Synchronizing files between Windows PCs

[LambChopSupreme]

I'm sorry if this would be a duplicate question, but I'm having a hard time searching for answers since I don't know the exact terms to search for. Do bear with me since I'm having a hard time explaining the scenario in English.

 

So here is the scenario:

My mother has a program (provided by the gov't thru the tax agency) installed in her laptop, some sort of portable program that can be copied, but needs a separate copy for each taxpayer, so there are about 20-25 copies of the program in her laptop. She also needs to access those folders from her desktop, since one of her staff uses the laptop for the same program. I've tried putting all those folders inside a folder then shared it on the network. Here's the problem, sure, she can access the folders from her desktop, but the program won't run properly unless the folders are copied to the desktop.

 

Is there a way to set it up where my mom can use the programs from her desktop and automatically update the ones saved in the laptop? Do I have to set up a NAS of some sort?

 

Thanks in advance for the input.

[vanished]

Correct me if I'm wrong but you're talking about synchronizing the tax information of 20 - 25 people?  Obviously security should be your top concern then, and this will affect which solution you go with.  Frankly, I'm not qualified to make a recommendation on this, and it would be dangerous for you to choose the wrong setup, so keep that in mind when looking for answers on a forum like this.

 

With that in mind, one thing that comes to mind is https://www.resilio.com/

[LambChopSupreme]

I didn't really consider security since the synchronization will be only from my mom's desktop and laptop, both of which are always at home, and she doesn't need to access the files when she's out. Hmm, valid point though. Will keep that in mind. Since I'm at work now, I can't really try yet the free version of Resilio Sync. Will it sync a folder located in the desktop like how Google Drive would? (Tried Google Drive for this with a test copy, it messes up the data.)

[LambChopSupreme]

I was actually thinking of just attaching a NAS and using Windows 10's File History. Though I'm not sure if it would work with simultaneous edits from the desktop and the laptop. -..- bummer.

[unkn0wn1]

why not just make a shared folder on the desktop and leave it running, so when she uses her laptop it just is accessible like a folder. it would work just like a nas.

[LambChopSupreme]

17 minutes ago, unkn0wn1 said:

why not just make a shared folder on the desktop and leave it running, so when she uses her laptop it just is accessible like a folder. it would work just like a nas.

Is it the same as me sharing the folder (in the laptop) over the network? I've tried sharing it over the network and running the program, but it won't run unless it was copied to the desktop. So, I'm looking for a solution where the folder exists both on the desktop and laptop, but when the program is run and the files are updated, the updates are reflected on both the laptop and desktop.

[vanished]

2 hours ago, LambChopSupreme said:

I didn't really consider security since the synchronization will be only from my mom's desktop and laptop, both of which are always at home, and she doesn't need to access the files when she's out. Hmm, valid point though. Will keep that in mind. Since I'm at work now, I can't really try yet the free version of Resilio Sync. Will it sync a folder located in the desktop like how Google Drive would? (Tried Google Drive for this with a test copy, it messes up the data.)

Yeah that stuff should really not be on a personal google drive

[bcguru9384]

2 hours ago, LambChopSupreme said:

I'm sorry if this would be a duplicate question, but I'm having a hard time searching for answers since I don't know the exact terms to search for. Do bear with me since I'm having a hard time explaining the scenario in English.

 

So here is the scenario:

My mother has a program (provided by the gov't thru the tax agency) installed in her laptop, some sort of portable program that can be copied, but needs a separate copy for each taxpayer, so there are about 20-25 copies of the program in her laptop. She also needs to access those folders from her desktop, since one of her staff uses the laptop for the same program. I've tried putting all those folders inside a folder then shared it on the network. Here's the problem, sure, she can access the folders from her desktop, but the program won't run properly unless the folders are copied to the desktop.

 

Is there a way to set it up where my mom can use the programs from her desktop and automatically update the ones saved in the laptop? Do I have to set up a NAS of some sort?

 

Thanks in advance for the input.

if program is thru tax agency i advice to consult them as to this scenario

very likely if your mother is handling govt tax accounts then its a violation of policy for you to have access to these account files unless you are also an employee with allowed access rights

so i would talk to tax agency first to avoid trouble later

[LambChopSupreme]

5 hours ago, bcguru9384 said:

if program is thru tax agency i advice to consult them as to this scenario

very likely if your mother is handling govt tax accounts then its a violation of policy for you to have access to these account files unless you are also an employee with allowed access rights

so i would talk to tax agency first to avoid trouble later

naah. it's just a program provided by the tax agency, not for gov't use, but for taxpayer use. I guess I should just ask them for advice, though I'm not really hopeful since gov't online apps need an outdated version of Firefox to work, which when used with the latest versions, report that the security certificates are expired.

[LambChopSupreme]

5 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Yeah that stuff should really not be on a personal google drive

Yeah. Will give Resilio a try. Thanks!