Symbolic links on DropBox to use the same shared folder between two computers

[The$Hulk]

We start by specifying the target so as to immediately understand what you want to do, assuring everyone that this is an easy procedure, but not easy to understand, which is very common to meet a need. If I do I chat on MSN Messenger from a computer at home, the conversations are saved in the history of this computer, in a specific folder. If we use the same name from another computer, perhaps at work or on the laptop, the conversation history, if enabled, is saved in a folder on this second PC. What we want to make is that the history of the same identical Messenger account is saved on any computer you use, in the same shared folder.

This can be done to any folder that stores the log of a program, the history of a chat program, the cache of a web browser or whatever you want. For the new version Windows Live Messenger 2011 because the problem is solved easily enough set up, as a folder to save the conversation history, inside a folder to DropBox. DropBox is a popular online service that allows you to have 2 GB of space to keep data stored on the Internet. Thanks to the program DropBox these files can be stored and synchronized (ie always the same and updated) on any computer you use.

[The$Hulk]

After signing up and after you install Dropbox Dropbox on your computer, the My Dropbox folder appears in Windows Explorer. The files that are in there are shared and synchronized across all computers used. It can then be said to MSN Messenger (menu Tools -> Options -> History) to use the folder "ChronologyMSN" (to create) in My DropBox as a place to save the conversation history in chat. Since the new Windows Live Messenger also allows you to chat on Facebook it will appeal to many people. Consider, however, another very popular chat program that I, personally, I consider the best, the universal chat Pidgin. with Pidgin you can chat with friends on Facebook, Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk and other instant messaging from a single interface. Pidgin saves the chat history in a specific folder inside the Windows and can not change it. But what you can do is create a symbolic link (symbolic link) to that folder and put it on DropBox. The symbolic link is possible only on disks formatted in NTFS and is different from the normal link. It allows you to use the same folder or one file from multiple different locations, while opening them in different paths, however, the normal link opens the linked file from the same location. Beyond what it means (it is not very easy as a concept), create a symbolic link is very simple.

[The$Hulk]

First, locate the hidden history of Pidgin that Windows 7 is C: \ Users \ username \ AppData \ Roaming \.Purple while Windows XP is in C: \ Documents and Settings \ username \ Application Data \. purple. Press the folder. Purple with right button and select Cut. My DropBox then go in, press the right button on the blank and select Paste. With Windows 7, hours go to the Start Menu - Accessories and open the DOS prompt by right-clicking above and run it with administrator privileges. Then write this command:

mklink / D "C: \ Users \ username \ AppData \ Roaming \. purple" "C: \ My Dropbox \.purple"

Going now in the Roaming folder, will now find the folder. Purple, now, is a symbolic link.

Windows XP can not create this kind of symbolic links so you must use the small tool Microsoft SysInternals Junction. Download Junction, extract the .Zip file in C: / Junction. Open the dos prompt (Start -> Run -> cmd -> Enter) and type:

cd C: / Junction

Press Enter and then issue the following command:

junction "C: \ Documents and Settings \ username \ Application Data \. purple" "C: \ My Dropbox \.purple"

Of course, before that, you had to cut and paste the folder .Purple.

[The$Hulk]

On the other computers you have to do the same procedure as the symbolic link or the Junction but the original folder of Pidgin, the. Purple, it should be deleted and not cutting and pasting, otherwise it would overlap with the DropBox My first computer. If you want to keep the old history have to do this on other computers to copy the files inside and not the entire folder .Purple instead should be scrapped. This procedure can be done to any other history files, logs or cache any other program (such as Yahoo Messenger, Digsby, AIM) and, optionally, with folders and system folders download from Emule or Torrent (space permitting in DropBox). DropBox and symbolic links also work on Linux systems, so the idea of having a shared folder works on any computer. The aim of sharing between different computers the same system folder or a program such as chat history, cache, or any other folder has been reached. The same procedure can also be made for individual files, creating a symbolic link with the command mkdir (without the / D). If you do not understand anything or have any doubts about the symbolic links do me well, saying the questions you want, where you're stuck. To create symbolic links from the Windows interface, the mouse, without using the commands in the command prompt you can install the tool Link Shell extension that probably makes it easier for those who just can not digest the command prompt.