OsaSync in Client-Server modes uses a folder structure inside the OsaServer folder. That folder normally resides on a server in a local network. When using a cloud service we fool OsaSync a bit. Each computer will have an OsaServer folder synced by the cloud service. OsaSync operates as if there is only one OsaServer folder

1. If you have no (free) dropbox account get go to www.dropbox.com and sign up for a (free) account. Download and install the dropbox app on all your computers.
2. Run the OsaSync connection wizard
3. Choose Client-server mode
4. Click Next in the step Alternative computer name
5. On the Server connection step click the button Advanced >>>
6. Click the Use mapped drive box and fill out or paste the full path to your dropbox folder, eg: C:\Users\John\Documents\Dropbox and click Next
   Althoug this is not a mapped drive but a normal folder path this works fine.
   
7. In the OsaServer folder step make sure the dropbox folder (or a subfolder inside the dropbox folder) is selected and click the Create OsaServer folder. The OsaServer folder is created and automatically also created by dropbox in the dropbox folder on all other computers.
8. Finish the connection wizard
   

• Run the OsaSync connection wizard on all other computers. Repeat the above steps 1 to 6.
• In the OsaServer folder step select the OsaServer folder that has already been created by dropbox.

Now the OsaServer folder in the Dropbox folder will behave as a folder in your local network.

The OsaServer folder consumes very little disk space so you don't have to worry that using OsaSync on your Dropbox account will run you out of free disk space. The OsaServer folder is used for exchanging small temporary files. Once remote computers have checked for changes (this can happen every minute in Client-server mode) the temporary files are deleted again.

See also:

• Can OsaSync sync over the internet?
• What is Client-Server mode?
• The OsaSync menu shows 'OsaSync-LM', what does this mean?
• How to run the OsaSync connection wizard
• Can I use OsaSync with a flash drive (USB stick) to synchronize two computer that are not connected otherwise?

How to synchronize using advanced mode?

In normal syncing mode OsaSync creates a file for each item in each folder being synced. This file is imported on the target computers. If you have large folders (more than 2000 items per folder) it can take a long time for this process to finish (several hours is no exception). Advanced syncing mode is much faster because OsaSync does not create a file for each item but only assigns a unique OsaSync ID to each item. Each outlook item in a synchronized folder needs to have a unique OsaSync ID that is the same on all computers. For this reason the .pst file with the synced folders has to be copied manually to all target computers after the syncing wizard has finished.

Here are the steps to sync folders in advanced mode:

1. If you do not want to copy your default .pst file to the target computers you can create a new .pst file and move the folders to be synchronized to this new .pst file before you start the syncing wizard.
   To create a new .pst file:
   Click File - Data file management. Click the Add button and accept the default .pst type choice by clicking Ok. In the Create or Open Outlook Data file window type a name for the new .pst file and click Ok. You will now see a new top level folder in your Outlook folders list with the default name Personal Folders . If you want you can change that name in something else. Click here to see how.
   You can now simply move the folders to be synchronized to this new folder by drag and drop (or cut and paste). The default Contacts and Calendar folder cannot be moved so you have to copy them.
2. If you are going to copy your pst file with the top level folder name Personal Folders then rename this top level folder name to make sure that other computers won't have TWO top level folders with the same name (most likely another computer already has a top level folder Personal Folders because this is Outlook's default top level folder name).
3. Choose the source computer to run the advanced syncing wizard on. This is the computer that has the (new) pst file which will be copied after the wizard has finished.
4. On each other (target) computer click OsaSync - Options...
5. If necessary deselect the Check when Outlook starts box. Set the Check for changes on other computers every minutes box to 0. This will stop OsaSync from automatically processing changes from other computers so you will have time to add the copied pst file to the outlook folders list once the wizard has been run. If your computers connect through FTP then set OsaSync to manually transfer ftp files on the OsaSync FTP options window.
6. On the source computer click OsaSync - Prepare folders for syncing...
7. Click Next to get to the Synchronization mode step. Select Advanced mode and click Next
8. In the Choose folder step you can now select multiple folders by holding down the Control or Shift key while you click on the folders to be synced.
9. Select the computers to sync with in the next step and click Next.
10. OsaSync will now create OsaSync ID's for all items in each folder (unless a folder has been synced before and the items already have an OsaSync ID). OsaSync will also create a small synchronization message file for each target computer.
11. In the Ready step click Finish.
12. If your computers connect through FTP then click tranfer files to / from FTP server
13. Now manually copy the .pst file to all target computers. You can copy the .pst file on a target computer in any folder you like.
14. Add the new .pst file to the Outlook top level folders list on each target computer. Click File - Open - Outlook Data File and browse to the location where you have copied the .pst file to. Select the .pst file and click Ok. You will now see the new top level folder in your folder list.
15. Click OsaSync - Check for changes on other computers. OsaSync will now read the synchronization message files from the source computer and mark the folders as being synced with the source computer. When connecting through  FTP reset the FTP connection option on the FTP options window to have OsaSync transfer FTP files again.
16. Set the number of minutes again used by OsaSync to check for changes on other computers on the OsaSync options page.

