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Is it possible to synchronise certain Windows 7 settings. Things like the wallpaper you use for instance, or the programs that are stored in the start menu.
Or the programs that are docked next to your start button etc.
Bram Vanroy
Posted 2012-09-19T12:20:17.597
Reputation: 1 486
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The only official transfer tool I know of Windows Easy Transfer, which however does only files.
See this article for details : What is Windows Easy Transfer & How to Backup Your Data for Transfer.
However, there are no tools that can transfer installed applications. Such a tool is even unlikely to exist, because of copyright reasons.
Most commercial products will naturally try to make it as hard as possible to copy a paid application to a second computer without paying for it.
The only truly transferable applications are portable applications.
Most of them are listed on the PortableApps.com website.
[EDIT]
You say that you are only interested in docked programs.
I know of no product that transfers these, but I added below some helpful information.
Windows 7 taskbar pinned icons are stored in two locations:
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TaskbandUnfortunately, the registry information is binary-coded, so transferring it is all-or-none. In addition, the User Pinned folder is only created after the user has pinned at least one icon to the taskbar.
To deploy this, you would need to:
Please note that I have not tested this procedure. Also, any programs whose icons you transfer should have been installed in identically-placed folders.
harrymc
Posted 2012-09-19T12:20:17.597
Reputation: 306 093
1I don't think you understand what I mean. I don't want to transfer programmes, but if an application is installed on both machines and if it is docked on one machines, it should also dock on the other. I know that this might sound stupid, but it would save me some trouble. – Bram Vanroy – 2012-09-24T08:16:44.110
Understood, so I added more info. – harrymc – 2012-09-24T10:06:45.870
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you could use dropbox to sync your user folder. simply install dropbox and change the folder where it stores your dropbox to c:\ or d:\ where ever. then create a directory junction for your user folder
mklink /j c:\Users\Userfolder c:\Dropbox\Userfolder
Everything including what wallpaper you use and all your registry settings and startmenu and so on is stored in your user folder. That should work ok. files that are in use will only sync on reboot I think.
d4v3y0rk
Posted 2012-09-19T12:20:17.597
Reputation: 1 187
I fear for the safety and reliability of this though. Doesn't this mess up my registry? Not all programmes that are on one computer are also on the other. – Bram Vanroy – 2012-09-21T08:21:26.900
1My user folder is several gigabytes in size. I wouldn't want to sync that over the internet. Also I wouldn't want all the files in there to be on dropbox just so I can sync some shortcuts. – Peter Hahndorf – 2012-09-23T19:39:30.047
My solution: get windows 8. It does that all for you, except maybe the programs in start menu. Depends on whether its a metro app or a desktop app. – James Mertz – 2012-09-23T21:18:48.617
@KronoS Do you have any source for that? Something I can read into? – Bram Vanroy – 2012-09-24T08:18:03.377
1http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/06/sync-it-up-hands-on-with-the-preview-of-windows-8s-cloud-sync-service/ ... Also from personal experience with Windows 8. – James Mertz – 2012-09-24T15:43:41.547
You want to do this for two or more separate computers or just for some kind of backup? – poz2k4444 – 2012-09-29T22:43:13.163
@poz2k4444 Syncing between seperate computers. – Bram Vanroy – 2012-09-30T12:52:11.680
@BramVanroy and the sync should be incremental or just one time?? It's for the same model of computer or different computers?? – poz2k4444 – 2012-09-30T17:51:34.747
@poz2k4444 The sync should happen as soon as an adjustment has been made. It's for different computers (desktop, laptop). – Bram Vanroy – 2012-09-30T18:19:47.800
I don't know a sync tool. But I do use a script that I apply to any new computer (or user account). It sets things like the wallpaper and the pinned programs in the start menu and the super bar. Every time I make a change to my standard configuration, I also need to update the script. Not very user friendly but we are superusers here. – Peter Hahndorf – 2012-09-23T19:44:24.737