Feature Friday: To Sync, or Not to Sync [ Edited ]

[YouSendIt_Kyle]

The YouSendIt Desktop App makes file collaboration simple and convenient. In a past Feature Friday post, we discussed the Desktop App, and how it allows you to keep important documents in sync across various computers (which you can read here).

When using previous versions of the Desktop App, we automatically synced all of your data. So long as app was running, all of your online YouSendIt folders would automatically sync to your computer. While this may not have been an issue to someone storing a few megabytes of data online, someone who stores gigabytes or terabytes of data online may not want to have all of that data synced to every computer he or she uses (or may not even have the disk space to do so!). Naturally, we had countless users (including myself) who loved using the Desktop App, but wished there was a way that one could choose which online YouSendIt folders would sync to their computers. Well, I’m here to tell you that with the latest release of the YouSendIt Desktop App, we now have a Selective Sync feature. Let’s talk about this feature, and how you can go about using it.

How to Use Selective Sync

The Selective Sync feature allows users to choose which folders they wish to sync to their computers.

To make use of this feature, you first have to download the newest version of the YouSendIt Desktop App, which you can do by clicking below (this goes for new users, as well as users who already have a previous version of the Desktop App installed):

http://www.yousendit.com/desktop-application

Once downloaded, run the install program and follow the installation instructions.

For new users of the Desktop App,  once the application is installed and opened, a window will pop up, giving the option to select which of your online YouSendIt folders you want to sync to your computer.

If you had a previous version of the Desktop App and have installed the newest version, right-click the Desktop App icon in the System Tray, and click the Select Folders to Sync option. (For Mac users, click the Desktop App icon in the menu bar.)

A window will pop up listing all of your online YouSendIt folders. Next to every folder synced to your computer will be a checked box, as shown below. 

To stop a folder from syncing to your computer, simply uncheck the box next to the folder. Now, the folder will not be stored on your computer (and will be deleted from your computer if it was previously synced), but its contents will remain available online.

The Selective Sync feature allows you to save disk space on your hard drive, while also giving you the flexibility to access all of the content in your online folders at your convenience! This was one of our most requested features, and I’m very glad that it’s now available.

Please feel free to let us know what you think about this feature by posting in this thread. Thanks!

To read past Feature Friday posts, click here.

Tags: #featurefriday

[MarkWC]

Great news, have been waiting for this feature for awhile!  Excited to check it out.

[sallensmae_live]

this is the freakin biz-niz

i just backed up my tracks for the last week in not time - i put them in, unchecked the folder in the list, and now its off my comp but in my account online

boom, done

[Mark_YSI]

We have received a lot of great feedback so far on this new feature and are excited for everything coming this year.  Lots of great updates and along the way we love to keep hearing from you.  If you have suggestions on features you would like to see added or updates to existing features visit our suggestion box forum to leave us a note.

And we appreciate any comments on our community posts here.  Feel free to reply to any of our posts with your feedback and chat with others in the community.

 

Thanks!

Mark

[CadenceHealth]

HI Mark,

we are keen to use this sytem in our office, however we are running Mac Os 10.5.8. Is it possible to get the previous version as we arent too keen on upgrading to 10.6 at this point. Many thanks

Leanne

[emmanuels]

Hi, excellent new feature. thanks for that.

Would be also good if we could set up these selective folders sync/not sync from command line as well, in addition to the YSI context menu.

That would possibly enable us to create a scheduled sync (YSI most wanted feature as well), through an easy use of the windows scheduler...

Well done anyway!

[Mark_YSI]

Hi Leanne,

Unfortunately for technical reasons all versions of our desktop sync app do require at least Mac OS 10.6 or above.  

Also emmanuels thanks for your input.  Glad you love the new feature and apprecaite your suggestion for the command line.  Will make sure this suggestion is heard.  

Thanks,

Mark

[CadenceHealth]

Thanks Mark!

Is there anyway you can track 'invitations'... We send folders to students and recently had a student suggest she didnt receive her invite (likely it went into junk is my guess) but would be good to have a receipt of the invite or some sort of tracking of its originating date.

What are the chances that the YouSendIt Express will sync with the yousendit files so that we can use this system to send actual folders from yousendit...

cheers

Leanne

[Mark_YSI]

We don't have tracking of invites yet (you can see in the Modify drop down under the folder on the website the current status.  If a user has accepted yet or not) but there isn't a timestamp on when the invite was sent.  Lots of tracking things we are working on for future releases though.