1. Right-click on the top level folder 'Outlook Today - [my toplevel folder]'
2. Choose Properties for "my toplevel folder"
3. Click on button Advanced...
4. You see the name in the name field. Change the name to match your corresponding computer(s) and click OK.
5. Click OK again to close the Properties dialog.

Note: 
The filename of the .pst file does not have to be the same as the name of the top level folder in Outlook. So you can rename the top level folder without renaming the .pst file on disk

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The deleted items folder cannot be synced like other folders. However, the deleted items folder is synced indirectly if an item on the synced computer is deleted by OsaSync because it has received a delete message. Second is that we don't encourage keeping items in the deleted items folder, we have seen that if there are many items in the deleted items folder this can become a source of (mysterious) problems. That's why we recommend setting Outlook to empty the deleted items folder upon closing. So if you don't want to permanently delete items it's better to store them in another folder.

How to synchronize only a specific category?

This is NOT possible. Syncing means every item is kept in sync with the other machine regardless of the category. 

An option is to create a new folder and move all items with a specific category to this new folder and then synchronize this folder.

A note on category syncing:
OsaSync syncs the category if you apply a category to an Outlook item. However, the applied category should not be a one-character category like category 'A'. A category name should have a length of at least 2 characters

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How to make a backup copy of my .pst files?

For a detailed description on backing up the .pst files see the Getting started page.

Outlook stores all contacts, email, appointments, tasks and journal items in one file: the personalfolders.pst file (default name: Outlook.pst).

Backup the .pst file:

1. Make sure to close Outlook.
2. Locate the folder with the .pst file. Use the Windows start menu, select Search - For files or folders and type *.pst and click Search Now.
3. In the search results window select the .pst file and copy the file (control-c; control-v; accept the name 'copy of xxxx.pst'.
4. Repeat these steps on the other computer.

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I have more than one contacts folder. Can I synchronize all of them?

Yes, you can synchronize all contacts folders you want.

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Is a deleted contact also deleted on the computer I synchronize with?

Yes, OsaSync also keeps deletions in sync.

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How to install and configure OsaSync

For a detailed description on installing OsaSync see the Getting started page.

1. Start the installation process by double-clicking the downloaded file OsaSyncPROSetup.exe.
   The OsaSync setup process will start and guide you through the installation. This installation process is similar to most other software installations.

2. Start configuring OsaSync by running the OsaSync connection wizard. Click the OsaSync connection wizard icon on your desktop or choose from the windows Start menu: Programs - OsaSync PRO - OsaSync connection wizard.
   The OsaSync connection wizard will guide you through the process of configuring OsaSync with other computers in your network.
   
   For a detailed description on using the connection wizard see the Getting started page.

3. Install and configure OsaSync on the other computers in your network (repeat step 1 and 2).

4. You are done and can start synchronizing Outlook items with other computers in your network by starting Microsoft Outlook.

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How to upgrade OsaSync?

• Download the latest upgrade version. In most cases it is not necessary to completely re-install OsaSync. Applying the upgrade will do. The latest version is  8.2 for OsaSync Lite and 8.0.4 for OsaSync PRO

• On either computer, BEFORE you install the upgrade, on the OsaSync menu,  click Check for changes on other computers. This ensures that all computers are up-to-date.

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What is Client-Server mode (PRO only)?

