing while Team Fortress 2 is still open.
- Undo and history. Undo the last sync in one click, and put back any single file a sync replaced or deleted.
// 03 How it works
Sync Team Fortress 2 in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add Team Fortress 2 in the Game Browser. Its folder is found automatically.
One PC hosts
The PC with the setup everyone should have clicks Start Hosting. The others pick it under Scan for Hosts on the same network, or paste its join code from anywhere.
Compare and sync
Check the list of new, changed and conflicting files, then Sync Now. Only the files that differ are copied, PC to PC.
TipClose TF2 on the PC that's receiving files before you sync. The game reads custom content at start, so changes take effect after a restart.
// 04 Common problems
When Team Fortress 2 mods don't match
Everyone installs the HUD differently
A HUD in the wrong folder, an extra subfolder level, or an older version on one PC, and it doesn't load or looks broken.
Everyone syncs the host's
customfolder, so the HUD arrives in the same place and version on every PC.Custom maps at a LAN party
When ten players join a server running a custom map, each one downloads it at once, often slowly.
Sync the maps from the host before the first round. Files go PC to PC at local network speed.
Configs that should be shared, and ones that shouldn't
A team's class configs or a shared
autoexec.cfgare worth copying. Your own keybinds and video settings aren't.The
cfgfolder syncs, butconfig.cfg, where the game saves your own settings, is always skipped. The host can also keep the configs folder private.Content that doesn't load on some servers
Servers with
sv_pureturned on only allow custom files they permit, so some model, texture or sound replacements don't load there. That's the server's choice.SyncCrate copies files into the folders the game already reads custom content from. It doesn't change the game or bypass
sv_pure, so what loads is still up to each server.
// 05 Team Fortress 2
Good to know
- No cheats. SyncCrate is for HUDs, configs, sounds and maps. VAC bans for cheat software, so never sync anything you wouldn't install yourself, and only sync with people you trust.
- The game's own files aren't touched. Only the
custom,download/mapsandcfgfolders sync. - Steam installs are found automatically, in any Steam library.
// FAQ
Team Fortress 2 questions
Where does TF2 custom content go?
In Team Fortress 2/tf/custom, one folder or .vpk per mod. SyncCrate syncs that folder, custom maps from tf/download/maps and configs from tf/cfg.
Can custom content get me banned?
HUDs, configs, hitsounds and similar custom files are a normal part of TF2. VAC is about cheat programs. SyncCrate only copies files into TF2's normal custom content folders and doesn't touch the game itself, but check what you sync, and only sync with people you trust.
Does it sync my keybinds?
No. config.cfg, where TF2 saves your own binds and settings, is always skipped. Shared configs like autoexec.cfg do sync.
Can I share custom maps before a LAN party?
Yes. Put the maps in tf/download/maps on the host, and friends sync them at home the night before with the join code, or at the party over the LAN.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same Team Fortress 2 setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.