Hi Lynn.  Thanks for this great tutorial.  I was thinking of doing a similar
thing, however I want it to Sync to my external hard drive, then I want to
sync the same folders to my lap top when I plug the same external hard drive
to it.  Can it be done?  
 
Thx, Albert

  _____  

From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lynn Evans
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:13 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VICUG-L] for those using thumb drives





Synchronizing files automatically


Q I use a thumb drive to carry files between home and work. Can I set up
automatic synchronization? I want the thumb drive to synchronize with my
computer when it is inserted. 

A You have a couple of options, depending on your operating system. In
Vista, the drive can synchronize automatically. In Windows XP, the drive
will synchronize with a click. Either way, you're in for some work!

First, you'll need to download
<http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=1272> SyncToy. This is a
free, easy-to-use program from Microsoft. It provides sophisticated
synchronizing options. 

Install SyncToy on both computers. It must be in the same location on both
machines. I recommend installing it in your Program Files folder. 

Once you've installed SyncToy, you'll set up folder pairs. You can set up
multiple pairs, if you'd like. For now, pair a folder on your computer with
one on the thumb drive. SyncToy synchronizes files in the folders based on
options you select.

For quick and easy instructions on setting up folder pairs,
<http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=3887> read my tip.

Once SyncToy is set up, you'll need to establish autorun options. You do
this by creating a file named autorun.inf on the thumb drive.

Open Notepad (Start>>Accessories>>Notepad). Enter the following in the blank
document:

[autorun]
open=C:\Program Files\Microsoft\SyncToy\SyncToy.exe -R"My Pair"
action=Synchronize Folders

Check to be certain that this path is correct. Otherwise, Windows won't be
able to open SyncToy. Synchronization will fail. 

You're using the drive with two computers. So, the path must be the same on
both. 

Finally, replace "My Pair" with the name you gave your folder pair in
SyncToy. Keep the quotation marks.

Click File>>Save. Name your file autorun.inf. In the box labeled "Save as
type," select All Files. Click Save.

Now that you've created the autorun file, you need to tell Windows to follow
it.

In Vista, click Start>>Control Panel. Double-click AutoPlay. Make sure "Use
AutoPlay for all media and devices" is selected. Beside "Software and
games," select "Install or run program." Click Save.

When you insert the drive, Windows will automatically synchronize your
files. Unfortunately, there is a potential problem. Any thumb drive or disc
with a program will run automatically. That includes malicious software. So,
I would think twice about using the autorun feature in Vista. 

Instead, you could create a shortcut that automatically synchronizes your
files. You'd simply double-click it. SyncToy would launch, run and then
close.

To do this, open Notepad and enter the following:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft\SyncToy\SyncToy.exe" -R"My Pair"

Again, make sure you have the correct file path for SyncToy. And substitute
the name for your paired folders for "My Pair." Keep the quotation marks.

When you're done, click File>>Save. Name the file and give it a .BAT
extension. For example, name it "synctoy.bat." For file type, select All
Files. Click Desktop>>Save.

Things are different in Windows XP. Insert the drive, and the AutoPlay
dialog box will open. Double-click Synchronize Folders. SyncToy will launch
and synchronize your files. 

You'll be prompted to synchronize whenever you insert the thumb drive.

  _____  

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