Windows Mobile 5: Sync My Pictures folder?

[MarcFou]

Maybe a dumb Q. How can you sync the My Pictures folder?

WM5 upgrade added a My Pictures folder as a sub in the My Documents folder

[Darius Wey]

In ActiveSync, you can enable the Files sync (Tools > Options > Files). Everything in My Documents, including its subfolders, will be synchronised over to your PC.

[MarcFou]

I tried that, and it will only copy the folder. Not the contents of My Pictures.

Actually. Loking at the folders on my Desktop PC every single subfolder of My Documents is empty (ie Templates, Annotations, Dictionaries)

It will only sync files in My Documents. Sub folders will sync too. But not the files that are in them.

Using ActiveSync 4.0 on Windows XP SP1

Side note: This really blows as I would like to store my notes into sub folderers. But if I do they wont sync (copy) to my desktop.

[Darius Wey]

Interesting. I'm using ActiveSync 4.1 on Windows XP SP2 with no problems whatsoever. All files in my E-TEN M600's subfolders are sync'ed.

Try updating to the latest version of ActiveSync: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/downloads/activesync41.mspx

Also, what device are you using?

[MarcFou]

ipaq hx 2415 with WMP upgrade. When I set up my partnership originaly I was presented with a dialog box asking me if I wanted to..

A. Replace files on device with files from desktop
B. Replace files on my desktop with files from device
C. Combine items from both desktop and device

I chose option B, because the items on my desktop were from a previous desktop backup and older that the device files.

But even with that option, why arent the files from the device being copied? In ActiveSync I can choose which files on my desktop to sync but not vice versa. So I dont see a way to include the files.

I will try 4.1 and maybe that will resolve the issue.

[MarcFou]

I did a clean install of Windows XP. I know its extreme but I wanted to ensure all system settings and drivers were intact.

Anyway. I installed ActiveSync 4.1 and created a partnership with no problems.

I sis a sync and here are the results. On my desktop computer I have a folder in my documents named "iPaq My Documents". Within that folder I can see the "My Pictures" folder. But the damn thing is empty.

Now on my device I have several jpg's in the My Pictures folder. Also, I still have the problem that no files in any subfolder will sync. (See first post)

This is crazy. The only way I can sync files from my device is to dump them all into the My Documents folder and not use sub folders :cry:

[MarcFou]

Update

I fixed the problem. Here are the steps I performed...

1. Copied all the subfolders of My Documents (My Pictures, Templates etc.) to my SD card.
2. Removed the SD card and inserted it into my Desktop PC.
3. Removed the "Read Only" attribute on all folders.
4. Inserted the SD card back into my iPaq.
5. Deleted the subfolders in My Documents.
6. Copied the folders from the SD card to My Documents.

It was a bit tricky and a real pain in the a**. But it worked. This is the only way to remove the folder attributes. If you try to copy the folders from PC to device via ActiveSync you'll get a permission error.

So now all files in my subfolders sync to my PC! Including the My Pictures folder. :lol:

An alternate and easier method is to delete the subfolders and recreate them.

Remember which ever method you choose always backup your files!

[Darius Wey]

Heh, I was just about to reply when you made that update post. Glad to see you got it working. :)

It must have sucked not being able to sync your subfolders for a while.

[MarcFou]

If you have any ideas or alternate methods to try I would like to hear them. My work around is not easy for novice users.

I'm wondering if there is a simple regedit that would solve the problem?

I was browsing through the registry and found these keys and values.
Maybe you or someone else knows more about them?

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows CE Services]
ExpludeExts = LNK,TMP,CDB,MDB
FileSyncPath = \My Documents
NoSubFolderIn = \My Documents\

I am wondering if anyone knows any info about the "NoSubFoldersIn"
string. Does that mean the ActiveSync wont synchronize any subfolders to the PC?