OsaSync PRO can be installed in two modes, a Peer-to-Peer mode and a Client-Server mode. Client-Server mode means that each computer running Outlook (= the Client computer) is configured to 'see' the central server. All data used by OsaSync to exchange new and changed Outlook items between synchronized computers will be stored on the server.

Advantages of Client-Server mode as opposed to Peer-to-Peer mode are:

• It is less work to configure your computers. Each computer running OsaSync in C/S mode only has to be configured to 'see' the server whereas each computer running in P2P mode has to be configured to see all other computers on the network. If you have 3 or 4 computers this is not a big deal but with 10 or more computers this really makes a difference.
• Client computers running Outlook do not have to expose a shared folder or disk. OsaSync running in P2P mode does require a shared folder on the other computer(s) but OsaSync in C/S mode only communicates with the server and not with the other computers. Exposing a share on a client computer can contradict with security policy.
• Better performance especially with a larger number of computers.

Client-Server mode only impacts the way OsaSync deals with temporary data files used to exchange changes between computers. It does not change anything with regard to the Outlook items: they still reside on the Client computers, so there is no central storage for Outlook items. If you start the folder synchronization process you still have to select the computers you want to sync the folder with so there is no difference in the syncing process between OsaSync in P2P mode or in C/S mode. In other words: you do not sync the folder with the server but with one or more other client computers.

When you run the OsaSync connection wizard and choose to configure in C/S mode you will have to point the wizard to the server and select a folder into which OsaSync can create subfolders. OsaSync will create a subfolder with the name of the Client computer and create a subfolder with the same name in all other computer name folders. This folder structure is used by OsaSync to save all data files used in the exchange of new and changed items between all computers (click here to see an example of this folder structure).
You will also have to specify a folder on the Client computer where OsaSync can store the data files in case the server is not available. If your computer is offline (e.g. when you travel with your laptop) OsaSync will function in local mode and save all data files locally and move them to the server after you reconnect your computer to the network again.

Configure OsaSync in C/S mode if you do have a server that is always running when one or more of the client computers are running.

See also:

• Can I use the server also as a client computer running Outlook and OsaSync in C/S mode?
• Do I have to install OsaSync on the server in C/S mode?
• Can I change from peer-to-peer mode to Client-Server mode?
• How to sync with computers that will never see each other?
• The OsaSync menu shows 'OsaSync-LM', what does this mean?

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Can I use the server also as a client computer running Outlook and OsaSync in C/S mode?

Yes, the server computer can also be used as a client running Outlook and OsaSync. In this case this computer acts with both the client and the server 'role'. Simply run the connection wizard on the server and choose the server to connect to (= the server connects to itself).

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Do I have to install OsaSync on the server in C/S mode?

No. The server only functions as a central file server for all temporary OsaSync files. The folder structure on the server is created by the connection wizard running on the client when connecting to the server. So you do not have to do anything on the server except making sure it exposes a network share accessible to your client computers.

Here is how the folder structure looks like on the server after you have configured 3 client computers A, B and C:

\\servername\sharename\..\osaserver\A\B
\\servername\sharename\..\osaserver\A\C
\\servername\sharename\..\osaserver\B\A
\\servername\sharename\..\osaserver\B\C
\\servername\sharename\..\osaserver\C\A
\\servername\sharename\..\osaserver\C\B

note: \..\ can be any folder structure.

Each folder on the lowest level will also have a 'Compare' subfolder.

OsaSync also creates a file called CnfComputers.txt in the \OsaServer folder in which all computers are listed.

Yes. Simply rerun the connection wizard on every client computer and select C/S mode. After you have chosen Client-Server mode, the wizard wants you to select an OsaSync folder on the server. Do NOT select the folder into which OsaSync has been installed (previously in peer-to-peer mode) but select another folder and click Create OsaServer folder if the OsaServer folder does not yet exist. See Do I have to install OsaSync on the server in C/S mode? for an example of the folder structure that is created by the connection wizard on the server.

Before you do this make sure all changes are processed by choosing check for changes from the OsaSync menu and make sure no changes are made on other computers before you have finished the wizard.

