Friday, August 5, 2005
Microsoft SyncToy: That Syncing Feeling
Posted by Darius Wey in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 12:00 PM
Increasingly, computer users are using different folders, drives, and even different computers (such as a laptop and a desktop) to store and retrieve files. There are new sources of files coming from every direction: digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, portable media players, camcorders, PDAs, and laptops. Yet managing hundreds or thousands of files is still largely a manual operation. In some cases it is necessary to move files from one place to another; in other cases there is a need to keep two storage locations exactly in sync. Some users manage files manually, dragging and dropping from one place to another and keeping a mental card catalog in their heads. Others use one or more applications of one sort or another to provide this functionality for them."
I'm a synchronisation nut, but hey, being a Windows Mobile user, why wouldn't I be? Leaving my Pocket PC out of the equation, I have this deep obsession with keeping a set of folders synchronised between my server and my laptop. I'm the sort of person that does a lot of typing day and night, so with all the documents that gets saved on to my laptop, it's always nice having a backup copy on my server (just in case). That's where Microsoft SyncToy comes into play. When I learned of the beta release on Tuesday, I jumped on it in a flash - eager to see whether it would function the way I wanted it to.
SyncToy features a great, user-friendly interface. Step 1 involves creating a folder pair. Step 2 involves defining a set of actions you want performed on each folder pair. For example, you can:
• Synchronize: New and updated files are copied both ways. Renames and deletes on either side are repeated on the other.
• Echo: New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames and deletes on the left are repeated on the right.
• Subscribe: Updated files on the right are copied to the left if the file name already exists on the left.
• Contribute: New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames on the left are repeated on the right. No deletions.
• Combine: New and updated files are copied both ways. Nothing happens to renamed and deleted files.
Sure, that all seems confusing at first, but you get used to it. SyncToy's preview function is also worth a mention. It allows you to preview any actions before they are initiated, and if you wish to make changes to the sequence of events, it's only a point-and-click affair. Overall, the transfer process is very quick - I managed to synchronise over 100MB worth of files over an 802.11g connection in a matter of seconds.
Before you get all excited and ask, SyncToy does not work with the Pocket PC / Smartphone "Mobile Device" folder, since it's more of a virtual directory than anything else. Of course, that's a real shame, but not an issue you can say is a direct fault of SyncToy itself. It is still worth a look if you're after a quick, easy-to-use PC synchronisation tool. It requires Windows XP and the .NET Framework 1.1, and is a free download following Windows validation. Yes, you'll love that syncing feeling (no, not sinking). ;)
I'm a synchronisation nut, but hey, being a Windows Mobile user, why wouldn't I be? Leaving my Pocket PC out of the equation, I have this deep obsession with keeping a set of folders synchronised between my server and my laptop. I'm the sort of person that does a lot of typing day and night, so with all the documents that gets saved on to my laptop, it's always nice having a backup copy on my server (just in case). That's where Microsoft SyncToy comes into play. When I learned of the beta release on Tuesday, I jumped on it in a flash - eager to see whether it would function the way I wanted it to.
SyncToy features a great, user-friendly interface. Step 1 involves creating a folder pair. Step 2 involves defining a set of actions you want performed on each folder pair. For example, you can:
• Synchronize: New and updated files are copied both ways. Renames and deletes on either side are repeated on the other.
• Echo: New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames and deletes on the left are repeated on the right.
• Subscribe: Updated files on the right are copied to the left if the file name already exists on the left.
• Contribute: New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames on the left are repeated on the right. No deletions.
• Combine: New and updated files are copied both ways. Nothing happens to renamed and deleted files.
Sure, that all seems confusing at first, but you get used to it. SyncToy's preview function is also worth a mention. It allows you to preview any actions before they are initiated, and if you wish to make changes to the sequence of events, it's only a point-and-click affair. Overall, the transfer process is very quick - I managed to synchronise over 100MB worth of files over an 802.11g connection in a matter of seconds.
Before you get all excited and ask, SyncToy does not work with the Pocket PC / Smartphone "Mobile Device" folder, since it's more of a virtual directory than anything else. Of course, that's a real shame, but not an issue you can say is a direct fault of SyncToy itself. It is still worth a look if you're after a quick, easy-to-use PC synchronisation tool. It requires Windows XP and the .NET Framework 1.1, and is a free download following Windows validation. Yes, you'll love that syncing feeling (no, not sinking). ;)
