Sync Files Between XP & Vista Laptops

[LogicWeb]

I have a Sony Vista laptop (18.4" Vaio). I also bought the Aspire One 8.9" netbook today for portability when needed. The Aspire runs XP (SP3) Home.

I am trying my best to figure out how to network both laptops so they each show up on the others' end. Both connect *wirelessly* (not ethernet wired) to the same router.

Router: D-Link DIR-655

On the Vista laptop I have these options enabled in Network & Sharing Center:

Network Discovery

File Sharing

Printer Sharing

Password Protected Sharing

Public Folder Sharing (disabled).

The Aspire One does not have bluetooth, just to clarify.

On the Aspire XP laptop I have these *enabled*:

file & printer sharing

wireless connection (connected to the Internet as of now)

In Vista laptop, I have these enabled as well:

Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper I/O Driver

Link-Layer Topology Discovery Responder

In Vista, I go to Network & Sharing Center > Add a Wireless Device. It searches and tells me "no wireless device found". Both laptops are on and both with live wireless connection.

Once each laptop is able to see the other on the map, I'd like to automatically synchronize (perhaps scheduled upon login/logoff) select folders & files (like Firefox bookmarks and Documents folders).

Thanks for your help

[+BudMan MVC]

For starters seeing each other on that stupid vista map has NOTHING to do with file sharing.. The xp machine will never showup on the map until you install the LLTD responder.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en

But again that HAS NOTHING to do with sharing files.

Not sure what you were trying to do -- and a wireless device?? You lost me -- you stated your already connected to the same network..

Since your connected to the same network already -- just enable file sharing = done. And before some parrot chimes in, NO they do not have to be in the same workgroup either.. This too has NOTHING to do with file sharing.

Now depending on what wireless router your using, its quite possible it prevents wireless clients from talking to each other. It could be called AP isolation, or maybe Client isolation, etc. Its a very common security feature of wireless routers.

If your going to be using password protected sharing - then you need to auth to the machine to access its shares. A username and password will be required. Blank is not a valid password for auth.

Can you ping the other machine by IP and or name? If you can not ping the other computer, then your router is blocking wireless clients from talking to each other, or you have some firewall misconfigured to not allow.

I would suggest you get PING working first.. Then worry about sharing files.

Once you can access shares, then yes its quite possible setup a sync of folders.

edit: Ok the dir-655 uses a different term for keeping wireless clients from talking to each other. WLAN partition ;)

WLAN Partition

Enabling WLAN Partition prevents associated wireless clients from communicating with each other.

Not saying this is the issue.. But something you need to check on if you can not even ping each other.

Edited January 4, 2009 by BudMan

[LogicWeb]

Thanks.

I had already been able to ping from the vista system to the xp system and vice versa.

The LTTD for XP is not compatible with XP SP3 (it won't install, I tired)

The reason for the "map" is so I can use SyncToy 2.0 to synchronize the documents folder between the two machines. Otherwise, I cannot even

sync them with that software, at least not that I'm aware of.

I also had already checked the DLINK portal to make sure WLAN partition was not enabled, and it is not.

So I'm still unable to figure out how to sync these folders.

[+BudMan MVC]

Ok so you have file share access.. I am at a loss to why you think synctoy 2 requires it to show up on a map?? Like I said that map has NOTHING to do with file sharing.. Nor does what workgroup, etc..

It takes all of 15 seconds to setup a sync on that synctoy2.. Just downloaded it and followed the bouncing ball.

Here I created the sync pair.

here they show that the file I created in c:\test was created over on the other folder.

As to the responder installing on sp3.. Hmmm have not tried, since like I said there is no real use to that stupid vista network mapping nonsense ;) But I'll give it a go on my kids pc which is running XP sp3. BTW the sync I just did was to 2k3 and I assure you I have not installed any LLTD responder, nor does it show up on the vista map ;)

edit: Ok you are corect that v5 of LLTD responder does not install on sp3.. Here is the hotfix that does install on sp3.. But again -- THIS IS NOT requried for your synctoy 2 to work.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120

Did you bother doing a simple google? It took me less than a minute to find this after I download and tried to install the version I linked to on a sp3 box.

Edited January 4, 2009 by BudMan

[LogicWeb]

How am I supposed to select the right folder in synctoy when the right folder I'm expecting to see is the secondary (xp) machine document folder? That's the problem here.

I want to automatically sync Documents (Vista) and My Documents (XP).

[+BudMan MVC]

Freaking put in the share path.. ARRGHHH.. You have no need to BROWSE to anything.. Do you not know the name of the XP machine you want to sync with?

You have to have created a SHARE to sync with!!

BTW -- that vista map has NOTHING to do with browsing either... and again browsing is not required to create the sync path.

Create the share on the XP machine.. and then put in the UNC path to the share

\\computername\sharename

As in my screenshots.

[Digitalx]

drop box or live drive will do the job easily and efficiently if want it over the net rather then just network.

[LogicWeb]

Freaking put in the share path.. ARRGHHH.. You have no need to BROWSE to anything.. Do you not know the name of the XP machine you want to sync with?

You have to have created a SHARE to sync with!!

I don't know why you're getting all nasty toned and aggravated. If you can't be patient and help someone, don't bother helping at all.

You're going to pop a vessel in your head stressing out over this little thing, its unreal. Take a breather. I hope you don't treat your own kids this way.

[LogicWeb]

drop box or live drive will do the job easily and efficiently if want it over the net rather then just network.

Thank you for your kind suggestions. As a security precaution, I refrain from online services to hold certain critical data.

On a side note, I got this finally working using a different method, but locally anyway.

For those reading this thread regarding XP3 + LLTD, Microsoft's KB article page says the fix is for XP3, however the link wrongly points to the XP2 version fix which won't work in XP3.

Also, unlike some impatient people I'd like to point out the syncing part path must be in this format (for the 'right folder' which say, is the secondary device). In my case, the right folder is the XP Acer laptop.

The path should look like this:

\\machine_name\Folder_Path

Case sensitive. Unfortunately, there was nothing in the help files in SyncToy or anywhere in Network & Sharing Center that mentioned the path had to have double \\ first instead of the traditional folder path style such as C:\Folder\Sub-Folder. That was a bit confusing.

A whole new world from Linux anyway ;)