08-14-2003, 11:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Why I Miss ActiveSync...For Laptops
There was a recent thread in our forums where someone was asking if there was anything similar to ActiveSync, only for laptops. It's funny, as much as we bash ActiveSync, I was unable to come up with a piece of software that would do the same thing as we get with ActiveSync and our Pocket PCs. Being the new owner of a swanky laptop, I too am interested in a way of keeping my data in sync on the laptop and desktop. Years ago, I went through the struggle of copying my PST file from my desktop to laptop, trying to sync up all my folders, etc. It was a nightmare! Lately I've just been leaving my laptop empty of data and using it as a terminal to do Remote Desktop back into my home computer. Now that I have the P5010D, I want to use the thing.
So the question is, what sort of solution exists out there that will duplicate what ActiveSync does? That means a record-level synchronization of Outlook data, not a brute-force copying of the PST file from point A to point B. That also means synchronizing certain folders. The latter is easy enough to do with a backup/sync too, but record-level sync in Outlook? A tall order! OsaSync was pointed out in another thread, and it looks interesting, but the getting started document is about 50 pages long. 8O Not my idea of an easy to use product!
Any hints for laptop owners? How do you keep your data in sync?
UPDATE: I'm a SOHO user, so Exchange is not a viable solution for myself or the millions of other people like me. Despite what Microsoft believes, not everyone wants to have an Exchange server. ;-) Hower, a hosted exchange solution is interesting...
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08-14-2003, 11:12 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 485
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I tried to solve this problem for a friend recently and came up with a number of partial solutions, but none that really worked. Some were file based sync, while others understood Outlook and could sync mail. But none offered all the answers and none looked robust or simple enough to run unattended.
I rely on a series of ROBOCOPY scripts to keep my two laptops in sync (one is a warm standby machine used by my wife), but this is not for the faint hearted. It works mostly because I don't work much on the other machine so I can just "push" my files onto that, and "pull" the files from it that belong to my wife. That way we are more or less up to date on either machine. It is, of course, completely manual.
If there is a shrinkwrapped solution somewhere I would be interested to hear of it. I don't use Outlook for mail so Exchange/PST sync mechanisms won't work for me.
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08-14-2003, 11:27 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 761
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Our laptop users use Win2000 built-in offline folders syncing. Outlook has that feature too.
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08-14-2003, 12:13 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 104
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Doesn't the Outlook folders only work if you have exchange running??
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08-14-2003, 12:16 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 1
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Sync-ing with laptop
What's the problem?
I have my laptop as my main sync-ing machine with ACtiveSync and have a desktop with ActiveSync as 'guest' sync-ing. (It could be the other way round). Everything gets sync-ed on both - except In-Box on the 'guest' syc.
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08-14-2003, 12:18 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 9
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Yes Outlook will only synch with an Exchange box as far as I am aware, it creates a .ost file on the remote machine which is basically an offline .pst file, as soon as the machine is connected back to the Exchange box it synch's all folders, mail, contacts, calander etc. This can then be set to do periodically whilst connected or when Outlook is closed.
I woudl love to find a proper way of doing this as I work all week on my laptop but atthe weekends I work on the desktop at home, I have used XP's file synch to keep things together at present which is a straight file copy of the .pst.
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08-14-2003, 12:21 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Re: Why I Miss ActiveSync...For Laptops
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
So the question is, what sort of solution exists out there that will duplicate what ActiveSync does?
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A little product from MS called "Exchange." 
Since all of your data is on Exchange, it is replicated to any PC you use to log into it with.
Might also check out http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm
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08-14-2003, 12:26 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 104
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Personally I want something beyond outlook syncing. I would like to sync many files from my home network but the file sync in XP isn't all that great. As for using your PPC to sync between devices, I use that between work and my home laptop but that doesn't do much for my home desktop.
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08-14-2003, 12:38 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Kash76
Personally I want something beyond outlook syncing. I would like to sync many files from my home network but the file sync in XP isn't all that great. As for using your PPC to sync between devices, I use that between work and my home laptop but that doesn't do much for my home desktop.
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Robocopy from the NT4 and Win2K Resource Kits does a fantastic job of file sync. I've been using it for years.
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08-14-2003, 01:01 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 91
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If you want to sync files I have to recomend Beyond Compare I discovered this at fork for comparing and merging source code. The way I use it isn't automated but it's great for comparing directory trees etc.
I Sync the "My Documets" folder on my laptop with my desktop using this
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Linear Mode
