mklink

[dvn]

I was wondering if someone could help me out. I want to make sure I understand what is happening here.

 

I am trying to sync folders between SkyDrive and Dropbox. I used the command mklink to create what appears to be a sync relationship, but I'm not sure this is what I've accomplished. I rather suspect that no matter which folder I drop a file in, it ends up (eventually in the case of larger files) in the destination Dropbox folder.

 

This is the command I used:

C:\Users\Rich\SkyDrive>mklink /j mySyncFolder C:\Users\Rich\Dropbox\mySyncFolder

(The Dropbox folder existed prior to issuing the command, although I found that I could create a Dropbox folder afterwards and the link would still work.)

 

What I observed was this: when I deleted the linking folder (terminology?) from SkyDrive, as long as the Dropbox folder had finished uploading/syncing the files, all files remained in Dropbox folder. It made no difference that some files were added via SkyDrive and others directly, all files seemed to have found their way to the Dropbox folder and so remained once the SkyDrive folder was deleted.

 

My question is this: Can someone comment - This a one-way link relationship, right? Such that a file dropped into either folder ends up in the destination folder only? There is no syncing going on here, only linking to a folder to which all files eventually migrate to?

[schoondoggy]

mklink does not sync and frankly I get confused any time I try to use it.

here is one of the better tutorials on it;

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/278262-mklink-create-use-links-windows.html

[ikon]

Thanks schoondoggy; that's a good article.

[schoondoggy]

Just out of curiosity I downloaded the free version of Allway Sync and set up a simple sync relationship between my Copy.com folder and my Skydrive folder. As far as I can see the two synced properly and Allway Sync controls the rules around synchronization. I am not sure if this is what you were trying to accomplish.

[jem101]

As schoondoggy rightly says above, mklink creates (makes) symbolic links in a directory which points to another directory (and/or file) which may physically exist on a different file system entirely - think of them as being a bit like shortcuts.

 

They really have nothing at all to do with syncing between two folders.

 

John

[timekills]

The only benefit in using symbolic links is if you have software that can't/won't access a remote drive (i.e. backup software, Windows not allowing network drives to be used in Video/Music repositories, etc). Creating a symbolic link makes the software believe the files are local, rather than remote.

[ikon]

Which can be a very handy thing to have at times

[dvn]

Thanks Kevin, all. I've got it - link, not sync. Good article. Interesting point about fooling software into thinking files are local. So it's a useful command for the right application. I'll keep that one in mind.

 

I may look at Allway Sync again. Does anyone think Robocopy would be useful as an alternative?

[ikon]

RoboCopy? I don't see why not. Combine it with a Scheduled Task or 2 and I think you could have a very viable syncing procedure. It's exactly how I do my own data backups.

[Drashna Jaelre]

The only benefit in using symbolic links is if you have software that can't/won't access a remote drive (i.e. backup software, Windows not allowing network drives to be used in Video/Music repositories, etc). Creating a symbolic link makes the software believe the files are local, rather than remote.

Or like Windows Media Center not liking to use network shares for recorded TV.