How to Stay in Sync Across Multiple Gadgets and Desktops

Posted 07/14/2009 at 8:00am | by Justin Kerr

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Microsoft Live Sync

Price: Free

Syncs: Files

Pros: Excellent solution for always on machines, and for those who don’t want to store their information in the cloud, but still want to access it anywhere. Live Sync works perfectly with both small and large folders, allows you to download any file remotely from your browser with zero router configuration, and is perfect for sharing files with family or friends.

Cons: 20,000 file per library limit can make syncing some Music and Picture folders will high file counts awkward to configure. As opposed to Live Mesh, all devices must be online to receive updated files.

Compatibility

PC: Yes    Mac: Yes    Linux: Read Only    Mobile: Read Only

Microsoft Live Sync is a less complex solution to implement than Mesh, and what it does, it does silently and efficiently. Live Sync is a better solution for larger folders where changes are less urgent, and can wait for both machines to be online. This generally means it isn’t as good for documents that change unless your devices are always online, but other than that, the two platforms are very similar. In fact, with the exception of live desktop, Sync and Mesh are practically twins. With this in mind you might wonder, why would Microsoft offer two similar, but competing solutions?

The answer to this lies in the uncertain future of both technologies. Given the obvious overlap, it’s very unlikely that both services will survive, and according to inside information gathered by Windows blogger Paul Thurrott, Live Sync is the future. This makes sense when you consider that Microsoft views Live Mesh as an experimental platform for people to build applications on. Live Sync on the other hand, is a fully supported Service. Mesh will probably never disappear, but its functions and features might end up changing rapidly over time.

So long story short, if you’re working with large folders, or if you want to be able to access your hard drive from any browser worldwide, read on to learn how Live Sync works.

How-To: Setup Live Sync Libraries (Mac & PC)

The first step will be to download the desktop client for Windows or Mac, and once you have it installed, simply use your Windows Live I.D. to login. The Sync desktop client is pretty minimalistic, and for the most part, the entire service is designed to be managed through the website. Clicking on the tray icon for example will show you a list of any folders you are sharing, and also a link to the sync homepage. Using the web interface you are able to configure what folders you would like to sync / share, or even browse through your entire hard drive. This is a fantastic way to download any file off your machine remotely, even when you don’t have access to your own machines. Simply login to the sync homepage, point your browser to where you left the file and the download begins immediately.

1. Create a Personal Folder

Personal Folders allow you to select a directory on one machine, that you would like sync with any other authorized computer on your account. An authorized computer is any Mac or PC that has the Live Sync client installed, and is registered to your Live I.D. account. The diagram shown above will walk you through the steps we took to share the My Documents folder on our Macbook, with the My Documents folder on our desktop Windows 7 machine. These images were cut from the browser window to show you the flow of options from start to finish. In the final step, after identifying all of the machines participating in the folder sync, you will then be asked if you like Automatic Synchronization or On-Demand Synchronization. Automatic, as the name would suggest, tries to keep each location in sync whenever possible. On-Demand requires you to manually initiate the sync.

2. Create a Shared Folder

Shared Folders is a fantastic tool for sending and sharing large files with family and friends, but unfortunately, it has an artificial limitation that seriously limits the usefulness of the feature. Creating a shared folder is a simple matter on your end, but the email invite that gets sent out forces others to install the sync client before their Live I.D. is given access to the website. We suppose Microsoft is hoping this will help hook them into the service, and in reality, if you are collaborating on a project, this is a great way to keep versions consistent. If on the other hand, all you wanted was to let a family member download a zip file full photos, they will still be forced to download and install software they will never use, and simply don’t need.

3. Set up Your Machine to Securely Offer up your Files through Any Browser

The only thing better than turning any old PC or Mac into a file server, is doing it with next to no hassle, and with decent security to boot. There have been so many times we’ve rushed out the door only to leave a presentation or vital document sitting on the desktop of our home machine. These painful lessons have lead many to plunk down hundreds on expensive NAS file servers, or perhaps even experimenting with a home FTP. But everyone who has tried this has a common problem, the router. Every router, regardless of what you paid for it is primarily designed to do one thing, drop incoming packets. This helps to shield your machine from all nasty viruses and malware floating freely around the internet, but it also makes it really difficult to connect to your PC remotely. Live Sync takes the guess work out of the configuration, and amazingly, just works. As for the security, have no fear. All connections both through the website and through the sync service operate over a secure SSL connection.

To enable this feature, simply right click on the Live Sync tray icon, select More, and then click one last time on Settings. This will bring you to the screen shown above, which looks the same both on a Mac or Windows PC. Simply check off the box next to Allow Remote Access to This Computer to turn on the remote access feature. Once done, login to the Sync Website, Click on the machine you just enabled access to, then look for the link that says Browse. A sample of what the file tree looks like is below, and as you can see, it’s very easy to navigate.