Windows 7 Briefcase is not viable

Anonymous
2009-12-19T15:29:58+00:00

I use briefcase extensively to sync my travel laptop with my office desktop. I carry virtually my entire working life in two large synced files. Windows 7 seems to render briefcase unusable. 1) a.sync source file and b. status are missing from the default Windows Explorer display. I finally figured out how to restore them, but it is hardly user friendly. 2) Syncing analysis is so slow it needs to speed up to stop (usually Task Manager says it is non-responsive) but it does (I think) usually come back if you wait long enough. I've given up on wireless as I believe that is worse. 3) If there is a way to "split from original" so that files or directories may be removed from the briefcase, I haven't figured out how. 4)Other strange things happen. My "Critical" briefcase just changed from a briefcase into a normal folder for reasons I haven't figured. Had a file marked read only, which wouldn't sync, and after removing the read only attribute, resyncing and exiting, the briefcase icon was replaced by the folder icon and no longer had briefcase characteristics. (That may not bee the reason, I did other things, but that was the strangest.). - If anybody at MS is interested in making Briefcase viable, I'd love to help. - SY Wink

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2010-01-28T21:37:54+00:00

SYWink,

I stumbled across your post in looking for answers to the Windows 7 Briefcase. What I was able to find as an answer (at least for my situation) was that the necessary menu bar for the briefcase was hidden by default in Win7. The standard Windows 7 folder view doesn't have the familiar File, Edit, View, etc. You can re-enable the normal menu bar by clicking on Organize-Layout-Menu Bar. Once this is enabled you will also see the familiar "Briefcase" option in that menu bar when you're in your Briefcase. Under Briefcase you should see the "Split From Original" option.

I have not yet looked into the sync speed, so I have no insight as to that. However, as for the briefcase magically turning into a regular folder, I have actually seen that on just about every Microsoft OS, I've never found a reason for it.

I hope this helps you, at least a little.

Toledohitman

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Anonymous
2012-01-03T06:12:16+00:00

If one requires synchronization so urgently and in a professional capacity perhaps one should purchase synchronization software such as Allway Sync or BellSync or GoodSync or others. Also, if data management is part of ones profession, than one may have buddies that can try out the different software and collaborate on the best of what's out there. Again, if you make more money by being on your A-game with file synchronization than it pays to purchase specialized software instead of kicking yourself and crying about it for all to hear, no?. Good software is only about 20 bucks. I make less than 30k a year and can afford that :)

To all, this thread raises an important problem of compounding a problem with frustrated ranting. If one is frustrated than take a moment to focus on the goal before one speaks out. Otherwise you don't solve anything and you reinforce and popularize adolescent behavior. Readers should also consider ranting to possibly be trolling or competitor negative advertising. Compulsive insincerity and cowardly rude behavior are going to cause big problems if we don't all recognize them as bringing society into very dark times.

Dear S Wink, you could do your listening audience a great service and post reviews of software like the aforementioned. Maybe even get into a Linux club and work with GNU projects perhaps? If your job involves these things than you stand to really contribute to making things better. If your job is to talk down Microsoft than you're doing great, lol.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

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  1. Anonymous
    2009-12-29T16:26:11+00:00

    Hello Yaaser,

    Thank you for looking at my post. Please, please pay attention to my specific questions as your comments are not specific to my problems. I know how to use briefcase, as I've been doing so since I chose to replace Laplink with it sometime around Windows 95.

    Performance, whether a) across a wired network, b) to a removable drive (* GB Kensington thumb drive) or c) to a SATA scondary drive (not C, Not the drive Windows is on, not the drive anything necessary is on, but simply a LAN backup drive) is approximately the same. Nonetheless since I did pay attention to your response, I did as you asked. It indeed proved that performance is a problem too, though I don't think I had yet asked about that. Performance means nothing if functionality is lacking.

    I established a briefcase on my thumb drive:

       1) it took 4 minutes after draging my directories to the briefcase for the analysys. This was 7,925 files, 652 folders, 2.95 GB.

       2) it took an additional 20 minutes for the "copy windows" to begin showing progress on the analog scale the copy window shows

       3) it then took 46 minutes to copy the files from the C drive to the briefcase.

    Next it took 49 minutes to copy the same files to the thumb drive using a plane old Windows Expolorer copy

    Next it took 4 minutes to open the briefcase

    Then it took a couple of seconds to delete 3 files from one of the dirctories and close the directory

    Then it took 3 minutes to open the briefcase

    Then it took 1 minute to re-establish the deleted files using briefcase.

    Having done as you asked, may I ask two questions?

       1) Any chance of having my original questions answered?

       2) Any interest by MS in making briefcase viable once again?

    Your response to my questions would be greatly appreciated,

    SW

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  2. Anonymous
    2009-12-20T15:21:15+00:00

    Hi S Wink,

    Thank you for posting in Microsoft Answers Forums.

    I’d suggest you to try sync using Briefcase with removable media and check if it is viable to you.

    To sync using Briefcase with removable media

    1.     Copy the Briefcase to any type of removable media.

    2.     Remove the media from the first computer and insert it into the second computer.

    3.     Make any changes you want to the files in the Briefcase on the removable media. Do not copy the Briefcase from the removable media onto the second computer.

    4.     To sync your changes with the first computer, remove the media from the second computer and insert it into the first computer.

    5.     From the first computer, open the removable media folder, right-click the Briefcase, and then click Update All to sync any changes you have made.

    Please see Sync using Briefcase for more information.

    Hope this information helps you.

    Regards,

    Yaaser - Microsoft Support Engineer                                          

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