I Need Some Computer Geek Help

LowDown Hal · #1 05-29-2009, 10:06 PM

Can you recommend a good SW package for synchronizing folders across multiple, home network, hard drives.

Windows is in use on all the machines.

THANKS

Kenbuntu · #2 05-29-2009, 10:12 PM

You can just right click share folder/hdd. It not that difficult. If you use windows 7, it practically does everything for you. If you use Xp, there's a little wizard that walks you through it. I'm not too sure about vista but im going to assume itll be like windows 7.

LowDown Hal · #3 05-29-2009, 10:17 PM

Thanks, but unless I misunderstand you that isn't exactly what I'm looking for?

I'm looking for a program, hopefully with a scheduler, to automate the process of synchronization as a back up strategy. So that the folders are essentially "mirrored" on other network drives, kinda' sorta' like a poor mans raid.

Kenbuntu · #4 05-29-2009, 10:20 PM

Opa. Yeah I think I might've given you just a simple share my hdd thing.

When I installed Microsoft Office Enterprise, It came with something called microsoft groove folder synchronization. Google that, it may just be what you are looking for.

LowDown Hal · #5 05-29-2009, 10:32 PM

np..

I'm still on office 2003 at home so...

I did find this so far...
http://www.tgrmn.com/

I'll keep poking around. I was just hoping to find something that someone had actually experienced and could review.

Georynn · #6 05-29-2009, 11:03 PM

If you know what times all the computers will all be online and up, you could write a batch file that does the copy, or use "robocopy"
(comes on the XP disk, Google it) then schedule it as a task in "scheduled tasks" under system tools. I do this all the time in my line of work, heck I could even write the batch file for you, its pretty easy if its a small number of locations to copy from.

One other option is to just make shortcuts to the shared folders on the remote machines and access them over a network (assuming you have the computers networked and shared), that way there is only one copy of the file residing on the machine it lives on, and you don't have differing multiple versions of the files in both places.

Best of all, both of these options are FREE and should be on all the machines already...

But if you really have to have a piece of software just for this, cuteFTP has a synchronize folders feature built in...

here's the instructions

http://help.globalscape.com/help/cut...ng_folders.htm

LowDown Hal · #7 05-30-2009, 08:27 AM

Thanks. A batch file hadn't occurred to me. Is there a synch command, which would utilize date and time to see if a file had changed, or would I just need to copy everything?

dave64o · #8 05-30-2009, 09:39 AM

Subscibed.

I started searching last night for exactly this same kind of software for the exact same situation. I haven't found anything yet but I'm still looking around.

cdef · #9 05-30-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowDown Hal

Is there a synch command, which would utilize date and time to see if a file had changed, or would I just need to copy everything?

With the proper switches, the 'robocopy' command would work, as Georynn said, but an even better alternative might be the free RichCopy, which you can read about and download here:

Jazz Ad · #10 05-30-2009, 03:52 PM

Task scheduler with Windows backup utility. It has a built-in synchro tool, on Vista at least. I don't remember if XP has it.

LowDown Hal · #11 05-30-2009, 09:42 PM

I'm still an XP guy

Overflow · #12 05-31-2009, 11:40 AM

SyncBackSE: Link

Muusers · #13 05-31-2009, 12:16 PM

I saw the thread title and just had to post it.

jkritchey · #14 05-31-2009, 03:55 PM

2 that I have found: MS' Synctoy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SyncToy

and Karen's Replicator. http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

Both do what I think you want. I use Synctoy for my XP machine. It does require that you read how it works to set up on a schedule.

Karen's is easy as pie, but it does sit in your system tray to run on a schedule. But, gawd is it easy. I use it for my Mom's Vista setup.

Both will either 'mirror' which means it deletes what you delete, or 'contribute' which means it's always growing.

dave64o · #15 06-01-2009, 05:13 AM

Just a quick follow up to my previous post ...

I have two large external disks on an old PC that I'm using as a file server and I wanted to use one of the disks as the main and one as the "mirror". I set up SyncToy, scheduled a daily sync for the middle of the night, and it seems to be doing the job.

The one thing that made me go "Hmmmmm..." is that the SyncToy page on Microsoft says it's an unsupported tool but that the SyncToy forum is a great resource. The link they send you to doesn't exist. Maybe it just moved to a new location?

Anyway, it seems to be doing what I need it to do but out of curiosity I'm also going to check out Karen's as well just to see if I like it better.

Georynn · #16 06-02-2009, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave64o

Just a quick follow up to my previous post ...

I have two large external disks on an old PC that I'm using as a file server and I wanted to use one of the disks as the main and one as the "mirror". I set up SyncToy, scheduled a daily sync for the middle of the night, and it seems to be doing the job.

The one thing that made me go "Hmmmmm..." is that the SyncToy page on Microsoft says it's an unsupported tool but that the SyncToy forum is a great resource. The link they send you to doesn't exist. Maybe it just moved to a new location?

Anyway, it seems to be doing what I need it to do but out of curiosity I'm also going to check out Karen's as well just to see if I like it better.

Glad it worked out for you...
The problem I find when scheduling windows tasks is that if the computer is in a power saving configuration( in suspend or hibernate), the tasks wont launch.

warnergt · #17 06-03-2009, 11:10 AM

For synchronizing directories, nothing beats Beyond Compare.
I couldn't live without it.