• Run the OsaSync configuration wizard and select FTP server or LAN server and FTP server in the step where you choose the server type.
• In the wizard step FTP server you fill out the name of the server and your username and password. OsaSync will connect to the FTP server.
• The next two steps are similar to configuring OsaSync on the LAN server. First you have to select the OsaServer folder on the FTP server and if the OsaServer folder does not exist yet you can create the folder by clicking Create OsaServer folder.
  After you have selected (or created) the OsaServer folder OsaSync will create several subfolders in the OsaServer folder. The folder structure created is exactly the same as the structure created on a LAN server. Click here to see an example (without the '\\servername\sharename' on the FTP server) .
• In the Local OsaSync folder step you specify a folder on your computer where OsaSync can store it's temporary files after downloading them from the FTP server.  The default folder is C:\OsaSync_local (If you already configured a LAN server then the local OsaSync folder has been specified already so you won't see this step now).
• Click finish to save the configuration info and restart Outlook.

Take a look at the following scenario:
Lets say you have 3 computers (A, B and C) in your main office and 2 computers (X and Y) in your branch office.
You want to sync the Contacts and the Inbox folders between computers B, C, X and Y and the Calendar between A, B and C.

Run the connection wizard and configure as follows:
- A: sync via the LAN server only
- B and C: sync via the LAN server and via the FTP server
- X and Y: sync via the LAN server and via the FTP server (X and Y are also connected with each other in a LAN).

Sync the Contacts folder by picking one computer, let's say B and run the prepare folders for synchronization wizard. In the computers step select computers C, X and Y. OsaSync will now create sync data for all three computers and will store the data for C on the LAN while the data for X and Y will be uploaded to the FTP server. Because B and C are connected on the same LAN OsaSync will use the LAN to store it's temporary data files and not the FTP server. Run the wizard again and select the Inbox folder for syncing.

Sync the Calendar by running the prepare folders for syncing wizard on (let's say) A and select computers B and C in the computers step. All data will be exchanged via the LAN.

Travel with your laptop:
We'll take this scenario one step further and assume computer B in the main office is a laptop and you occasionally travel with this laptop on your business trip. While you are traveling you want to keep your data in sync with both offices. You want to see new email and you want to see new or changed Customers (=Contacts).
This is possible with OsaSync. Connect your laptop to the internet and start Outlook. OsaSync will see that you are no longer connected to the LAN and ask if you want to start syncing via the FTP server. By answering yes OsaSync will send a message to computer B with instructions to store it's temporary data on the FTP server and not on the LAN server anymore. Computers X and Y are already syncing via the FTP server. Your Contacts folder and Inbox will now stay in sync in the same way as when your laptop was still connected to the LAN in the office. When your return to the office and reconnect to the LAN this will be detected by OsaSync and OsaSync will start exchanging  data files with computer B again via the LAN server and instruct B to do the same.

Note: when you are running the connection wizard on a laptop and want to configure OsaSync for connecting BOTH to the LAN and to an FTP server then do not assign your laptop also as the LAN server. Your LAN server should then be a computer that remains connected to the LAN.

FTP Options
After you have configured OsaSync to use the FTP server you can now tell OsaSync when it has to exchange files with the FTP server. Go to the OsaSync options page, click the button FTP Options.... By default OsaSync will up-and download data to/from the FTP server whenever OsaSync checks for changes on other computers. These are the options:

• Exchange data with the FTP server when checking for changes on other computers (default). OsaSync uses the value set on the OsaSync options page to retrieve and process changes generated on other computers. Before processing any changes OsaSync will first up- and download data to or from the FTP server.
• Use a timer interval to exchange data with the FTP server. You might want to use this option when you have a slow internet connection (dial-up modem connection) and you want to exchange files only a few times each day.
• Exchange data only when you say so by clicking Transfer files to / from FTP server in the OsaSync menu.
• Never. Set this only when you experience technical problems while connecting. If you want to stop connecting to the FTP server permanently then rerun the connection wizard and only select the server type LAN to connect to.

When you are done configuring OsaSync for FTP then (re) synchronize your Outlook folders by running the prepare folders for synchronization wizard.

OsaSync tries to connect to the server when Outlook is started. If you are sure the server is available then click check for changes on other computers to have OsaSync reconnect to the server and return to normal mode.

