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Sync Office Documents to Google Docs with DocSyncer
Posted by Kevin Purdy at 12:00 AM on December 20, 2007
Windows only: Free web site/software combo DocSyncer has just rolled out its public beta, pitching a set-it-and-forget-it way of syncing your computer's documents with Google Docs. After signing up and installing the software, DocSyncer goes to work uploading all the Microsoft Office and OpenOffice documents it finds in your Documents and Desktop folders. You can then choose which file types will be synced to Google Docs and set DocSyncer to open those files with local software instead of Google Docs, but you'll likely want to make a few more tweaks before leaving it running.
The software grabs everything by default—kind of annoying to clean up if you didn't expect it—but you can also choose specific folders for DocSyncer to ignore, although not before it gets started. Click over to the "My Documents" tab in the web interface, hit the tiny "Edit" button at the top of the "Folders" pane, and choose which folders you don't want DocSyncer looking through.
Since DocSyncer looks like a one-way backup at this point, it could be a valuable tool for those who like having online access to their work but don't necessarily love Google Docs' scaled-back interface. DocSyncer is a free sign-up and download, available for Windows XP, 2000 and Vista only, with an OS X version supposedly in the works. For more user-driven Google Docs backup tools, check out the OpenOffice.org2GoogleDocs extension, or the Google Doc Download Greasemonkey script for reverse backups.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
SBlade
Posted 5:30 AM 19/12/07
Nice, only it is one way and it looks through all your folders before you even have the chance to modify it. The OO suite with the Google Docs extension has always been my choice.
SBlade
jdoree
Posted 6:33 AM 19/12/07
I didn't like how it started scanning and backup up everything in My Documents. I felt I had no control. I actually only want to back up my Google Docs documents onto my home PC, not the reverse but I didn't see how this was possible with the current version. DocSyncer was not installed on my machine for very long.
jdoree
tom
Posted 6:38 AM 19/12/07
I guess I'm going to sit this one out and wait till Google gears supports gDocs...
tom
gpzbc
Posted 10:31 AM 19/12/07
Google Docs doesn't support the Office 2007 formats. docx, pptx, xlsx, etc.
Too bad.
gpzbc
SA
Posted 9:39 AM 19/12/07
Well, I was excited about this. Maybe I'll wait a few months to use it. I have nothing of real importance on my computer as of right now that needs to be backed up. Good idea they have though. Maybe they'll work out the kinks soon.
SA
XENO
Posted 9:21 AM 19/12/07
By the way, when did Lifehacker update, so that i don't see my comment as I write? In the update, last month?
XENO
XENO
Posted 9:21 AM 19/12/07
I was invited to the Beta and used this program for over a week, It might be because I connect over a proxy, but it took 5 days to upload 300 files (most of them only 1-2 pages, don't ask the size since these where from all over my documents folder) and made a complete mess of mt Google Docs. Also they came out in the middle of the week with the present version (which was still then by invite only) which includes an option to open a file (from the site) to your computers default writing program (in my case Word) which only opened 5 min after I shut the browser (Half an hour after I requested and then forgot, since nothing happened) It also slowed down my Internet connection, and my computer in general, but that is to be expected by any program of this type.
In all, I'll try it again, In a couple of months, if they fix it up. What I had wanted was a sync between chosen files on my com and Google Docs, What I got was a slow Document and Spreadsheets uploader, which uploads new versions upon creation (but does not replace the old uploaded versions).
XENO
Kale
Posted 11:01 AM 19/12/07
Unfortunately DocSyncer doesn't work with Apps for Domains yet. The developers told me that Google doesn't support web application authentication for Apps for Domains, but they're trying to persuade Google to add it. I'm going to take another look at DocSyncer after that gets figured out.
@Jdoree: I think I read somewhere that you're going to be able to select which folders to sync soon, but they haven't added that feature yet.
-Kale
Kale
kruthy
Posted 8:31 AM 19/12/07
Neat idea, but doesn't appear to support GAFYD (so useless to me until it does.)
kruthy
msde
Posted 12:35 PM 19/12/07
I tried it out, and it uploaded a bunch of personal and proprietary information to my google documents before I could stop it. Any program that violates my privacy to this degree without even asking me first isn't going to get a second chance later.
msde