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
    2011-01-25T03:58:49+00:00

    There is an alternative, a program called Microsoft SyncToy (totally unrelated from Live Sync or Mesh).  It's just a program that basically does exactly what Briefcase did, you set up "folder pairs" and it syncs them for you.  You can set a schedule, you can do it when you plug in a flash drive, whatever.  Might be something you'd like.

    If this solves your issue, click the 'Propose as Answer' link below, and vote as helpful by clicking the green triangle to the lelft. Thanks!

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-03-12T17:20:23+00:00

    There is an alternative, a program called Microsoft SyncToy (totally unrelated from Live Sync or Mesh).  It's just a program that basically does exactly what Briefcase did, you set up "folder pairs" and it syncs them for you.  You can set a schedule, you can do it when you plug in a flash drive, whatever.  Might be something you'd like.

    SyncToy is a lot less flexible than the briefcase unless you want to synchronize full folders. With the briefcase you can easily drag single files from many folders in pc1 to an usb-memory, and then sync them with any folders in pc2. This was working very fine in XP but seems impossible in Win7 and I too miss this function a lot! With SyncToy you can do this if you use filters and many folder pairs, but it's a lot more tricky to set up. Please give us back the old briefcase!

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-04-18T05:14:44+00:00

    Hello S. Wink

    I know its like 3 years ago lol but I was facing the same proplem this is how I got here

    Are you still having the same problem ?

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