1. From the Outlook main menu select: OsaSync - Options
2. Click the button Run connection wizard....
3. Make changes using the wizard.
4. After you are done using the wizard, close the Options window, close Outlook and restart Outlook again. All changes you made while using the wizard will now take effect.

• Click on the icon OsaSync connection wizard (=the pussycat) on your desktop.
  
• Choose from the windows start menu: Programs - Outlook Sharing - OsaSync connection wizard

1. Open Windows Explorer, and then locate the folder or drive you want to share (click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer).
2. Right-click the folder or drive, and then click properties.
3. On the Sharing tab, click Share this folder. 
4. To change the name of the shared folder or drive, type a new name in Share name. The new name is what users will see when they connect to this shared folder or drive. The actual name of the folder or drive does not change.
   If the folder is already shared, click New Share and then type the new share name.
5. To set shared folder permissions on the shared folder or drive, click Permissions.
   Give at least 'create',- 'read'  and 'write' permissions to the usernames of the users on the other computers you want to share Outlook items with.

For more information on how to create a share consult your windows help documentation. Look for: 'Share a folder or drive with other people'

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For security reasons I want to install OsaSync on a hidden share, is this possible?

If you do not want to expose shares in your network it is possible to install OsaSync on a hidden share like '\\computer\OsaSync$'.  This improves security, as it is not visible in the network neighborhood yet fully accessible.

Create a hidden share by appending the $ sign at the end of the share name. If you do this after OsaSync has been installed then open the Windows registry (using RegEdit), navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OsaSync and edit all file paths in the registry directly in this key and its sub keys for each configured computer. Append the $ sign to the share name.

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Can the server in CS mode be a Linux server running Samba?

Yes, at least two customers reported this running on RH8.0 stock install. Earlier versions can produce errors.

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How to remove a computer from the synced computers group

Remove a computer from the list of synced computers for a selected folder:

• On the computer you want to remove right-click the folder
• Choose Properties... and select the OsaSync tab
• Click Stop synchronization. Answer Yes to the question if you really want to stop the synchronization.
• If the folder was synced with 3 or more computers OsaSync will ask if you want to stop the synchronization of this folder between ALL computers or only with the selected computer. Answer Stop synchronization with THIS computer only

To remove a computer completely from all synced folders the computer has to be deleted from the list of configured computers. This list is displayed on the OsaSync Options window. The computer will be removed from this list if you delete the configuration information for this computer. See the next FAQ how to do this.

You do NOT have to click the Stop synchronization button on each folders property window. If a computer is removed from the list of configured computers then this computer is automatically removed from each folders computer-sync list. 

See also:

• I have renamed a computer. What to do now?
• How to add another computer after all other computers have been configured?

If you are running OsaSync in peer-to-peer mode then on EACH computer:

1. From the Outlook menu select: OsaSync - Options
2. Click on the name of the computer you want to delete in the list box. The button Delete config info next to the list box will become enabled.
3. Click the button Delete config info. OsaSync will delete the configuration info for this computer.
4. Close this window and close Outlook.
5. Manually delete the folder with the removed computer name in the \OsaSync_data folder.
6. Restart Outlook.

1. Change your computer name in the CnfComputers.txt file
2. Get a new license key (for 2; 3; 5 or 7 computer licenses)

    On EACH synced computer (except the one who's name has changed):

• Open the CnfComputers.txt file in the \OsaSync\Data folder. Find the line that corresponds to the changed computer and change 'P00x=computer oldname' to 'P00x=computer newname'. Make sure not to change the section 'OldName=computer oldname'.
• Manually rename the subfolder with the old computer name in \OsaSync_data to the new computer name.

In Client-Server mode:

• Open the CnfComputers.txt file in the \OsaServer folder on the server. Find the line that corresponds to the changed computer and change 'L00x=computer oldname' to 'L00x=computer newname'. Make sure not to change the section 'OldName=computer oldname'.
• Restart Outlook on a different computer then the one which name has been changed. OsaSync will now see that a computer name has changed and will rename all relevant folder names on the server. When OsaSync has renamed all relevant folders it will change the 'OldName=computer oldname' section in the CnfComputer.txt file to the new name.

