OMNI file syncing clinic: best options for syncing two directories in "My Documents"
Feb 10, 2020, 9:52 pm
#1
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OMNI file syncing clinic: best options for syncing two directories in "My Documents"
Both machines are Windows 10 Pro 64bit
I need to sync ONE folder (plus its subfolders) between two different machines.
I've used SugarSync in the past, but wanted to see if there were any better options. Freeware is probably too much to hope for.
It's about 4GB worth of files.
ETA: I would prefer not to use an approach like Dropbox, but would like something like SugarSync did (wish they hadn't ended their free version and gotten pricey) where you could simply mark a certain folder for syncing and it would sync back and forth to the other computer.
Thanks!
I need to sync ONE folder (plus its subfolders) between two different machines.
I've used SugarSync in the past, but wanted to see if there were any better options. Freeware is probably too much to hope for.
It's about 4GB worth of files.
ETA: I would prefer not to use an approach like Dropbox, but would like something like SugarSync did (wish they hadn't ended their free version and gotten pricey) where you could simply mark a certain folder for syncing and it would sync back and forth to the other computer.
Thanks!
Last edited by cblaisd; Feb 10, 2020 at 10:48 pm
Feb 11, 2020, 7:33 am
#2
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Feb 11, 2020, 8:22 am
#3
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Feb 11, 2020, 9:12 am
#4
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Feb 11, 2020, 12:31 pm
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Feb 11, 2020, 10:32 pm
#6
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A paid option I have used and liked: Goodsync. Any two machines, several OSes are supported although the version that runs on my Synology box can only respond, not initiate. The Android version likewise can only respond but it's free. It's a one-time payment, no monthly charge, although obviously if the two machines can't see each other then their servers must be up for it to work.
Feb 12, 2020, 7:51 pm
#7
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Can't you do this with onedrive? The single directory thing isn't really much of a limitation, you just move your two directories under your sync directory and create a shortcut from the old location to the new location so you can continue to access them as you prefer. I'm guessing you also have a lot of free onedrive space.
I've never done this with onedrive. I also used to use sugarsync but finally got rid of it .. replaced with dropbox and iCloud. I had to use symlinks (similar to shortcuts) to eliminate the multi-directory issue.
-David
I've never done this with onedrive. I also used to use sugarsync but finally got rid of it .. replaced with dropbox and iCloud. I had to use symlinks (similar to shortcuts) to eliminate the multi-directory issue.
-David
Feb 12, 2020, 8:03 pm
#8
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Both machines are Windows 10 Pro 64bit
I need to sync ONE folder (plus its subfolders) between two different machines.
I've used SugarSync in the past, but wanted to see if there were any better options. Freeware is probably too much to hope for.
It's about 4GB worth of files.
ETA: I would prefer not to use an approach like Dropbox, but would like something like SugarSync did (wish they hadn't ended their free version and gotten pricey) where you could simply mark a certain folder for syncing and it would sync back and forth to the other computer.
Thanks!
I need to sync ONE folder (plus its subfolders) between two different machines.
I've used SugarSync in the past, but wanted to see if there were any better options. Freeware is probably too much to hope for.
It's about 4GB worth of files.
ETA: I would prefer not to use an approach like Dropbox, but would like something like SugarSync did (wish they hadn't ended their free version and gotten pricey) where you could simply mark a certain folder for syncing and it would sync back and forth to the other computer.
Thanks!
Feb 13, 2020, 11:21 am
#9
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
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Can't you do this with onedrive? The single directory thing isn't really much of a limitation, you just move your two directories under your sync directory and create a shortcut from the old location to the new location so you can continue to access them as you prefer. I'm guessing you also have a lot of free onedrive space.
I've never done this with onedrive. I also used to use sugarsync but finally got rid of it .. replaced with dropbox and iCloud. I had to use symlinks (similar to shortcuts) to eliminate the multi-directory issue.
-David
I've never done this with onedrive. I also used to use sugarsync but finally got rid of it .. replaced with dropbox and iCloud. I had to use symlinks (similar to shortcuts) to eliminate the multi-directory issue.
-David
Feb 13, 2020, 3:50 pm
#10
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OneDrive/SkyDrive is limited by how many GB you're allowed, and stores in the cloud.
MS did have a wonderful free product, Windows Live Sync/Mesh (synced via internet w/o storing anything on the cloud) that did exactly such, and worked beautifully, but MS shut down that service in favour of SkyDrive. I have SyncToy but just have not set it up.
MS did have a wonderful free product, Windows Live Sync/Mesh (synced via internet w/o storing anything on the cloud) that did exactly such, and worked beautifully, but MS shut down that service in favour of SkyDrive. I have SyncToy but just have not set it up.
Feb 16, 2020, 5:25 pm
#12
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I think I probably responded to some email offers for free space from Microsoft at some point. I think all you need is a "live" account to use it.
-David
Feb 17, 2020, 10:51 pm
#13
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SyncThing! It's open source, cross-platform (Mac/Linux/BSD/Solaris/Windows/Android). It's free. Works on a local LAN as well as it does tunneling through restrictive firewalls. At my office we use it to sync executive/secretary computers together, make backups of field computers, and even handles moving backups from legacy systems to our backup servers every night. No standard ports, no logins, only pre-shared certificates.
I'm not sure what the practical limits are to its sharing capabilities. The largest share we have has 5 computers syncing the same directory. In total we're sharing about 1TB of data with it.
I'm not sure what the practical limits are to its sharing capabilities. The largest share we have has 5 computers syncing the same directory. In total we're sharing about 1TB of data with it.
May 13, 2020, 3:29 am
#14
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I just wanted to update this, along with my love and appreciation for SyncThing. I just discovered that there's an Android version of it! Woohoo! I had about 1GB of PDF files I wanted on my Kindle Fire 10" and wasn't looking forward to trying to put those on a server somewhere and download it. SyncThing to the rescue. Just put it on there, created folders on the tablet and Macbook, and away it went. I'm actually using the SyncThing-Fork client, as it has more features, namely the ability to restrict how often Syncthing runs to save battery life.
May 18, 2020, 9:39 am
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SyncThing looks interesting. I may have to try that out.
Late to the party, but if you are able to reach the other PC (i.e. on the same network or through a firewall) you could use robocopy which is built into Windows. I use it quite often to copy/move large groups of files from servers in different locations. This works great for the occasional large files move.
Late to the party, but if you are able to reach the other PC (i.e. on the same network or through a firewall) you could use robocopy which is built into Windows. I use it quite often to copy/move large groups of files from servers in different locations. This works great for the occasional large files move.