Folder Sharing + File Sync

[sdattilo]

I love picasa for my parents and kids pc's but having PSE 3.0 I like that workflow much better. More indepth, and alittle more time, but I especially like that it saves your changes all together with the original to still go back to.

On a side note... what programs are you two using to sync multiple pc's?

Thanks for the great make me think articles.... :wink:

[ojlittle]

I use a free program called SyncBack. You can get it at 2brightsparks.com

[sojourner753]

Jason:

What synchronization program do you use files between your computers?

[Jason Dunn]

What synchronization program do you use files between your computers?

www.foldershare.com - small monthly fee, but very functional and useful to me.

[sojourner753]

What synchronization program do you use files between your computers?

www.foldershare.com - small monthly fee, but very functional and useful to me.

Very nice. And here I thought you were using some local program. I may have to give it a look.

[Jason Dunn]

Very nice. And here I thought you were using some local program. I may have to give it a look.

Local programs don't have the ability to syncrhonize over the Internet, which is a KILLER feature - any TCP/IP connectivity means your data will be synchronized and thus backed up. You work on a document on your laptop on a plane, get to your hotel, connect to the 'Net, and your document is now mirrored to your home/office computer. So utterly cool. 8)

[emmfan]

It looks like with foldershare, one computer needs to be online at all times. So the storage is actually local on your machine and not hosted on a remote server. Essentially, they are providing the synchronization software and the routing, but not the storage. Is that right?

[Jason Dunn]

It looks like with foldershare, one computer needs to be online at all times. So the storage is actually local on your machine and not hosted on a remote server. Essentially, they are providing the synchronization software and the routing, but not the storage. Is that right?

That's correct. That's the best way IMO, because it means you're not renting "x" gigs of space on a server somewhere that could be compromised. You're using your own local storage, which means you get as much as you want to buy.

[emmfan]

Thanks for the clarification on foldershare. I don't normally leave one of my computers on all the time. So I'll have to think more upon this solution to see how it fits my needs.

[Jason Dunn]

Thanks for the clarification on foldershare. I don't normally leave one of my computers on all the time. So I'll have to think more upon this solution to see how it fits my needs.

The computer only needs to be on for the sync to occur - once you have the data on the devices, it stays there. So if you have a desktop and a laptop, you install FolderShare and they sync. You turn them both off. The next day you take the laptop on a trip and work on your files. When you return home and turn on both computers, they'll synchronize. FolderShare works BEST as a sync/backup solution when one computer is always left on, but it will work fine in your scenario as well. Time to split the thread...

[Tim Williamson]

I just picked up my first laptop (yes, I was a laptop virgin) and am looking for ways to keep some files on my laptop and PC in sync. I already have SyncBack so I'll probably experiment with that first.

Are there any other programs that can do the same type of thing FolderShare does minus the monthly fee?

[Jason Dunn]

Foldershare is now FREE - they were bought by Microsoft.

[ctmagnus]

We've got a bit of an awkward situation here: two laptops, each with different sets of data, with one desktop that I want to sync the laptops with, ideally with different FolderShare accounts on each laptop. Would FolderShare work in a situation like this?

[Jason Dunn]

Synching desktops can get messy - recursive stuff - but what I do is create a folder on my desktop called...wait for it...Desktop. And synching THAT folder to all my machines is simple. You can certainly do a variation of that.