SyncToy for XP

Topic

New Reply

Download details: SyncToy v1.0 has been released for Windows XP SP2. You must do the MS validation routine to get this.

From the d/l page:

“SyncToy is a free PowerToy for Microsoft Windows XP that provides is an easy to use, highly customizable program that helps users to do the heavy lifting involved with the copying, moving, and synchronization of different directories. Most common operations can be performed with just a few clicks of the mouse, and additional customization is available without added complexity.”

More information and links on the download page.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

Replies

Thanks a lot for this one Joe.. I never knew windows had a download center for its “Genuine” users. This is great, did you see all of the game’s trial versions?? oh, and the other tools are nice too, i’ll have to check out the new media player.

Reply | Quote

Joe

This one looks interesting. It seems like an updated and GUI version of the command line ROBOCOPY (so it must be good!)…

John

Reply | Quote

Joe,

Can this be uninstalled if one decides they don’t like it? I don’t mind trying new things, but I really hate having to search for all the files installed on the HDD and in the Registry if there is no uninstaller with it.

It looks interesting, although I must admit, I’m not 100% sure what it does or if it would be of any real advantage over what I do now to copy/move, etc. files.

Jeff

Reply | Quote

There’s not much of it — an EXE, a DLL, an ICO, a CHM and an RTF! There are the usual bunch of registry entries, but nothing startling. It appears as SyncToy in Add/Remove Programs, so it seems fairly well-behaved….

John

Reply | Quote

Ah, but I see this requires “.NET Framework” to be previously installed. Soooo, that begs another question…… since I don’t have anything or have seen anything other than my curiosity of this Add-on that requires .NET Framework, can THAT be uninstalled?

Jeff

Reply | Quote

For now, .NET framework can be uninstalled.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

Thanks Joe!! Now, at the risk of going off-topic, can you explain what .NET Framework is exactly? Is there any advantage/use for it, aside from what I’ve read, there is going to be more and more applications from MS that will require it?

Jeff

Reply | Quote

The .NET Framework is Microsoft’s “Runtime engine” for applications. It’s not going away anytime soon.

The advantage is that it provides much (MUCH) faster and more secure applications as well as making it quicker and easier for developers to build applications. The only downside is that the first time you run a .NET-based application the Framework components must be loaded which will be a little slower. After that, everything runs very quickly.

Reply | Quote

Hi Pilgrim,

Maybe a little late, but do check OW #10.31 – Synctoy in detail. It was published on Aug 31st, the very same day of your last post

Reply | Quote

Thanks……. yes, I read Woody’s comments on SyncToy when it arrived via e-mail. I tried the program, didn’t like it and realized that I really didn’t need it. I find that backing up the files in certain individual folders much easier and faster when done manually. And, I use True Image to regularly backup my system. So, everything is backed up and easily accessible.

Jeff

Reply | Quote

Jeff,

Get yourself a copy of Total Uninstall for times like this. It monitors any changes made to your system during the installation and allows you to perform a complete uninstall without having to rely on Add/Remove program which can leave files or changes behind.

There are options to Buy Now & Download on the site, but the download appears to be . I’ve had it for awhile an it works as advertised. Kinda like a mini version of GoBack. HTH

Reply | Quote

Nifty program Doc.

Reply | Quote

We aim to please John.

Reply | Quote

the “genuine” windows downloads download at 2x the speed of the normal downloads. i was getting 1mb/sec on that server compared to 500kb/sec from the regular downloads section.

Reply | Quote

Nice find, Doc. I checked their site & it seems to now be shareware. It’s free for 30 days per this. Maybe yours is an earlier version. I’ve used InCtrl5 from PC Magazine, but they now require a subscription. It monitors changes by an install, but you have to manually uninstall any remnants windows leaves behind.
Cheers,

Reply | Quote

This toy looks very interesting and I’ve used it to create copies of network folders on my notebook for off-line use.

I was wondering whether I could use it to copy folders within Documents and Settings. I’ve always been disappointed that changes I make when I am using the notebook attached to big brother network have to remade when I take the computer away from the office. I’d really like both my profiles to be identical.

Any pros or cons to doing this via SyncToy (or I suppose any other copy mechanism)? Are there folders within D & S that I should leave well alone?

David

Reply | Quote

IMO, anything you are comfortable using that gets the job done is OK. Yes, there are folders that you should leave alone. Any folders that are under a userid other than yours should be left alone. Under your userid, it depends on the approach you’ve taken when configuring progams and saving data. There are folders that contain data unique to the system on which you are currently running. In general data folders such as My Documents are fine. Others you need to investigate on a case by case basis.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

Point taken Joe, but it would be really useful if it was possible to synchronise things so that one’s ‘identity’ when attached to big brother network was functionally the same as when not attached. I know it sounds stupid but I get so irritated that my computer doesn’t work as I want it. An example – I add words to CUSTOM.DIC in Word on line but they don’t appear when off-line; in other words I have to make the same change twice.

Oh well, suppose its progress. The good thing about SyncToy is that I can make sure my desktop and start menu are the same. A version of SyncToy that can deal with multiple folders (not nested) is on my wishlist.

David

Reply | Quote

[indent]

---

A version of SyncToy that can deal with multiple folders (not nested) is on my wishlist

---

[/indent]Having just used SyncToy to synchronise three “folder pairs” on two PCs, one PC wired and the other wireless (yes, 4

Reply | Quote

Joe,
Do you (or anyone else, for that matter) see any advantage in using the MS SyncToy as opposed to the freeware version of SyncBack? SyncBack has always worked well for me, so I’d like to know if the MS PowerToy will work as well, and possibly, do more.

Reply | Quote

I don’t know SyncBack so I can’t comment.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

I haven’t previous heard of SyncBack (at least, not knowingly…!), so I can’t comment either.

On my wish-list for SyncToy is the specification of dates/times in noble British format dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm:ss (or whatever is the fashion of the country in which it runs), and the ability to deselect or select all folders beneath a certain folder, rather than having to click on each individual subfolder.

Other than that, I am fairly impressed with it!

John

Reply | Quote

Talking of synchronisation wish lists, does anyone know of a prog that allows one to specify a whole number of hours offset to ignore. I have huge difficulties when going across time zones with my laptop and then coming back to find many files, including loads I’ve not touched on my travels, being exactly 7 hours (or whatever time offset was applicable at my destination) out compared to my desktop. It’s got something to do with the NTFS date stamp format, and the fact that I’m comparing FAT and NTFS drives, but I’ve yet to find a synchronisation prog that will let me take this into account.

Anyone know of one?

Reply | Quote