How To: AutoSync Folders & Files Between PC and Media Card
 

Problem: How do you keep files and folders up to date on both your Media Card and on your PC. It seems I was always editing my documents on the PC and saving and then doing another "save as" to save them to my media card. I wanted to have this done automatically.

I found a simple method and thought I'd share. This post is a "How To" on syncing specified folders between your PC and Media Card automatically when you plug your BlackBerry (with media card in mass storage mode) into the Computer. And now, with Documents To Go on the BlackBerry, it's nice to have all my documents up to date whenever I want to edit them on the BlackBerry. The following instructions are based on WindowsXP but Vista should be similar.

First your BlackBerry must be Media Card capable and have a Media Card inserted AND the Device must be set to Automatic Mass Storage Mode. To enable Mass Storage Mode on the BlackBerry device go to Options >Media Card and setup as shown below:



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u.../MediaCard.jpg




Using the Microsoft PowerToys Applications called SyncToy and TweakUI I was able to get this to work. I will try and make it understandable for anyone reading this. However, some computer knowledge and experience is required to do this.

First, download and install SyncToy 2.1 to your computer. (Note: Some of the screenshots below refer to "SyncToy Beta 2.0." SyncToy has been updated since the screenshots so just substitute the new installation folder names.) Open it and use it to create a folder pair(s). You'll need to choose a folder on the PC and a folder on the BB that you want sync'd. I created several folder pairs, one folder pair called "Sync Toy Shared Files" for some miscellaneous files and another for my Quicken backups.

Also, navigate to c:\Program Files\SyncToy 2.0 Beta and copy the synctoyico.ico into c:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32. We will use this icon later.



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...st/SyncToy.jpg




http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...olderPairs.jpg




You have the option to Syncronize, Echo or Contribute. Explanations are included in SyncToy for each of the three options. Basically, Syncronize will sync the newest version of the folder/files and put the newest version on both the PC and the device. "Echo" will copy the PC to the Media Card and "Contribute" will copy the Media Card to the PC. If you have files that only get updated on the PC and you want the most current backup on the Media Card then "Echo" would be best. I also use "Echo" for my Quicken Backup folder. For documents that I may edit on my BlackBerry or my PC I set to "Syncronize."



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...ToyOptions.jpg




Once you have your folder pair(s) created, you should be able to sync the folders to your media card manually. Test this by trying a sync now before continuing. Click "Run" or "Run All" on the main page of SyncToy.

However, we want to eventually do this automatically, so lets continue.

You'll need to put a copy of the SyncToy program folder on your BB. We will configure the AutoPlay feature in Windows to autoplay the program from the media card instead of the PC so that if a different BB or media card is plugged into the computer it won't attempt to sync with that card.

Using My Computer navigate to to C:\Program Files and copy the entire folder "SyncToy 2.0 Beta" to the root directory (F:\) on your BlackBerry's Media Card.


Simply right-click on the folder shown below and select "Copy."


http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...FolderCopy.jpg


Then paste it to the root directory (F:\) of your BB's Media Card as shown below. Root Directory just means the first (main) directory on the card.



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...FolderCopy.jpg


Once you have the SyncToy Application Folder copied to your Media Card you're ready to setup AutoPlay to run SyncToy.


You'll need to download and install TweakUI. This is another Microsoft application that lets advanced users make changes to Windows setup.


Run TweakUI and navigate to My Computer/AutoPlay/Drives.

Make sure that autoplay is checked for the drive to which your Media Card maps (usually E:/ or F:/ or G:/ depending on how many drives your computer has.)



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...lay_Drives.jpg




Next, navigate to My Computer/AutoPlay/Types and make sure that "Enable Autoplay for removeable drives" is checked.



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...Play_Types.jpg




Next, navigate to My Computer/AutoPlay/Handlers
Click the "Create" button.



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...ers_Create.jpg




You will be creating a new handler for SyncToyCmd.exe

Type "SyncToy" in the description field

Don't touch the "using" field.

Edit the Args field to what I have below. Use the drive letter that corresponds to the drive that your Media Card maps to. Mine happens to be F:\



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...ateHandler.jpg



Use the /C followed by the location of the SyncToyCmd.exe file located in the SyncToy 2.0 Beta folder on the Media card. Make sure that the location has quotation marks around it. Then after the quotation marks add a space and "-R" without quotations just as in the screenshot. This will run the SyncToyCmd.exe file and then the -R will start the sync automatically.

Then click on the "Change Program" button and drill down to C:\WINDOWS\System32 and select "cmd.exe" and hit "open."

Note that after you do this, the "Program" should indicate "Windows Command Processor." (As Shown)

Then click on "Change Icon." Navigate to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\synctoyico.ico and select "Open." That should change the icon from the command prompt icon to the SyncToy icon. (just a nice touch!)



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...dprocessor.jpg



Under "Supported Media" check "Mixed Content."

Click OK on the AutoPlay Handler dialog and click OK to close TweakUI.




Next go to My Computer and right-click on the removable drive that is your BB's media card and select "Properties" and select the "AutoPlay" tab.



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...omputerPic.jpg



In the dropdown box select "Mixed Content." Then select the radio button for "Select an action to perform." Choose the SyncToy application. Then click OK.


You are Done!!

