My Breifcase

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I have a very dumb question...but what's the use of
the "My Breifcase?" What's the difference between that
and "My documents?"
 
Here's an excerpt straight out of Windows Help:

------------------
Briefcase overview:

If you frequently work on files outside your main computer (using a portable
computer, for example), you can use Briefcase to synchronize the files with
their counterparts on your main computer when you finish working on them.

When you reconnect your portable computer to your main computer (or insert a
removable disk containing the modified files), Briefcase automatically
updates the files on your main computer to the modified versions. You do not
need to move modified files out of Briefcase or delete the existing copies
on your main computer.
-------------------

In addition to Synchronizing with a lap-top, I use the Breifcase frequently
to backup really important files...
It's really simple to set-up and quick to sync... Keep the Breifcase-Backups
on ZipDisks or external Drive/Storage... wherever convenient.

To learn more, just click on an empty space on the desktop >> presss F1 >>
INDEX tab >> Briefcase...

Happy reading... hope this helps.

Chris
 
Hi Jisha,
do you know if the following is possible? I've read and re-read the help on
briefcase many times and cant see a way to do this.
I have a 'work' computer and a 'home' computer and a portable usb harddrive.
I'm trying to sync the 'work' files and 'home' files via carrying the usb
drive between them to update.
The 'work' and 'home' have same directory structure(for the files i'm trying
to sync)
I can sucessfully create a briefcase on'home' comp and put in usb drive. and
it will sync back to 'home'.
But when I brought it to 'work' and tried to update it said files not found
no update.
I even tried renaming the volume name of the C: drive at 'work' to match the
one at 'home' "Disc1part01" but it still doesn't find the folder structure.
Is there any way to do a sync that way.
the help files i"ve been reading only talk about syncing file from a
computer to removable disk then editing the files directly on the removable
disk in the 'remote' computer ie laptop in their example. I don't want to
edit the briefcase files directly because they are working files I access in
my work every day and I dont' want the slow down of working through a usb
hub and also there are many links or references in the files to the existing
folder structure so I need to keep working from c:\ not z:\ (the usb drive).
any ideas?
THanks
Makr
 
If I understand you correctly, there are files at work computer which you
want to work on at home, and then synchronize the files in the morning on
work computer.

You need to put the files into the briefcase from the Work computer, not the
home computer, in order to keep them synchronized at work. The briefcase
can't sync the same file to two locations.

Then, when you bring the briefcase home on your USB drive, instead of
working on the files directly from there, you can MOVE the briefcase to your
home computer, then work on the files and move it back to the USB drive when
you're finished.

***************

If you imagine the "Briefcase" to contain a database of info about each
individual file in the briefcase; ...where it's original copy is, ...when it
was last synchronized ...was it modified, etc... then you should be able to
understand why the briefcase told you "files not found" when you brought to
work computer...because from the perspective of the briefcase, a file on the
Work computer and an Identical file on the Home computer actually looks like
2 different files.

However, 2 SEPARATE briefcases can sync with the same original file...

If the "original" or "master" files are kept on the USB drive, then you
could create a briefcase which "lives" on the work computer, to sync those
files with work location. Then, at home, create a 2nd briefcase which
"lives" on the home computer... and sync the same files from the USB drive
at Home location.

For this to work, you probably will need to substitute the folder where the
files reside with a briefcase of the same name.

Some possible pitfalls with this approach could be:
1) If you're not the only person working with these files, then you run the
risk of losing your homework when you sync with the work computer in the
morning...

2) If the USB drive doesn't always get the same drive letter assigned to it
when it's plugged in, then the Briefcase will tell you "files not found"...
you can solve this by mounting the USB drive from an NTFS folder.

3) If the files you're trying to synchronize are scattered about in
different folders (which I suspect might be the situation), then you'd need
to create a briefcase for each location... and THAT could get confusing. In
such case, you might be better off trying to find more powerful 3rd party
synchronization software. In this were my situation, I would create a simple
batch file to copy the files to/from the USB drive... it might be tedious to
write, but in the end could simpler to use as the Briefcase, and
substantially more customizable.

Hope this helps... please post back either way...
 
Hi Jisha,
Thanks for the response.
The briefcase can't sync the same file to two locations.
Click to expand...

That's what I figured :-(

Actually I'm working on a vb backup program to do the backup the way I want,
ie, identical folders and files at home and work, using usb to transport two
ways.

It works but i currently have to select which folders I want to sync so if
there's 3 or four i have to repeat my process that many times. It's also
needing a bit of tweaking to get the speed to a more acceptable blinding
fast operation! :-)

I'm now working on a version to read all folders on c:\0 (main working
folder with many subfolders) and then read all folders on z:\xxx (usb
portable with variable folders saved that day - which ever ones i wanted to
transport since i don't need to transport files i haven't worked on)
the trick is finding all matching folder names with varying 'prefixes'
eg:
if I have c:\code\vb, c:\code\lisp, c:\code\lisp\std etc
and also z:\backup\work\03-11-18\code\vb, z:\backup\work\03-11-18\code\lisp,
z:\backup\work\03-11-18\code\lisp\std,
i need to search and find matched pairs
eg: pair 1:
c:\code\vb
z:\backup\work\03-11-18\code\vb
etc

then I can check file dates within each folder and copy only newer dates
from source or compare folders - which ever is most recent.

actually the briefcase seems to be even slower than my vb prog at comparing
the files since i guess it's creating a whole database of info to do the
syncing, and since it's only a one way street, eg one folder one briefcase,
it doesn't really do exactly what I was aiming at.

Thanks for confirming that I wasn't just missing something about how to use
it.

back to the coding board!
:-)~


Jisha said:
If I understand you correctly, there are files at work computer which you
want to work on at home, and then synchronize the files in the morning on
work computer.
Click to expand...

exactamundo

Thanks again for the info!
Makr
 
Very welcome... happy coding... :]

Just Me said:
Hi Jisha,
Thanks for the response.


That's what I figured :-(

Actually I'm working on a vb backup program to do the backup the way I want,
ie, identical folders and files at home and work, using usb to transport two
ways.

It works but i currently have to select which folders I want to sync so if
there's 3 or four i have to repeat my process that many times. It's also
needing a bit of tweaking to get the speed to a more acceptable blinding
fast operation! :-)

I'm now working on a version to read all folders on c:\0 (main working
folder with many subfolders) and then read all folders on z:\xxx (usb
portable with variable folders saved that day - which ever ones i wanted to
transport since i don't need to transport files i haven't worked on)
the trick is finding all matching folder names with varying 'prefixes'
eg:
if I have c:\code\vb, c:\code\lisp, c:\code\lisp\std etc
and also z:\backup\work\03-11-18\code\vb, z:\backup\work\03-11-18\code\lisp,
z:\backup\work\03-11-18\code\lisp\std,
i need to search and find matched pairs
eg: pair 1:
c:\code\vb
z:\backup\work\03-11-18\code\vb
etc

then I can check file dates within each folder and copy only newer dates
from source or compare folders - which ever is most recent.

actually the briefcase seems to be even slower than my vb prog at comparing
the files since i guess it's creating a whole database of info to do the
syncing, and since it's only a one way street, eg one folder one briefcase,
it doesn't really do exactly what I was aiming at.

Thanks for confirming that I wasn't just missing something about how to use
it.

back to the coding board!
:-)~




exactamundo

Thanks again for the info!
Makr
Click to expand...
 
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