If the renamed computer (also) syncs via FTP then also change the computer name in the CnfComputers.txt file in the /OsaServer folder on the FTP server (the computer IDs on the FTP server look like '1R00x' instead of 'L00x').

If you have a 2; 3; 5 or 7 computer license then your existing license key won't work anymore if you have changed your computer name because OsaSync checks if the computer name matches the computer names encrypted into the license key. So you need a new license key. You can change the computer name for the license key yourself and get a new license key automatically when you login at: http://www.vaita.com/CustomerLogin.asp. You will need your email address (the one given when purchasing) and the password you did get together with your licence code .

If you are running OsaSync in peer-to-peer mode:

1. Install OsaSync on the new computer and run the connection wizard on this computer and configure ALL OTHER computers.
2. Run the connection wizard again on EACH computer and configure the new computer. The configuration info for the computers configured previously is preserved so you do not need to configure them again. When you run the connection wizard on the new computer and point to an existing computer make sure to select the OsaSync_Data folder (or the \OsaSync\Data folder as set by older OsaSync versions) that has been specified on that computer to save it's OsaSync data. For details about creation or selection of the OsaSync_Data folder click here.

If you are running OsaSync in Client-Server mode:

1. Install OsaSync on the new computer and run the connection wizard on this computer and point to the server.
2. That's it. When Outlook on the other computers is restarted then the new computer will be recognized.

When you create a new user, you have to do the same as when you add a new computer. 
So install OsaSync, run the configuration wizard, and synchronize from one of the other computers.

See also:

• How to add another computer?
• My wife also works on my computer, can we both use OsaSync?

A function is added to OsaSync to delete all ID's that have been added by OsaSync to items and folders. Run this function before uninstalling OsaSync to be sure all traces in Outlook are removed.

To run this function choose:

These two steps are the same when you add a new computer, so for details see:  How to add another computer?

If the new or reformatted computer has a different name then you also have to:

Alternative to the first 2 steps

With a little manual configuration work you save the effort of having to rerun the OsaSync connection wizard and having to resynchronize your folders. Before you reformat your computer or uninstall OsaSync you can save the OsaSync configuration information stored in the Windows registry:

Then reformat your computer; reinstall OsaSync or install OsaSync on the new computer and:

See also:

• How to add another computer?
• I have renamed a computer. What to do now?
• How to get a new license key?

1. Run the OsaSync connection wizard
2. Select the computer your password has been changed for from the list of network computers and continue the wizard steps.
3. Choose No on the question if you want to configure other computers and finish the wizard. All configuration information for your other computers will remain unchanged, OsaSync only updates the configuration information for the computer you just configured.

Why is the subscription expiration date different on at least two of my computers?

How to restore the previous OsaSync version?

If for some reason you are not satisfied with a new OsaSync version it is possible to restore the version you previously used. We do not recommend this because we only support the latest OsaSync version so if you run into trouble we will ask to install the latest OsaSync version first.

To restore the previous version:

Can I use multiple but different top level folders (= .pst and or .ost files)?

If you use more than one .pst or .ost file you will have more than one top level folders in Outlook. When you create and sync a new folder then OsaSync on the other computer needs to know in which top level folder this new folder has to be created so for this reason the top level folder names in outlook have to be the same on all computers (except if there is only one top level folder). So if on computer A you have the top level folders 'Personal Folders' and 'Archive Folders' and computer B has the folders 'Personal folder' and 'Rons info' then OsaSync can't sync a new folder because the folder names don't match (note the difference between 'Personal Folders' and  'Personal folder'). To solve this rename the top level folders.

However, sometimes it is not possible to rename top level folders, for example when exchange offline files are used (with a top level folder name like 'Mailbox - Ron'). By creating a setting in the windows registry OsaSync can be forced to always use a given top level folder name. If computer A has top level folders 'Mailbox - Mary' and 'Archive Folders' and computer B 'Mailbox - Ron' and I want to sync a contacts folder in  'Mailbox - Mary' to 'Mailbox - Ron' on computer B then I have to create the registry key 'UseTopLevelFolder' on computer B with the value 'Mailbox - Ron'. This instructs OsaSync to always create new folders in 'Mailbox - Ron' and not to look for the top level folder  'Mailbox - Mary'.

