Dropbox is a great utility which instantly synchronizes your files with all of your computers, mobile devices, and even the Web. There’s only one unfortunate limitation: you can only backup files which are stored in your “My Dropbox” folder. I have important folders scattered throughout my hard drive, and I’m sure you do to. Wouldn’t it be just dandy if we could hook those folders up to our Dropbox? Then we could have constantly updated versions of their contents; accessible from anywhere in the world!
I’m here today to share with you a great add-on to Dropbox that I found called Dropbox Folder Sync. It allows you to add any folder to your Dropbox and still leave a copy in its original spot with seamless ease. Let’s scope it out!
To get started installing Dropbox Folder Sync, click here for its homepage.
Find the Download Setup File link, and select Version 2.5.
Download the setup file, and follow the simple on screen instructions. Select Finish completing the installation procedure.
Now, let me explain how Dropbox Folder Sync works. For example, when you select to sync your Pictures folder, the app moves the Pictures folder from its home to your actual “My Dropbox” folder. Then, it creates a shortcut at its old home to the “Dropboxed” folder. Now you can save files in the shortcut folder, or in the Dropboxed folder and they all get synchronized! I know it’s a little confusing, but it works!
To synchronize a folder, simply right click it and select Sync with Dropbox.
You will get a little dialog box confirming that the command went through successfully.
Now the synced folder will have a status icon, to let you know when it’s up to date. Voila!
If you’d like to unsync a folder, you cannot just delete it from the My Dropbox folder. You must right click the shortcut, and select Unsync with Dropbox, and that’s it!
I hope this trick makes your backing up experience a little more bearable!
~Jay Neil Patel
Tags: dropbox, Dropbox Add-ons, Dropbox Folder Sync, Neil Patel
John,
Sorry to hear that this app isn’t working for you. The minimum requirements listed on the developer website are:
o An NTFS partition with Dropbox installed in that partition, works with Windows XP™ (Service Pack 3) and above.
o Microsoft .NET framework 4.0
So I ask, is your hard driver formatted with NTFS? (It probably is.)
And do you have the latest version of the .NET framework?
If neither of those solve your problem, are you trying to right-click a Library in Windows 7?
Try creating a new folder on your desktop and right clicking that folder.
Please let me know how it goes; thanks for reading!
There are many ways to sync folders in windows, however I am sure many like myself sometimes only wish to sync just 1 or 2 files in a folder, and not the folder itself which may contain different files to the dropbox one or which is on the other computer. The only program I have found that will do that is 2nd Copy but it is not free.