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- #Simple folder sync how to
- #Simple folder sync install
- #Simple folder sync free
- #Simple folder sync windows
So, start Task Scheduler by typing “task scheduler” in the Start menu/screen search field, and click on “Create Basic Task” on the right side of the program’s main window. The sync commands are very simple actually – to run sync for all folder pairs, you would use “SyncTo圜md -R”, while “SyncTo圜md -R folder_pair_1” would only run the sync on folder_pair_1, as you might’ve guessed.
#Simple folder sync how to
You can see the commands in the help file (accessible from the main interface), under “SyncToy How To Topics -> Run SyncToy from Command Line”. We’ll be using Task Scheduler to automate synchronizations, which basically involves running SyncToy’s CLI program and issuing the right command. You can do it manually in the SyncToy interface, but why do that when automation is much better (and fun)? After giving the pair a name, it will be ready to sync.
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Depending on your use type, you’ll need to select the best option yourself. And “Contribute” only processes renamed files on the left, but does not delete any files in the second folder. “Echo” gives priority to the left folder, with renames and deletes being repeated in the right folder, but not vice-versa. deletes and renames in the right folder will be done in the left (main) folder. “Synchronized” means both folders will be equal, i.e. Aside from all the files being created in both folders, the difference lies in the way renames and deletes are handled. On the next screen, you can choose the way the folders will be synced. All of this can only be done if you use the command line tool and Task Scheduler, as the SyncToy program itself doesn’t offer these capabilities.Īnyway, setting up a folder pair is very easy – just click on “Create New Folder Pair” and select the folders. You can set up one folder to sync to several other folders, create independent pairs, and even daisy chain the folders so they all sync one after another by different rules (helpful for keeping two main folders up to date, while a third one acts as an archive, for example). SyncToy’s user interface is pretty simple – you can set up folder pairs that would sync when triggered. You can open it from the start menu by searching for “synctoy”.
#Simple folder sync install
Download SyncToy and install it on your computer (note the installation location, you’ll need it to set up the automatic sync). SyncToy also has a CLI utility that lets you automate synchronizations using Task Scheduler (or even batch files), and I’ll show you how to do that below.
#Simple folder sync windows
NET Framework 3.5 from Microsoft’s website or by simply going to “Control Panel/Programs and Features/Turn Windows Features On or Off”.
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It’s a powerful tool in the right hands, and it works on Windows Vista, 7 and 8, although you will need to install. SyncToy lets you keep two folders (or more, either as pairs or daisy-chained if you wish) synced in three different modes (Synchronize, Echo and Contribute, which differ in the way file deletions and renames are handled). There are plenty of tools out there that let you do it, but most of them are paid and there’s really no reason to go for them when Microsoft offers an utility of their own, SyncToy, which may seem simple at first, but is pretty powerful under the hood.Īutomatically syncing two folders and all their files using SyncToy Whether you want to keep your work files up to date between computers or you just want to have your music collection on your smartphone filled with the latest songs from your PC, syncing folders is a great way to do it.
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In this article, I’ll show you how to completely automate the sync process.
#Simple folder sync free
Keeping two folders and all their files in sync can be useful in a lot of situations, and fortunately, it’s very easy to do that in Windows using Microsoft’s own free SyncToy utility.
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