In the Windows start menu on computer B, click run and type regedit to start regedit. Now navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OsaSync. Click Edit - New - String value in the regedit menu and type 'UseTopLevelFolder'. Double click this new key and in the value box type the name of the top level folder that has to be used by OsaSync. In this example 'Mailbox - Ron'.

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What do I do when I upgrade Outlook?

When you are going to upgrade Outlook to a higher version it is best to reinstall OsaSync after the upgrade has finished. You don't have to reconfigure OsaSync or to resync folders if you follow the steps outlined here:
How to completely reinstall OsaSync without needing to configure and sync folders again?

We need a 4 user licence, can we buy two 2-user licenses?

No this is not possible. You cannot combine two 2-user licenses to compose a 4 user license. The number of computers corresponding to the license (=2) is encrypted into the license key and checked on startup against the actual amount of OsaSynced computers. So two 2-user licenses can only be used if not all 4 computers sync together but only if they sync in pairs.

What is folder comparing?

Although OsaSync's mechanism to detect and sync changes is very robust it is still possible that some changes are not correctly 'seen', especially in email folders or in the Calendar folder. 
Email folders:
If emails are moved frequently by several users it is possible that a folder can go slightly out of sync if a move is 'missed'.
Calendar folder:
There are two types of appointment items that pose a challenge to correct synchronization: birthdays and meetings. Both appointment types are created by Outlook itself. A birthday 'appointment' is created when you set a Contact's birthday. A meeting is automatically created by Outlook in your Calendar when you accept a meeting invitation. If several people accept a meeting invitation OsaSync on all computers has to make sure that all Outlook generated meetings are detected as being the same meeting in order to prevent duplicate appointments.

The folder compare process is added to OsaSync in order to find and correct these rare cases where something is missed or not correctly synced.

How folder comparing works:
One computer in a group of synced computers asks all other synced computers to create compare data for all items in a folder that have changed in a certain time frame (e.g. within the last month). The computer that has issued the request then actually compares the items from each computer with its own items. If a difference is found OsaSync will show a window asking what to do. The choice made will again be propagated to all computers in the sync group thereby repairing the difference.

The actual comparing takes place only on the computer that has sent out the compare request. This means that users on the other synced computers can remain unaware of the compare process and will not be bothered by OsaSync with prompts for choices.

How to start a folder compare:

• To compare a folder access the Compare a synced folder window via OsaSync Options - Advanced Options - Exceptional procedures - Ask for compare data.
• The folder list displays all synced email and Calendar folders. Select one or more folders by clicking the checkbox in front of the folder name.
  All sub folders in an email folder can be selected automatically by clicking the Include subfolders button in the E-mail folder section.
• For each selected folder set the relevant time period:
  • Email folder: select the time period in which emails have been received
  • Calendar folder: specify until when in the future OsaSync will compare calendar items. Comparing appointments further in the future will be less relevant and impact performance during the compare process so set the period as short as possible.
• Additionally have OsaSync run the duplicate items remover procedure before creating the compare request by clicking the Optionally remove duplicate items in this folder box.
• On the Compare Options window you can instruct OsaSync to ask for compare data regularly. By clicking the Include this folder in a scheduled compare box compare data will then be requested for the selected folder also.
• Click the Ask for compare data button to have OsaSync create compare data requests for all computers.
• Close the Compare a synced folder window.

The actual comparing will start when the first computer in the synced computers group has created the compare data.

If for some reason a folder has gone completely out-of-sync it is better to resync the folder then to compare the folder. Resync a folder by running the folder resync wizard: OsaSync - Synced folder - Resynchronize.

Notes on email folder comparing:

• OsaSync only checks if the same e-mails exist in the folder on both computers but it doesn't compare the properties of the individual e-mails (like sender name, subject and so on).
• OsaSync doesn't receive all e-mails to be compared but only the e-mail headers. If an e-mail is not found on the current computer and you choose Change this computer then OsaSync will ask the other computer for this e-mail. The other computer will see this request the next time it processes the check for changes on other computers and will respond by copying the e-mail. This means that some time will elapse before the e-mail is visible on the current computer.

See also:

• How to be prompted again by OsaSync so I can decide what action has to be taken?

Is OsaSync compatible with PALM (or other PDA) or cell phone syncing software?

