Clone folder in Windows - NOT using "mklink"

[xBlizzDevious]

Hey guys, I've got a number of folders on my computers that I sometimes want cloned in other places, kinda like a Dropbox/Copy.com/Google Drive style copy/update/delete folder. Anyways, I've got copies of my Dropbox folder and my Copy.com folder on both my main computer and my "server". I now have just added a Google Drive folder to my server and I just can't be bothered installing more of these cloud services on both my server and my computer. Is there a way to run folders in a similar kind of way but between my own computers and not the cloud?

 

IE. Can I have a folder on my server that's cloned to my main computer? I don't want to just map a network drive and use that, as if the connection to the network computer is interrupted, it will cause issues on the other end.

 

So, is it possible to do this with standard Windows or will I need an application for it? Or does it not even exist?

 

For reference, my "server" has Windows 8 Pro on it and my main PC has Windows 7 Ultimate. Both 64 bit.

[samuel]

duplicati. make a profile, disable autostart, add task schedule to start the exe with admin rights+hidden and you'll never have to wory about it.

[xBlizzDevious]

duplicati. make a profile, disable autostart, add task schendule to start the exe with admin rights+hidden and you'll never have to wory about it.

 

Ok, thanks for the reply... But uh... What? Could you explain that a little more please?

[samuel]

Ok, thanks for the reply... But uh... What? Could you explain that a little more please?

install duplicati. it can do whatever clones you want to whatever clounds or file based you can imagine. you don't actually need to make a hidden startup entry.

[xBlizzDevious]

install duplicati. it can do whatever clones you want to whatever clounds or file based you can imagine. you don't actually need to make a hidden startup entry.

 

Right. Well I probably would as I don't really want anything extra in my list of background applications. I keep that as low as possible and there's often around 15 things in the list. Haha. Cheers.

[xBlizzDevious]

install duplicati. it can do whatever clones you want to whatever clounds or file based you can imagine. you don't actually need to make a hidden startup entry.

 

Hmmm... All this seems to want to do is back up folders and won't permanently sync things. Am I just in completely the wrong menus, or is what I'm doing so far right and I just need to select a specific option?

[samuel]

Hmmm... All this seems to want to do is back up folders and won't permanently sync things. Am I just in completely the wrong menus, or is what I'm doing so far right and I just need to select a specific option?

oh so that's what you really want, auto sync. sugarsync should do it but you'll have like 5 gb for 6 months for free. it automatically saves changes to it's cloud. duplicati will backup your folders at as often as you want with incremental changes. (it will not copy only the changes, not the entire folder again) but that at a certain interval, not immediatley. I've set it to backup my game saves every day @ 9:00 PM. If I don't game, it will copy nothing. I've set the archive of changes to 2 weeks, so it will not get that big, yet I'll be plenty of time to realise that I need that file. Hope it hepls.

[xBlizzDevious]

oh so that's what you really want, auto sync. sugarsync should do it but you'll have like 5 gb for 6 months for free. it automatically saves changes to it's cloud. duplicati will backup your folders at as often as you want with incremental changes. (it will not copy only the changes, not the entire folder again) but that at a certain interval, not immediatley. I've set it to backup my game saves every day @ 9:00 PM. If I don't game, it will copy nothing. I've set the archive of changes to 2 weeks, so it will not get that big, yet I'll be plenty of time to realise that I need that file. Hope it hepls.

 

 

No no no... That's still not what I want. What I'm after is a local only application. I want to have the functionality of a cloud service but without using the internet, instead, using my "server" (which is just my old computer sitting in the corner of the room) as the "cloud". Ie. I want to have specified folders on my server automatically synced to my main computer without me doing anything. No internet in-between.

[samuel]

windows home group? you only need both computers to be connected to the same switch/router. no need for screenshots. and point duplicati to auto save to that specific (local) network location. you can even install a game to a homegroup location and play from it without any problems (assuming you have wire connection.)

[xBlizzDevious]

windows home group? you only need both computers to be connected to the same switch/router. no need for screenshots. and point duplicati to auto save to that specific (local) network location. you can even install a game to a homegroup location and play from it without any problems (assuming you have wire connection.)

 

That goes back to the issue of not being duplicated and instead running over the network, and is currently how I transfer files between the two computers.

[samuel]

That goes back to the issue of not being duplicated and instead running over the network, and is currently how I transfer files between the two computers.

over the network is not the same as over the internet.

[xBlizzDevious]

over the network is not the same as over the internet.

 

I know. If I have something running from one of those folders and I restart the server, the running application will stop as the connection to the server has been severed. That's why I need a duplicated folder on my main PC that's constantly updated when it can be, but when the server is switched off or whatever, it's not going to stop applications that are running off of it.

[samuel]

This is a lot more complicated than I tought. Some kind of raid1 with local+network storage.... Not sure if it's possible. You cannot move a process location without terminate it. It's tjat simple.

[samuel]

Double post

[eskci0]

Bittorrent Sync. It's pretty awesome.

[neon]

Synctoy (wiki) is an option, but it is not automatic, you need to manually start it and hit sync, but other than that it it can do all you ask, it can sync one folder to another folder on the same computer and sync the same folder to any mapped network drive/external drive, if your server is shut down then you can just select the local sync then when your server comes back online you can run that sync.

[IdeaStormer]

Synctoy (wiki) is an option, but it is not automatic, you need to manually start it and hit sync, but other than that it it can do all you ask, it can sync one folder to another folder on the same computer and sync the same folder to any mapped network drive/external drive, if your server is shut down then you can just select the local sync then when your server comes back online you can run that sync.

 

Can be automated by using the System Task Scheduler (Start Menu -> Administrative Tools -> Task Scheduler)

[xBlizzDevious]

Synctoy (wiki) is an option, but it is not automatic, you need to manually start it and hit sync, but other than that it it can do all you ask, it can sync one folder to another folder on the same computer and sync the same folder to any mapped network drive/external drive, if your server is shut down then you can just select the local sync then when your server comes back online you can run that sync.

 

 

Can be automated by using the System Task Scheduler (Start Menu -> Administrative Tools -> Task Scheduler)

 

Ah, yes, this is ALMOST exactly what I want. This certainly has the functionality that I'm after, but I don't want this to be something that's run once a day, or maybe even hour; I want this to be run as soon as I change anything. ie. If I rename a file, it will change in both locations - if I add a file at one, I want it to appear in the other location instantly. Is that possible?

[IdeaStormer]

I want it to appear in the other location instantly. Is that possible?

 

BitTorrent Sync, or start programming.

[xBlizzDevious]

Bittorrent Sync. It's pretty awesome.

 

 

BitTorrent Sync, or start programming.

 

Well it looks like BitTorrent Sync is just the thing I'm after. Thanks!