Want to Sync, not share

[William5]

I have 2 laptops and I would like to keep the "My Documents" folders synchronized. I figured out how to share from one laptop to the other, but how do I get both computers to update each other with the most recent changes?

[Frank Maier]

https://help.resilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/205506699-Quick-guide-to-syncing

[William5]

The link shows me how to share 1 folder with 2 computers, but I want to share 2 folders with 2 computers. If I link as shown and change the contents of the folder on computer 1, it will sync and update the contents of the folder on computer 2. This would cause the loss of  all the changes that were made on computer 2 before syncing.

I want information that was changed on each computer to be synced to the other computer so I wind up with 2 identical folders.

[Frank Maier]

I don't understand what you intend to do. Because in the end you don't want to share 2 differen folders, but a single one, which is identical on both computers.

Resilio Sync does not open the files and inspects what was changed. If you edit an jpg image on Computer A and Computer B at the same time, how should Resilio Sync know how to combine those two files and don't create a huge mess. That does not work! Never, nowhere!

The 'before syncing' is not practical. Resilio Sync does sync the whole time. So you have one folder, which is both on PC A and PC B and is identical! That's why it's one folder, not two! You edit some files in it on PC A, the changes will get synced to B. You edit the file on B, the changes will get synced to A. You edit the same file on both at the same time, the file with the latest time stamp will get synced, so the changes on one of these computers will be lost. You edit file a) on PC A, file b) on PC B and save it, then file a) will get synced to PC B and file b) will get synced to PC A, all changes are synced.

If you want to work on a single document, at the same time, on two computers, then you have to use a collaborative software. For text documents, spreadsheets, ... you could use Collabora Online, which is LibreOffice in a browser. But you can't do this with every file type and you can't do this with normal software. The software has to run on some kind of server and has to have the ability built-in.

 

Edit: If you want to keep a folder on PC A and a folder on PC B in sync in the future, but right now they have different contents, then use something like FreeFileSync to get them in sync and afterwards use Resilio Sync for future live syncing.

 

[William5]

Frank, your explanation is mostly what I needed to know. Just to be clear  --

Both computers logged on to my home network. I alter file A on computer 1. It immediately updates file A on computer 2. I then change rooms and switch to computer 2 where I further alter file A. It will immediately update file A on computer 1. I will never be working on both computers at the same time. So this works.

In the unlikely event that one computer is stolen, and the thief were to delete all the files in the synced folder, I would be safe(not risk losing all the files in the linked folder) as long as the thief is not logged onto my network so that a sync cannot occur.

Thanks for clearing this up for me.

PS. And I am using FreeFileSync via USB memory, but was never able to get the two computers to see each other on the network and therefore unable to directly sync (mirror) using FreeFileSync.

[Frank Maier]

Sync moves altered or deleted files in the subfolder .sync/Archive
https://help.resilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/204754239-Using-Archive-for-file-versioning-and-restoring-deleted-files-
So if a thief deletes all files and is connected to 'the network', your files will get moved to the Archive folder and you can restore them.

'The network':
Resilio sync works both via your local network but also via internet. It has several methods to establish a connection.

One way: Directly in the local network. Therefore both peers must have a direct connection. You should double check that this is the case for you. Just check the transfer speeds if they are higher than your internet connection, everything is fine.

Second way: Directly through the internet. PC A is in New York, PC B in Sydney. They establish a direct connection through the internet. This depends on the firewall (router) settings, if this is possible. By default it's often not the case.

Third way: Indirectly through a relay server. PC A connects to the Relay server via internet and sends the files to this server. PC B also connect to the relay server and receives the files from there. That's a way to circumvent closed firewalls (the normal case).

 

if you only sync in your local network, you can disable the use of the relay server. If your local network is configured properly it should still work:
https://help.resilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/204754779-What-is-a-Relay-Server-

How does Resilio Sync know what peers exist? Using a tracking server. You can tell Resilio Sync to not use a tracking server, but then you have to manually tell resilio sync the address of the other peers by specifying the predefined hosts (the local IP of the other computer)
https://help.resilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/205458125-Folder-Preferences

[jaspenn]

I am a bit like William. I want to sync my business office desktop with my home office desktop and with my laptop.  All I want is that when the contents of a particular folder are modified on one computer, that the same folder is updated on the other two computers. I have Sync installed, but I don't know that it is working. Does Sync work continuously in the background or only when the sync function is activated?  Or should I be looking at FreeFileSync?  Thank you.

[William5]

I am still learning about syncing computers, but I can provide some assistance. If you have all 3 computers on the same Workgroup and can access them from each desktop using Explorer, then you can share the data using windows or a third party app such as FreeFileSync.

Resilio Sync does work continuously in thebackground. When you set up the folder to sync, be sure to check Read and Write. I think you need to set up a sync link from computer 1 to computer 2, and a link from computer 1 to computer 3. As long as you only work on one computer at a time, a) a change to computer 1 will sync to computer 2 and 3; b) a change to computer 2 or 3 will sync with computer 1; c) and a change to computer 2 (or 3) will sync with computer 1, which should then sync back to computer 3 (or 2).

Obviously I'd suggest testing this settup on a sample folder.

[Frank Maier]

Resilio Sync works in the background and syncs as soon the file got changed. (you save the file and release the lock on the file, that is you close the application with which you edited the file)

On one computer (A) you have to start somehow, so you add a folder to Resilio Sync. This folder gets a unique link. On the other computers (B and C) you use this link to connect to this folder. Resilio Sync then downloads all files from A and stores them in the local folder you selected and thus you created a synced folder.

There's a link which allows you to only read the files on e.g. B, but changes won't get synced. There's a link which allows you to read the files and also writes (changes) will get synced back to A and C (the link you should use).

The safest method is to start by adding a filled folder on PC A. On PC B and C you use the Read Write link and select an empty local folder. The folders will get filled by Resilio Sync with the contents on PC A.

If you know that the folders on PC A, B and C are 100% identical, then you can use the filled folders on all three machines, Resilio Sync won't have to transfer the files again in the first initial run. This speeds up the initial connection of the folders.

There's a Pro version or Home. This version allows you to create a profile. On PC A, B and C you can set up the same profile. The advantage is, that if you add a new folder on PC A to Resilio Sync, this folder will be available on PC B and C automatically. So you don't have to work with the unique folder link any longer. There are also other additional features, not relevant now.

If you don't care about real time synchronisation and you are o.k. with manual initiated syncing every now and then, then you can use FreeFileSync instead.