TechTip for March 21, 2008 - Foldershare
I came across a new service last week that I’ve found to be very helpful in moving and backing-up files. It’s called Foldershare and it was created by an independent company, but then purchased my Microsoft in 2005. Microsoft has recently released it in beta status as part of their Windows Live service. In essence it’s a mechanism to share or synchronize files and folders between multiple computers. You could use it to back up documents between your work and home computer, between multiple work computers, etc. To start using it do the following:
- Go to http://foldershare.com and create an account (doesn’t have to be a Windows Live ID, I’m using my work email address).
- You’ll need to then download the client (it’s available for both PC and Mac) to each computer you want to synchronize with. See the Manage Your Computers section for this.
- You will then create a personal library (for backups) or a shared library to distribute files to friends and family. You must then select a folder or specific file on your computer. You also have to select the folder or location where the files will be received by the second computer.
Once installed, both computers will search for each other, and then start the synchronization process. Note that it doesn’t store your files online, it simply uses the web to copy the files back and forth.
Have a good weekend! - Andy