Synchronise folders

[MK-2]

The headmaster wants to be able to access his my documents folder outside of school on his laptop.

Home access isn't viable due to speed, and offline files/windows briefcase are out too.

 

What I had set up was a batch file he ran when in school that would run xcopy with the date switch and would only copy files newer than ones in the destination folder. Obviously the first run takes a while to copy the lot, but then in theory after that it would only ever change a few documents that he edited.

 

Are there any other ways to do this, something that would only copy newer files with the click of a button, and have the ability to do both ways (so copy laptop>network and network>laptop given on the situation)

[jamesreedersmith]

Why cant you use offline files - thats exactly what you do but automated.

[MK-2]

I know offline files does that, but it's not something we want to run here at the moment

[jamesreedersmith]

Why not - its the tool designed for the job and I and probably a large proportion run this very succesfully and regularly. Seems odd to try and reinvent the wheel so to speak?

[FN-GM]

Why not - its the tool designed for the job and I and probably a large proportion run this very succesfully and regularly. Seems odd to try and reinvent the wheel so to speak?

 

I have to agree. You could just enable it for the head if you want.

 

Another option could be sync toy though - Download details: SyncToy 2.1

 

Although i would use offline files.

[MK-2]

the setup we have on the network at the moment would not make it a feasible solution. i cannot really say more than that just yet but we cannot use offline files just yet. next summer we will have the opportunity to, but until then it isn't a solution we can use which is why i was after other ideas

[DAZZD88]

One thing about offline files people, it doesn't sync databases. This has been a pain in the backside occasionally with staff phoning up and saying that XYZ isn't syncing and then we find out that it might be their PST file or a database they have created in Access.

[sted]

One thing about offline files people, it doesn't sync databases. This has been a pain in the backside occasionally with staff phoning up and saying that XYZ isn't syncing and then we find out that it might be their PST file or a database they have created in Access.

 

i thought it did as long as they werent open?

[DAZZD88]

Unless it's changed since we last used it then it doesn't.

[Arthur]

I thought it did as long as they werent open?

According to this KB article, the following file-types are excluded by default (although I think this may only apply to legacy OSs such as Windows 2000, XP & Server 2003 based on the description in the GPMC).

 

.db?, .ldb, .mdb, .mde, .mdw, .pst, .slm

[MK-2]

Just before this goes into an offline files debate, does anyone have any other methods I could use to do this? the xcopy worked to a point but was after alternatives

[jamesfed]

Is it a RM network (CC3/4) because even those run with offline files?

[sted]

i think teh other simple solutions have been mentioned xcopy/robocopy/synctoy which i believe can all be scheduled or run manually

[Admiral208]

DirSyncPro is a good application with a lot of features. Plus its free!

 

DirSyncPro

[Arthur]

As Sted said, you could try RoboCopy with the /MON or /MOT switches. SyncToy is also good.

[sted]

As Sted said, you could try RoboCopy with the /MON or /MOT switches. SyncToy is also good.

 

i was thinking more alling the lines of

 

robocopy c:\d&s\username\my documents\ \\server\users\username\ /copyall /mir /r:2 /w:5

[edutech4schools]

Another sync toy vote

[Dageezah]

I vote robocopy...

 

although we have it set up here so that the log on script detects the ip address and if it is a school ip-address it syncs everything up with a local folder c:\%username%\ and then if its an external address it re-directs my documents to the local drive. This way the member of staff has nothing to worry about, it just works.