About three years after
acquiring FolderShare, a utility for synchronizing files across multiple computers, Microsoft is retiring the application and plans to
replace it with a similar utility called Windows Live Sync. You could make the case that what's happening is Microsoft is renaming FolderShare rather than replacing it, as the new version will likely look a lot like FolderShare and have many of the same functions. But it will also have a few improvements including:
- Ability to sync up to 20 folders with 20,000 files each
- You can login with your Windows Live ID
- Integration with the Windos Recycle Bin
- New clients for Windows and Mac
- Unicode support for synchronizing files in other languages (beside English)
Why Microsoft is continuing to push this software at the same time as it develops
Windows Live Mesh which allows you to synchronize files across mutilple computers, the web, and mobile devices, is anyone's guess.
Tags: foldershare, freeware, live-mesh, synchronization, windows-live-mesh, windows-live-sync
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Comments
27
Subscribe to commentsDavid BeckerNov 21st 2008 4:18PM
To be honest, I tried Live Mesh and I went back to Foldershare, simply because Live Mesh was never responsive enough. Foldershare picks up on new files and changes to files very quickly for me, whereas with Live Mesh sometimes it seemed like it would never notice new files, ever. If they can work that out, with the planned upgrades and features, maybe I'll switch back, but for now I'm happy with Foldershare as long as it keeps working. I really just use it for academic files between my desktop and laptop.
Mike CermNov 22nd 2008 8:05AM
I tried Mesh too, and like you I switched back to FolderShare. I didn't have any performance problems, I just felt like Mesh was overkill for what I wanted to do, and since it was early in the beta process, some of the additional features were only half-baked.
Since they offer overlapping/complimentary functionality, it's pretty clear that Microsoft plans to merge FolderShare, SkyDrive, and Mesh into a more unified system. I look forward to that, because if Microsoft can combine the best of all three, they'll have a pretty great platform.
Jash SayaniNov 22nd 2008 11:07AM
Hey, me too.... Used Mesh, it was not what I expected it to be... And FolderShare did it all. So, I switched back.
Anyways, I had also got a Mail for Microsoft about this and they mentioned that the uploaded files might be deleted during the transformation. So, better keep a backup......
Jonathan HarfordNov 21st 2008 4:43PM
I'm a long-time FolderShare user. What's the current favorite (preferably cross-platform) FolderShare alternative?
Mike CermNov 22nd 2008 8:05AM
What do you need an alternative for? FolderShare has always, and Windows Live Sync will continue to support Windows and Mac, and it's free.
Dropbox is the best alternative I've seen. It adds support for Linux, and some better sharing options, but I'm not sure what else it has to offer, because I still use FolderShare.
http://www.getdropbox.com/
Sri ChilukuriDec 15th 2008 9:22PM
Try Content Circles (www.contentcircles.com) - a new offering that works on Mac and Windows. It has some additional features such as versioning and it doesn't require you to go to a web site to setup your shared folders. It is pure distributed computing and takes advantage of p2p as well as the Web to enable collaboration and synchronization across firewalls and platforms.
intellerNov 21st 2008 4:51PM
I would like to see Live Sync and Skydrive merged. This seems like redundant product mix.
MohitNov 21st 2008 5:21PM
The file sharing technology product that is currently known as Live Mesh is simply a technological demo of the synchronization backend that Live Mesh will eventually become. The idea is that, eventually, Windows Live Sync will be the only file sharing product offered by Microsoft with the background syncing managed by the Live Mesh platform.
As for Live SkyDrive and Live Sync, they will actually be merged by about early 2009.
JoshuaNov 21st 2008 5:21PM
I want to be able to sync 9 different machines at work. Foldershare, or Live Sync is just for two machines.... right?
JasonNov 21st 2008 10:18PM
I use foldershare to sync 8 pc's. Half of which are only powered on a couple hours a week. I've never had any issues with it.
My only hope is that when they roll to a new product, they don't simply turn off the old server, but migrate our client software and storage w/out downtime.
zkamNov 24th 2008 2:46PM
Joshua, Jason and anyone else who can answer...
If you sync multiple PCs on the same local network, is FolderShare smart enough to do a direct (p2p) transfer on the internal network, or does the syncing ocurr over the internet (i.e. outside your LAN)? I've been curious about this, but have never tried it.
JoshuaNov 24th 2008 2:51PM
I havent got ANYTHING to work well. I am going to look into Live Sync more.
The other strange element I want to work is to access processing power when people are only away from their desk. Tried some screensaver tasks. Still trying to figure that one out as well
finelinerNov 21st 2008 8:28PM
Anyone knows the right tool for filling my live.space?
QuikboyNov 22nd 2008 3:34PM
Live Writer. Best blogging tool period. Works on other platforms too.
http://writer.live.com/
Or the beta : http://download.live.com/writer
DavidNov 21st 2008 6:59PM
I don't see support for sending files > 2GB still...thank God for RAR.
NeowsterNov 22nd 2008 8:05AM
Well, I will think of it this way. Foldershare duplicates content over 2 or more PCs free. And I tend to think of services such as dropbox as more of a remote storage first, than a sync tool.
I am using both. Foldershare for content in "My Documents", less "My dropbox", "My Dropbox" for all current files which are mission critical, and Mozyhome 2.5GB for backup of the really important things in My Documents not in any dropbox.
KEEPING IN SYNC IS AN ART......
DaleNov 22nd 2008 10:08AM
Live Mesh consumes tremendous resources on each machine it's installed on. It also doesn't appear to completely share all sub-folders and files in the "target" folder. After testing it between just two computers, I removed it primarily due to these shortcomings. It looks to be good in concept and maybe after they get all the bugs worked out and bring it out of Beta I'll try it again. Looks like I'll try Foldershare again
smikwilyNov 23rd 2008 8:20AM
I'm the same as you, Dale. I tried out Mesh, expecting the "next evolution of FolderShare" and all I got was a bloated, unresponsive resource hog that appeared to duplicate everything it attempted to do.
FolderShare is the same thing it was before MS snagged it - a nice, clean, easy to use (well, once you know what you are doing anyhow) syncing tool. I've used it for years and never had issues.
Dan B.Nov 23rd 2008 2:58PM
Mesh is just a tech demo, MS has already said the product will never be finalized, and many of the technologies they're developing in Live Mesh are going into their Live Sync product. There's more info about it on Paul Thorrot's website (winsupersite.com), where he also switched back to FolderShare specifically because MS is going to be discontinuing Mesh
zkamNov 24th 2008 2:43PM
Like many others here, I've used FolderShare for years. However, at the moment, I'm only using one PC, so there's not much point to FolderShare. I've been trying Mesh, to backup certain folders to the web, (but again, since I'm just using 1 PC, I haven't really tested the syncing part of it).
One important feature of FolderShare that I haven't seen mentioned above, is that when you have it installed, you can also access ANY files on your PC via the web. This is separate from the syncing ability - FolderShare actually lets you browse your computer and access any files (on any attached drive), whether they are part of your syncing setup or not.