Take your files with you and keep them
up-to-date
When you have only one computer, you have only one place to look for
your data. But when you add a second computer, you have the problem of
transferring data from the computer where the data is to the computer where you
need it. You take files to work on at home or move files from a desktop computer
to a laptop computer in preparation for a road trip.
If the computers are networked, you can easily transfer files across the
wire. But moving large files across a modem link is not as easy, especially if
the company does not approve of dial-in connections from your home or hotel
room. And then you experience the inevitable problem of having multiple versions
of a file and trying to decide which one is right.
Have you ever wondered what the My Briefcase icon is doing on your Windows
NT desktop? The Briefcase lets you take copies of files, move them between
computers, edit the files, and re-synchronize them when you return them to the
originating computer. In this article, I explain how to use the Briefcase, a
program that was ahead of its time when Microsoft introduced it with Windows 95.
As of NT 4.0, the Briefcase now comes with NT, and its time has arrived.
Setting Up Briefcase
The first time you open Briefcase, you'll see a description of how to use
Briefcase, as Screen 1, shows. Now, open Explorer or the My Computer
folder. Arrange the desktop so that you can see the files that you want to copy
from the Explorer window, and keep the Briefcase icon or window visible as
Screen 2 shows.
Drag the files from Explorer onto the Briefcase. This action places a copy
of the file in the Briefcase folder, which by the way, is
%winnt_root%\Profiles\%Username%\Desktop. Substitute your path to NT and
the correct username. Note that the file is a copy, not a shortcut or link to
the original. Repeat this process for all the files that you want to take with
you.
Move the Briefcase to the target computer. If you have a network
connection, open Network Neighborhood, and drag the Briefcase icon to the target
drive and directory. Notice that you do not copy the Briefcase to the target
destination; move the Briefcase from the source system to the target. If you do
not have a network connection, drag the Briefcase icon and drop it on the
removable drive. Whether you use Explorer or the My Computer folder does not
matter, as long as you can see the target drive. For the removable media, you
must take a second step: At the target computer, reverse the process, and drag
the Briefcase from the floppy or cartridge to the hard disk.
With either approach, NT places the Briefcase in the directory you drop it
on. You can drop it on your desktop on the target computerjust make sure
that no Briefcase icon is already there, or NT will ask whether you want to
replace the existing briefcase files. The network connection is typically a LAN,
but it can be a Remote Access Service (RAS) connection.
Using the Briefcase Files
Now your files are on the target computer. You use them like any other file.
You can edit them or create new files in the directories. But, make sure you
leave them in the Briefcase directory.
When you finish working with your files, move the Briefcase back to the
removable drive or diskette and from there to the originating computer. Or drag
the Briefcase icon across your network connection so that the Briefcase is back
in its original location.
Synchronizing Files
Now for the fun part. Double-click the Briefcase icon to open it. You'll see
a list of files. On the menu bar, select Briefcase, then Update All. The display
in Screen 3 shows which files have been updated and when. The Word
file was updated on the portable computer, and the Excel spreadsheet was changed
on the originating computer but not on the portable computer.
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