Home > Working with Product > Set Up and configure synchronization > Create Shared Data Folders
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Sync2 productivity and synchronization speed depends on a type of data location that you will choose. Here are our recommendations:
If all your PCs always stay inside and never leave your LAN (local area network), i.e. at home or in your office, choose from the following shared data folder solutions:
Network shared folder (best solution):
A shared folder on a PC that is always on and available trough your network when other PCs are up running
Always on file or network server
A network storage device
Peer-to-peer shared folder on your or your friend's PC (this method is only recommended if all computers that synchronize the same Outlook folders are on at the same time, otherwise you will have to deal with synchronization conflicts when you edit the same items before actual synchronization). You can use free services such us Foldershare, Groove, as well as Windows Live Messenger Sharing Folders to share your file folder via Peer-to-Peer connection.
Important Note: Free peer-to-peer services allow sharing a maximum of 10,000 files, which means that you are limited to synchronize a maximum of 3,000 Outlook items (contacts, e-mail messages, calendar events, etc).
Removable drive. In this case you will have to connect this device to all PCs, to synchronize changes made in the synchronized Outlook folders.
Note: if you use USB Flash, this method can be very slow if used for a large number of items. Use USB Flash, if you plan to synchronize not more than 1,000 items. Otherwise, it is highly recommended that you use USB External Hard Drives or other devices that can work with large number of small files.
If you need to access and synchronize your Outlook data when you are on the road.
FTP shared data folder on your network server with static IP or hosted FTP service. This method is the slowest and very much depends on your upload Internet connection speed and FTP server upload speed. We recommend one of the best and one of the most affordable hosting services in the world: 1and1.com hosting with an FTP account for just $3.99 per month, 10Gb of space, and Monthly Transfer Volume 300GB. You can learn more and set up your new hosting account by clicking here.
Another alternative is to use our 4Team FTP Sharing Service based on FTP server to simplify and automate the synchronization process.
Network shared folder on your network with static or forwarded IP address with PCs or a server that are always on.
Peer-to-peer shared folder
If you synchronize PCs between your work and home:
Removable drive USB Drives (Jump Drive, Flash Drive, Sticks (min. 256 Mb is recommended)), Flash memory Cards, or external Hard drives (HDD). We recommend devices that support USB 2.
Peer-to-peer shared folder
Hosted FTP service
Important Note: All users must have complete access and read and write rights for all shared data locations (folders).
How to open a shared folder on another computer in your network:
Open My Computer.
Under Other Places, click My Network Places. The shared folders on your network are displayed. If they are not listed, do the following:
Double-click the computer where the shared folder is located.
Double-click the folder you want to open.
Note: To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer.
Examples:
"To share a drive or file folder in the network (From Microsoft Windows XP help"):
Open Windows Explorer, and then locate the drive or folder you want to share.
Right-click the drive or folder, and then click Sharing and Security.
If you are sharing a drive, on the Sharing tab, click If you understand the risk but still want to share the root of the drive, click here.
If you are sharing a folder, go to the next step.
Do one of the following:
If the Share this folder on the network check box is available, select the check box.
If the Share this folder on the network check box is not available, this computer is not on a network. If you would like to set up a home or small office network, click the Network Setup Wizard link and follow the instructions to turn on file sharing. Once file sharing is enabled, begin this procedure again.
Notes:
To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
When you share a drive or folder, anyone who has user access to the network can read the contents of that drive or folder. If you want to remove the drive or folder from the network, follow steps 1 and 2 above to get to the Sharing tab. On the Sharing tab, in Network sharing and security, clear the Share this folder on the network check box.
To allow complete access to the contents of your shared drive or folder, follow steps 1 and 2 above to get to the Sharing tab. On the Sharing tab, in Network sharing and security, select the Allow network users to change my files check box.
To change the name of your folder on the network, in the Share name text box, type a new name for your folder. This will not change the name of the folder on your computer.
If you are logged on as a guest (a guest account provides access to the computer for any user who does not have a user account on the computer), you cannot create a shared folder.
The Sharing option is not available for the Documents and Settings, Program Files, and WINDOWS system folders. In addition, you cannot share folders in other user's profiles.
If you plan to synchronize Outlook data between different user accounts on your computer:
Moving or copying a file or folder to Shared Documents makes it available to anyone who has a user account on your computer.
Open My Documents.
Click the file or folder that you want to share.
Drag the file or folder to Shared Documents in Other Places.
Notes
To open My Documents, click Start, and then click My Documents.
If the file or folder you want to share is not located in My Documents or one of its sub folders, use Search to find it. To open Search, click Start, and then click Search."
For more information on how-to share your folders please refer to your Microsoft Windows Help Documentation or contact us by clicking here.
