Network laptops data on server

markovgy

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Hey i'm having trouble trying to work out the best way to do this.. or whether it is even possible
Currently on this business network there are around 20machines. They are all connected to a terastation
I created shared folders on the terrastation for all the desktops for all the documents to be stored here.. and therefore I can map a drive from the desktop the terrastation so that the files can be used. This means that none of the files are therefore actually stored on the desktop (C drive) which is exactly what we want. Therefore I can simply now take a backup of the terrastation and it will back up all the documents for every desktop.

The problem arrises when I try set this up for laptops. This is because the laptops aren't always plugged into the network. On occassions the laptops will be used out of this building and therefore the documents are needed on the C drive. The only basic way I no of being able to back these files up in one go. Is by each user of the laptop to simply drag and drop / copy and paste there documents onto the terrastation. However this isn't really practical and therefore this query is to see whether it is possible to create a form of syncronisation so that when the laptops are plugged into the network the files can be moved / copied to the terrastation. I am aware that they would be needed in the C drive still but I need a form of being able to have the laptops automatically copying the files from the hard drive to the terrastation for a daily back up.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mark
 
Couple of ways of achieving this,

1. GPO to redirect & synchonise My Documents folder to network when available.
2. Use off-line folders
3. Use logon script on the domain which sync's My Documents folder with network using something like robocopy.
4. Write a robocopy script which the user initiates via desktop icon.

I am sure there are plenty of others as well.

If you do a google search on off line file synchorination you will see plenty of hits for 3rd party software.
 
Thanks for quick reply
I have now tried using off-line folders as there are so many guides for this, unfortunately not many of the laptops have xp pro however they have xp home and therefore this option doesn't seem to be possible. Also with the one and only laptop on xp pro I'm having difficulty as i don't actually want the files to be shared as this seems to be the only way of setting it up properly. I'm wanting to just access files which will always be on the network for people to view as the documents map to this network drive and therefore they aren't needed to be shared.

The other few methods for syncronisation look a bit more complex but it looks as though I may have to look into these
 
This is were i'm at now.. i've decided to hook my own laptop upto the network. This is on xp pro. I have copied my documents to the server and deleted them off my machine. I then mapped the document folder to the computer so i can access the documents. I then played about with making this folder offline. Finally I'm getting somewhere.. almost!

Edit! More than almost :)
It appears to now be working I just had an issue with one file! now its fine :) i can work offline with my files
The main issue now is that I can only set this up on one other laptop

What is the best way for XP Home is there not an add on or another simple method for offline file sharing.

Thanks

Mark
 
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I have now attempted to set up briefcase thanks. But lol there's always a but :(
The files aren't actually shared. Although accessibly they aren't actually shared and sharing is not possible on the terrastation were the files are. So unfortunately this method hasn't work. And i can't think of many other ideas.
3rd party software or upgrading to xp pro seems like the way forward. But with xp pro at around £100 i think simplel drag nd drop on regular basis must be the way forward :|
 
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