Whenever you plug in your BB the AutoPlay should run the SyncToy program (DOS version) and sync whatever folders you have setup in SyncToy 2.0 Beta.

Good luck and happy syncing!!


Edit 1/17/2009: Don't want the cmd window to show up when you plug the device in but still want the files to sync? Here's a small edit to the instructions above to set that up:

http://www.blackberryforums.com/medi...ml#post1251132

Lunk can we get this in the Faq please (y)

Well done JC as always

I need someone to follow the instructions and make sure I didn't leave out any steps.

JC, you're a genius! Thanks!

Worked great for me, except rather than duplicating space used by SyncToy I just refered the autorun to execute the SyncToyCmd.exe located on my C:\ drive.

Was there a reason you copied it to your SD card?

Wirelessly posted (BB 11020)

I copied it to the card so that it wouldn't sync when I plug in other BB's to the computer.

Wow, great Thread JC, worked like a charm. Got it first try. Good man. I love this

Ah, well that makes sense. So following that same thought, rather than copying the entire dir, I just made a batch file which I keep on the SD card that points back to my C:\ copy of SyncToy

Saves space, achieves the same result

JC's the best! (y)

Pretty Kool, I like the How To's.

Using Sync Toy......After setting up the two folders, one on the Desktop and one on the media card in the BlackBerry, selecting the sync command, naming the folder group and clicking OK, I get this error:


The procedure entry point TraceMessage could not be located in the dynamic link library ADVAP132.dll


Make sense to anyone? I didn't find it in the help file.

Roll

NM, figured it out.

Thank you.

for Vista you must have Tweak VI and the freeware version doesn't seem to have the autoplay features..only the settings.. so I got the subscription version via torrents and am searching for how to change the autoplay like you have said..its more difficult to navigate on the tweak vi..if anyone has done this already please let me know where to look ;-)

So, I've grown tired of the cmd window showing up each time I plug in my BB but I still want the files to sync. I wanted the application to run minimized.

So, I just made a slight change to my setup of this. I copied/moved all the individual synctoy application files that are in the SyncToy 2.0 Beta folder on the media card into the root directory of my media card drive (F:\)

Then I created a simple .bat file using Notepad. All it needs to say is:

Just open notepad, copy the code above into it and then do a "save as" and save it as "SyncFiles.bat" (or any other name you want to use.) The /min switch will run the synctoycmd.exe file minimized.

Then place that .bat file to the root directory of your media card, in my case F:\.

Then simply go back into TweakUI to >My Computer >AutoPlay >Handlers> Highlight the SyncToy AutoPlay Handler and select "Edit." Then change the Args: field to say (use the same name you used for the .bat file above.)

Also, I've added instructions for changing the icon from the command prompt icon to the SyncToy icon. You can go back into TweakUI >My Computer >AutoPlay >Handlers >SyncToy and change the icon. Once you do, save those settings and close TweakUI. Then go to My Computer and do the following again:

Next go to My Computer and right-click on the removable drive that is your BB's media card and select "Properties" and select the "AutoPlay" tab.



http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...omputerPic.jpg

Way around the TweakUI in Vista?
 

I completely understand everything you've said, and I think it's a great idea. I am running Windows Vista, however. The TweakUI interface does not seem to be available for Vista. Can you think of a way to work with the autoplay features in Vista? As I understand it, through Vista the only way I can get a pseudo-automatic sync is by running the SyncToy through Windows Application Launcher, which would be fine, but obviously far less convenient. I'd appreciate any help. Thanks!

For Vista
 

I figured out a solution to my above post regarding this process in Vista. I just created an autorun.inf file on the root K:/ (blackberry assigned drive). I typed in:

[autorun]
open=SyncToy.exe
icon=SyncToyico.ico

And then I saved it as autorun.inf and copied it to the K:/

I included a picture of the new menu that pops up when I connect my blackberry as an attachment.

So that was it. I followed all the synctoy related instructions as described above (installed synctoy, paired folders, and then copied all synctoy related files to the K:/). They only take up about 2 mb. I'm going to mark them all as hidden and hopefully they won't ever be seen again.

I'm pretty sure you can edit the above three lines to do the automatic, updated version as of January 2009. I haven't tried it though.

I should mention I plugged in my blackberry on my girlfriend's XP computer and this did not work. Probably has to do with the "Tweaking" that must be done in the original post.

Hope it works! I pretty much no nothing about this stuff...

For Vista pt. 2
 

I fooled around some more with the autorun.inf file. I changed the document to this:

[autorun]
open=SyncToyCmd.exe -R
icon=SyncToyico.ico

This seems to coincide better with the OP. This way the entire program doesn't pop up, and it is somewhat automated after you click whether to let the command go through or whether you want to view folder contents. Still haven't figured out how to automate the entire process, but I'm close. I can feel it.

Also, I did hide all my files. Unless I have hidden files marked as visible, I can not see the files on my computer or on the device through "documents to go" (OS 4.5 update).

Sorry for the multiple posts!

doesn't blackberrry media sync do that or its for just media files?

Wirelessly posted (BB 11020)

No, Media Sync is only for iTunes playlists.

I tried to get Synctoy 2.0 to work but all it does is create folders with no transfered itunes files in them. What went wrong?