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    sync thumbdrive with a folder?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by dumanator, Dec 18, 2006.

  1. dumanator

    dumanator Notebook Enthusiast

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    is there any kind of software or general method of syncing a thumbdrive with a specified folder on your computer? i'd like to have it setup so the contents of my thumbdrive, when attached, automatically updates with the folder. thanks for your help.
     
  2. Dest

    Dest Notebook Guru

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  3. Orius

    Orius Notebook Geek

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  4. lmychajluk

    lmychajluk Notebook Evangelist

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    You don't even need SyncToy...just create a Briefcase folder. (You can substitute 'thumbdrive' for 'removable disk' in the steps below.)

    To synchronize files stored on a removable disk using Briefcase:
    Insert a removable disk into a disk drive on your main computer.
    Open Briefcase, and then copy the appropriate files to Briefcase.
    Drag Briefcase to the disk.
    The files in Briefcase are copied to the disk.

    Remove the disk from your main computer and insert it into a disk drive on your portable computer.
    Open Briefcase from the disk and work on the files. When you are ready to synchronize the files, remove the disk from your portable computer and reinsert it into a disk drive on your main computer.
    Open Briefcase from the disk, and then do one of the following:
    To update all the files, on the Briefcase menu, click Update All.
    To update only some of the files, select the files you want to update, and then on the Briefcase menu, click Update Selection.


    But again, no auto-sync.
     
  5. cashmonee

    cashmonee Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    I would use SyncToy over Briefcase. Briefcase, in my experience is less than reliable. Briefcase is in fact abandoned I believe.
     
  6. lmychajluk

    lmychajluk Notebook Evangelist

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    I was under the impression that it's the same underlying tech, just a different interface.
     
  7. cashmonee

    cashmonee Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    That may be the case, I do not know, but in my experience Briefcase is hit or miss and SyncToy seems to work usually. I think SyncToy is actually Briefcase's replacement. I do not think Briefcase is going to be in Vista, but I could be wrong on that.
     
  8. lmychajluk

    lmychajluk Notebook Evangelist

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    I know Vista has some Sync technology built in, but I'm not sure if it still has the Briefcase model. I'm running it on my laptop (don't have it with me at the moment), and part of that tech is used in the 'Offline Folders' functionality (basically, you can map a drive to a share, then flag it to always be synced). That seems to work fairly well - I mapped a drive off my server with all my media files in it, and I can rip new CDs from the laptop and have the files automatically put up on the server as well.