For the express question we do have plans to combine the features of Express along with the desktop sync app so one app can do everything.

Appreciate the questions and feedback!

[CadenceHealth]

Thanks Mark, darn that i have sent out invites to students and cant now control that, at least there is only a handful. Also, I dont have 'modify' as an option, only Share, Move, Rename, Delete, Download.

We will have to go back to the drawing board and setup to use the Express instead so that we have better security.

Look forward to those new tighter controls and sync apps (as long as they can be used by Mac Os 10.5.8     )

Cheers

Leanne

[CadenceHealth]

Sorry Mark,

one more question. In order to prevent ongoing access to the folders can I simply rename the folders...

cheers

Leanne

[YouSendIt_Kyle]

Hi Leanne! Are you talking about access to a read-only folder, for which a link was shared with different people, or access to a folder where users accepted an invitation to share a folder?

In the first case (a link was shared to a public, read-only folder), I would suggest creating a new folder, and then moving the contents of your folder into the new folder. You can do this by checking the box next to each file name in a folder in the Folders section of the website, and you will have the option to Move "x[number]" files.

If you want to revoke access to users who a folder was shared with, you can do so per the instructions here:

http://support.yousendit.com/t5/Syncing-and-Collaboration/Once-you-have-shared-a-folder-with-a-perso...

[origins]

I am trying to sync with one folder only and that seems to be working well. The problem is that there are a lot of files in my account that are not in a folder at all. And these "loose files" keep syncing with my desktop in addition to the one folder that I want to sync with. Is there a way to turn that off? 

I've double checked and I am definitely only selecting that one folder, and yet I am getting all of these miscellaneous files too! This account is used by several people, so I have no control over how things are posted. Help!

[YouSendIt_Kyle]

Hi origins! Unfortunately, there isn't a way to un-sync the root folder. I would suggest sending a email to anyone using your account, asking them to store their files in folders, so that every user has the option stop syncing to specific folders if they don't need to.

[txeclipse]

How can I select my 'My Documents' folder and have it synced all the time?

I do not want to 'move' the files, simply a 'hot backup', if you will...

I realize the first sync may be lengthy, but future syncs will only sync new files correct?

[MarkWC]

The only way to create a synced folder is to move it into the desktop sync app which will remove it from your "My Documents" folder.

[mornor58]

Hi

Just upgraded to pro, but it seems like the desktop app don't give me the option to turn of sync as described here. Is it a link to a newer version of the app?

I'm running a win 7 64 bit computer.

[Walt145]

I am a new user and I downloaded the desktop app ver. 1.8.0.29. It does not give me the ability to choose which folders to sync. Is there something I am missing?

[frankeng]

I also have the same problem.  1.8.0.29 does not give the choose folder option.  Windows 7

[Bjur]

Is there a way to change the sync settings so that new folders are not selected to sync with other devices by default?

Thanks!

[J2studio]

I would like to send all my documents straight to cloud storage - I don't need the files to sync to my computer.

I tried putting the files in my Yousendit desktop app but so far it has taken days to sync. How can I bypass the syncing and just send it straight to storage?

[Mark_YSI]

The only way to send them straight to the cloud would be to use the website and upload through our Folders tab.  If you have any other questions just let me know.

Thanks,

Mark

[Hopscotch]

Hi Kyle! 

I am new and am testing yousendit it now. I have to admit - I love it already so will be upgrading to pro today or tomorrow. Was worried about syncing the cloud with desctop because have number of files received through Dropbox. Now it is clear to me how to avoid losing files during syncing.

Thank you very much!

[PDCL-AHGR]

I have selected all folders to sync but some are not getting synced. I get message contacting YouSendIt or unable to contact? Please advise?

[Kathleen_YSI]

Hopscotch - that is awesome news!! Keep us posted on what you think!

PDCL-AHGR, which version of the Desktop app do you have installed?

[Goddards56]

Hi there

I think this problem is probably posted elsewhere so apologies if so.

I like others i am sure are syncing files to the desktop app, i recently realised they are saving on my computers hardrive thus filling it up quite quickly.

Is there anything being worked on to enable me to decide where these are stored ie: external hardrive?

Thanks 

[Kelly_YSI]

Hi Goddard,

I apologize that I am just getting to you; your post got buried and I am just seeing it now

We actually had a very similiar question that was asked during our recent Expert Day. Nicole, our Director of Product Management for our Web Application, thought this was a fantastic suggestion that she took note of! If you'd like to view the Expert Day thread, please click here!