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Features
- Editor's Rating:
- Average User Rating:
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Downloads:
12,854
- Operating Systems:
Windows Vista, Windows XP
- Additional Requirements:
Windows XP/Vista, Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
- Limitations:
No limitations
- Date Added:
January 17, 2007
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Previous Versions:
Publisher's description of SyncToy 1.4
From Microsoft:The easy to use, customizable application helps you copy, move, rename, and delete files between folders and computers. There are files from all kinds of sources that we want to store and manage. Files are created by our digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, portable media players, camcorders, PDAs, and laptops. Increasingly, computer users are using different folders, drives, and even different computers (such as a laptop and a desktop) to store, manage, retrieve and view files. Yet managing hundreds or thousands of files is still largely a manual operation. In some cases it is necessary to regularly get copies of files from another location to add to primary location; in other cases there is a need to keep two storage locations exactly in sync.
Editor's review of SyncToy 1.4
stars
- "Don't play games with syncing"
- Version reviewed: SyncToy 1.4
If you're looking for a convenient, uncomplicated, and stable synchronization tool, you could do much, much worse than Microsoft's SyncToy. Part of the Windows XP PowerToys add-ons, this tool makes it easy to keep folder contents identical on one machine or across a network.
The first time you run it, SyncToy will guide you through creating a pair of linked folders. Labeled as Left and Right, it will then ask you to choose from one of five synchronization methods. Echo works like a standard one-way sync, copying all files from Left to Right. Synchronize is bidirectional; Contribute works like Echo but it won't delete files removed from the Left folder; Subscribe only updates files in common that have been updated; and Combine merges Synchronize and Contribute so that files are updated in both directions, but none are deleted. SyncToy does support encrypted files.
SyncToy also offers up a preview, preventing accidental loss of data. However, the two feature omissions are hard to ignore: you can't synchronize across the Internet, and there's no scheduler. For the former, Microsoft does offer a different tool, FolderShare, but by requiring users to manually sync all folders leaves SyncToy behind other free backup apps.
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User reviews of SyncToy 1.4
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 13 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 4 of 4 user reviewsSee all 4 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: SyncToy 1.4
Pros: In a few mouseclicks, you're on your way to sync two different folders; the interface is easy to use; does its job reliably most of the time; five different synching options to choose from; available for free, for anyone.
Cons: Some files may be overlooked if not dealt with first time around.
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Version: SyncToy 1.4
"Fantastic utility, simple, easy to use, does just what it is suppose to do"
Pros: This software was just what I was looking for. I combined it with Morning Glory Remote Batch Copy software to solve a network issue I have had for some time.
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Version: SyncToy 1.4
Pros: Nice interface, but it doesn't work correctly
Cons: I tested this software - both sync & echo functions to do work properly. Will not create new folders and does not delete files as it should in these modes. Not reliable, and not recommended!
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1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: SyncToy 1.4
"Free, Clean, Easy, Flexible. Gives you 5 different sync options, keeps it simple"
Pros: First of all, it's FREE. That was a key for me because I didn't feel like spending more money after buying the external drive and not liking their software.
This was exactly what I was looking for, a very clean, simple and effective tool that would allow me to backup several key folders (Music, Documents, Photos, etc) to my Western Digital MyBook drive. This made the process painless. Gives you 5 different options, like a two folder sync, or a one folder copy, subscription method or contribution (no delete) mode.
The application will only update what has changed (handles file renames as well), so it's efficient. Seemed to run very fast too. The only thing that took any kind of time was my first time archiving my music (10 gigs), and any speed limitation there is probably the result of the firewire and HD, not the application.
On each folder sync setup, you can use file extension filters (like * versus *.jpg), compare by file name only or by contents to determine changes, backup removed files in the recycle bin, etc.
Also pretty neat is that the application can be setup to run as a scheduled task in Windows, which is another thing I wanted.
The app requires you to setup the auto scheduling yourself through windows task scheduler, using a command line. The benefit of this approach is that the application does not have to run as an extra process on your machine (like other annoying applications and hardware tend to have). You can even schedule one folder at a time, or all "active" folders, whichever is easier (allowing you to sync you music weekly, and your photos daily, etc).
Cons: They could have provided a GUI for PC novices that taps into Windows Scheduler, so you don't have to setup a task like C:\My Folder\SyncToy.exe" -R"My folder pair.", but that in my opinion is a very small negative.
- See all 4 user reviews Write review
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