Keeping your folders “synced”
If you’re using two different computers, it’s a good idea to keep the content of important folders completely identical (“synced”). It’s best to use dedicated sync software for this purpose. But which program is the best?
You’re familiar with the problem: you’re not always working in the same spot and you want to keep a data folder on your computer at home synchronised with the corresponding folder on your laptop or memory stick. You can, of course, copy all the files manually in the two directions, but this takes time and entails the risk of errors. If you use a dedicated sync tool, everything will be done automatically.
1. SyncToy (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/synctoy.mspx) is a free Microsoft “PowerToy”. Click on Setup.msi after downloading the installation file (971 KB). If Net Framework 2.0 is not installed on your computer, you will have to click on the link in order to download and install it. After installation, you will find the SyncToy tool in Start; All Programs. Now launch the program, click on Create New Folder Pair and define the left and right folder, in other words, the source folder and the target folder. So to synchronise the My Documents folderwith a similar folder on your memory stick, browse to both folders and click on Next.
2. Types of synchronisation. And now comes the most important step: specifying the type of synchronisation. By default this is Synchronise, which means that both the left and the right folder are considered as the “base”. If you remove a file from either folder, this will also be done in the other folder. New and modified files are also copied in both directions. Alternatively, you can choose Echo, in which case the left folder serves as the “base”: modifications in the left folder will be applied in the right folder, but in the opposite direction (from right to left) nothing will happen at all. In the Subscribe mode, all modified files in the right folder are automatically copied to the left folder. In addition, there’s Contribute and Combine, but these are less useful options. When you’ve finished specifying the syncing method, click on Next and give your synchronisation action a name. Then click on Run to start synchronising the two folders. Tip. To see the effect of syncing beforehand, click on Preview to find out what exactly will happen.
3. Automatic syncing. By default you must launch SyncToy manually. However, you can automate the process. Go to Start; All Programs; Accessories; System Tools and thenclickon Scheduled Tasks. Then click on New and pick SyncToy from the list. Specify when the task is to be executed (e.g. daily, weekly, etc.). Enter your password and check the Open Advanced Properties option. Move the cursor to the end of the field at the right of Run and after the final “ type: -R“name”, in which name is the name of the SyncToy action.
4. Alternatively. An alternative to this PowerToy is SyncBackSE (http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/sbse.html) with more options. It costs £13.65 after 30 days’ free trial.
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