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Author Topic: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!  (Read 3142 times)

Offline basilmir

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How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« on: February 03, 2008, 09:14:11 AM »
Well, i've been using this trick for some time...

It's called the Windows Briefcase... it's meant to keep things synced between your laptop and desktop using an external hdd of flash drive... in our case the RockBOX....

You can think of your computer as the "desktop" and the Rockbox software as the "laptop"... if any of the two modify or add files to the "briefcase" (your music database) windows will keep them in sync.

HOW TO DO IT:

Connect your RockBOX player... open it in windows explorer... and right click and choose "New"... instead of "New folder" choose "Briefcase" and give it a name "My portable music"....

To add songs to it... just drag and drop from ANY folder on your hdd (where you keep your music and playlists) inside your Briefcase...

Now every time a folder is modified or even added on the desktop OR any playlist you create or modify with RockBOX ... just go to the briefcase and click "Update all"... it will even keep track of the latest version of everything to make sure you have the very latest synced.

I use it all the time when i share workload on a project to make sure we have everything updated.

Happy listening...

God save all the Ipods.... from Apple :D
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Offline AlexP

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2008, 09:46:56 AM »
Thanks, but permanent information belongs on the wiki.  It will get lost here.
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Offline robin0800

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2008, 12:05:51 PM »
I think that might duplicate your music on the computer.
Using sync toy (microsoft) just points to a folder and and therfore definatly does not duplicate the folder.
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Offline basilmir

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2008, 12:36:36 PM »
Where exactly in the wiki should i post this information....?!

Quote from: robin0800 on February 03, 2008, 12:05:51 PM
I think that might duplicate your music on the computer.
Using sync toy (microsoft) just points to a folder and and therfore definatly does not duplicate the folder.

It is not like the "alias" folders

Inside a briefcase files are actually copied there...

It goes like this: When you first create the Briefcase... all it does is make an exact duplicate of what you put in... BUT... when you sync it... if something is updated on the "desktop" it copies it to the RockBOX AND if something is modified or created in the RockBOX it copies back to the desktop...

THUS... you always have the same thing in both places but ANY modification in either of them is propagated in both.

It's even more powerfull then the ITunes database... it actually copies BACK new songs you get from others...
« Last Edit: February 03, 2008, 12:45:13 PM by basilmir »
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Offline psycho_maniac

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2008, 02:06:05 PM »
its not "the RockBOX" its just rockbox.
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Offline AlexP

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2008, 03:56:25 PM »
If we are being pedantic, "Rockbox".
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Offline baobab68

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2008, 05:13:47 PM »
I always wondered about the capitalisation. The logo above appears to say ROCKbox, I figured that was the correct way?  (So-o-o off-topic, sorry)
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Offline Llorean

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2008, 05:24:38 PM »
The very first word on the frontpage of the site is "Rockbox." In all the documentation, I believe it's spelled and capitalized that way. The logo is just an artistic rendition, but isn't how it's written.
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Offline robin0800

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2008, 06:37:30 PM »
Quote
THUS... you always have the same thing in both places but ANY modification in either of them is propagated in both.

Sync toy can also do this and much more besides IMHO.
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Offline Sherv

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2008, 08:58:02 AM »
Synctoy has an extremely aggravating problem in that it leaves empty directories behind. For example, if I delete folder A on my computer (and said folder exists on my mp3 player) and run synctoy it'll delete all the files within folder A on the mp3 player but leave the damn folder behind.

I like the idea of the briefcase, I should check it out!
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Offline basilmir

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2008, 02:00:56 PM »
sorry about the logo... thought box was emphasized more than rock.

when i said "the rockbox" i meant it as in install it on the ipod... or device...


It does not leave folders behind. :D Here is an except from MS's web site:

"The Briefcase feature in Windows XP helps you keep your files updated by automatically synchronizing multiple copies of individual files. In other words, Briefcase keeps track of the relationship between files on two or more computers. For example, if you use a desktop computer at the office, and you use a portable computer when you are on the road, Briefcase synchronizes and updates the files on your desktop computer to the modified versions when you reconnect your portable computer to the desktop computer.

Briefcase stores and displays the update status of files. It keeps track of whether a file is linked to the original file on your main computer, or whether it is an orphan file (a file stored in Briefcase that is not linked to another file). You can use this information to keep your files organized and to keep track of the most recent versions of your files. "





How to Use Briefcase to Synchronize Files on Two Computers
1. NOTE: The following steps assume that you use a desktop computer as your primary computer and a portable computer as your secondary computer.

 
2. Connect your portable computer to your desktop computer.

You can connect your computers either over a network or by using a direct cable connection.
3. Start Briefcase on your portable computer, and then drag the files or folders that you want to work with from your desktop computer to Briefcase.

NOTE: Before you copy folders and files from your desktop computer to Briefcase, the folders containing the files must be shared.
4. Start Briefcase, and then make the changes that you want to the files.
5. When you have finished working on the files, reconnect your portable computer to your desktop computer (if they were disconnected), and then start Briefcase on your portable computer.
6. Do one of the following: • To update all files, click Update All on the Briefcase menu.

-or-
• To update only some of the files, select the file or files that you want to update, and then click Update Selection on the Briefcase menu.
 
7. The Update dialog box is displayed. Confirm the update action on the files or folders that are displayed in the dialog box, and then click Update.
The files on your desktop computer are updated with the modified versions of those files in Briefcase on your portable computer.




How to Split Files Stored in Briefcase from Their Counterparts
When you split a file stored in Briefcase, you separate the Briefcase copy of the file from its counterpart outside Briefcase. The resulting orphan file stored in Briefcase can no longer be synchronized.

To split files stored in Briefcase from their counterparts, follow these steps: 1. Start Briefcase, right-click the file that you want to split, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Update Status tab.
3. Click Split From Original, and then click Yes when you are prompted, to prevent any future updates of the file.
4. Click Close, and then quit Briefcase.
The file is now an orphan.
How to Check the Status of Files Stored in Briefcase
1. Start Briefcase, right-click the file that you want to check, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Update Status tab. • If the Briefcase file and its counterpart outside Briefcase (the original copy of the file on another computer) are synchronized, an Up-to-date icon is displayed.
• If the Briefcase file and its counterpart are not synchronized, a Replace arrow is displayed. The arrow points towards the copy of the file that requires updating.

Click Update to synchronize the files.

The file stored in Briefcase and its counterpart outside Briefcase are synchronized.  
 

« Last Edit: February 04, 2008, 02:24:14 PM by basilmir »
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Offline psycho_maniac

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2008, 03:04:01 PM »
Now put this on the wiki because its going to get lost on the forums just like BigBambi said.
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Offline Chronon

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Re: How to sync your RockBOX songs and playlists with any windows version!
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2008, 03:19:45 PM »
As for where in the Wiki, why not add an entry to UsefulTools and link to the relevant Microsoft.com page.  If more than one page is relevant, then these could be compiled into some kind of, for example, UsingBriefcase wiki topic. 

*edited for clarity
« Last Edit: February 04, 2008, 03:24:50 PM by Chronon »
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