Sync'ing folders - suggestions

SwampThing

I need to setup some sort of synchronisation between users 'My Documents' and their PST files to their 'home' folders (mapped drive).

I've looked at and used SyncToy but it's a bit cumbersome and runs in the foreground.

What'd be a good, stable app for this sort of thing?

Cheers in advance...

calex71

this is something i have used and found it did the job reasonably ok for pst files, http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&familyid=8B081F3A-B7D0-4B16-B8AF-5A6322F4FD01

for my documents i've seen set ups where the my doc's folder pointed directly at the home share negating the need for syncing or user interaction, laptop users could then make files available off line if need be.

TempestSabre

I tried a few and settled with Karen's Replicator.
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp
Not perfect, none of them are. But I like it.

irlrobins

Unison

aFlabbyPanda

if you have a domain why not just redirect their my docs and make available offline. pst files wont work with this.

Dark Hair

BrianjG wrote:

if you have a domain why not just redirect their my docs and make available offline. pst files wont work with this.

As far as I know you can make any files available offline. I stoped .pst as it wasn't needed and regardless was too big.

You need to go to run and type in gpedit.msc

Then...
Local computer policy>administrative templates>network>offline files.

In there is a section called "files not cached"

It is best to do the same in user config to.

At the mo I have *.pst;*.mdb* entered into mine.


Offline files on the laptop = the win.

SwampThing

Thanks for the reply lads.

I found this little gem - does everything I need, and it's free.

http://syncback.downloadnow-788-26380.datapicks.com/

aFlabbyPanda

pst and mdb files are exactly what you cant make available offline.

TempestSabre

What are you trying to do?

I keep my mail in a local PST file c:\My Outlook\*pst. I just sync this with my removable USB flash drive once I close outlook. Bring the drive to another machine, synch the PST on to that machine from the external and I have all my mail with me. I could use FTP to put it on the web, but its about 160mb and that would be too slow. Doesn't matter if I'm online or not. In fact I started doing this because I need to see my email when I didn't have access to the exchange server. If I need to get any new mail I just check it using the web client. I also keep a backup of the PST's just in case.

Not elegant no, but it works for me.

tech

well if your a laptop user you can setup the exchnage chached mode so you can all your mail with you locally on the laptop even if your not connected to the exchange server on the LAN, I use this all the time and then establish a VPN connection to our LAN and then open outlook and happy days

TempestSabre

tech wrote:

well if your a laptop user you can setup the exchnage chached mode so you can all your mail with you locally on the laptop even if your not connected to the exchange server on the LAN, I use this all the time and then establish a VPN connection to our LAN and then open outlook and happy days

Thats handy didn't know about that. But my other machines never connect to the exchange box. So I can't do that. Maybe it will be perfect for the OP though.

tech

this is only a feature in Outlook 2003, but in previous outlooks you can set offline folders

aFlabbyPanda

tech wrote:

well if your a laptop user you can setup the exchnage chached mode so you can all your mail with you locally on the laptop even if your not connected to the exchange server on the LAN, I use this all the time and then establish a VPN connection to our LAN and then open outlook and happy days

we did the same up to recently but I switched the mobile users to use RPC over HTTP. They now have exchange access wherever they have a net connection without the vpn.

tech

can you give my more details on this setup please Brian sounds interestign

TempestSabre

Lots of info on the web, this was the first link in google.

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/outlookrpchttp.html

Never heard of it before or used it myself.

alb

I found a great app called syncbak for this, you can try it here:

http://www.2brightsparks.com/

SwampThing

alb wrote:

I found a great app called syncbak for this, you can try it here:

http://www.2brightsparks.com/

alb, I've since come across this app - it's pretty good. I like the e-mail notification. I hear what you're all saying about Outlook offline folders etc. etc. and that may be an option, but what I'm after is a simple, one-stop solution to backing up My Documents folder, maybe a few others and a .PST file if stored locally. The app alb is suggesting, in it's commercial form, can sync open files, which is really good for an open PST. Thanks for all the replies - I'm happy I was on the right track.