N-way synchronization of desktop images

A non-transitory computer-readable medium stored in a server computing system containing content for synchronizing a user desktop image across multiple computing devices connected via a network, by performing a method comprising:

• creating and storing a one-to-many mapping in which multiple distinct computing devices of a user are bound in a group to a single centralized virtual desktop (CVD) data object stored and maintained by the server, wherein the CVD data object defines one or more layers from a set comprising user files, user settings, application software, an operating system, and hardware dependent software;
• cloning one or more of the layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices, wherein the cloning one or more of the layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices further comprises, for at least one device of the multiple computing devices:
• copying a base image that includes an operating system and infrastructure software, wherein the base image is not an exact replica of the base image layer of the CVD data object stored on the server, and wherein the base image is targeted for hardware of the at least one device;
• causing a portion of a library of drivers to be copied to the at least one device based upon a device type of the at least one device;
• and
• copying and/or integrating user content that includes at least one of user data, user profiles, and/or user installed applications;
• and
• maintaining synchronization of the user desktop image between all of the multiple computing devices in the group by receiving, to the CVD object on the server, updates to one or more of the layers of the CVD data object from a one of the computing devices that has been designated a master as a result of being actively operated by the user and pushing the received updates from the CVD object on the server to cloned copies of the CVD data object on the remaining computing devices in the group.