Yes it is. OsaSync however does not run on a PDA like a Palm or Pocket PC so you must continue to use the syncing software that came with your PDA or cell phone.

If OsaSync is running and you use ActiveSync or any other syncing application to sync your PDA then OsaSync will recognize all changes and copy them to all other computers. All items new, changed or deleted on your PDA will be also be added, changed or deleted on the computers synced with OsaSync.

Some PDA syncing applications like ActiveSync also enable syncing while Outlook (and OsaSync) is not running. All changes made while OsaSync was not running are detected and will be copied to the other computers.

Important:
If you sync with your PDA while Outlook is not running and you want to start Outlook after the syncing has finished then FIRST MAKE SURE TO DISCONNECT YOUR PDA FROM IT'S CRADLE OR CABLE to make sure that OsaSync will be started.
If you start Outlook without disconnecting the PDA first then Outlook will start (or better: it will be shown because it was already running in the background) but OsaSync doesn't start. Check the Outlook menu to make sure you see the OsaSync menu item.

Can I import external contacts?

Yes, externally created contacts imported into Outlook are seen by OsaSync as new contacts and synced accordingly.

If I insert a Word file into a task item can the other users launch the file regardless of where it is stored?

If you insert for instance a Word file into a synced task item the Word file will be copied to the other computers as an attachment. This means that the other computers receive a copy of the Word file. When a user edits this copy the changes are NOT reflected into the original. If you want to work with ONE file don't use the Insert - File command but choose Insert - Object instead. Then choose create from file, browse to your file (it must be on a server or share accessible to others! So make sure that the path to the file has the format \\servername\sharename\folder\(more folders)\file) and check the boxes link and Display as Icon. Now a link to the file on the server is added.
After the task is synced to the other computer the user on that computer can open the file by right-clicking the link, then choosing properties, tab Link, click button Open Source.

Can I delegate Tasks to others and synchronize the Tasks folder?

Synchronization of the default Tasks folder with OsaSync and assigning tasks to others is not compatible. Outlook creates a task in the tasks folder when a task request is received in the inbox. This same task would also be created by OsaSync if the task folder is synced with the computer that assigned the task. This results in duplicate tasks. Another side effect is that the task owner information is lost and accepting or declining a task becomes impossible.
So if you do want to use Outlook's task delegation feature then don't synchronize the default tasks folder. Create other tasks folders to keep track of the synchronized tasks.

How to be prompted again when OsaSync is comparing a folder so I can decide what action has to be taken?

If OsaSync finds differences during the compare process it will prompt you what action has to be taken. Apart from telling OsaSync which action has to be taken for the specific difference found you can also instruct OsaSync to apply the same choice in the future.

If you have told OsaSync to always apply the same choice on finding future differences during the processing of compare data as the choice you have made before, you will never be prompted again asking you to decide what action OsaSync has to take.

You can change this so you will be prompted again during the compare process:

1. Go to the OsaSync Compare Options dialog, accessible via the Outlook main menu: OsaSync - Options - Advanced Options; tab Exceptional Procedures; button Ask for compare data; button Compare Options....
2. On tab Property differences you can instruct OsaSync what to do if a difference is found in an appointment property.
   On tab Items found/not found tab you specify what action has to be taken when OsaSync finds an appointment or an email that is not present on your computer or that IS present on your computer but not on one of the other computers.
3. Select the computer in the from computer list..
4. Set you choices what you want OsaSync to do. OsaSync immediately saves the choice made.
5. Repeat this for other computers in the from computer list.

Scheduling

On tab Scheduling you can instruct OsaSync to automatically run a compare process every x days. On the scheduled day OsaSync will ask all synced computers to generate compare data for all folders that have the checkbox Include this folder in a scheduled compare set on the Compare a synced folder window. When OsaSync checks for changes and it sees that one or more other computers have indeed created compare data, OsaSync will start comparing that data.

Especially for the Calendar folder it has less relevance to compare data that is not actual. By setting the Compare data expires on other computers after x hours or days you can specify that OsaSync should not compare older data anymore.

Peer-to-peer mode: After reconnecting my laptop to the network my desktop doesn't show the changes made on the laptop

If you are running OsaSync in Peer-to-peer mode and Outlook on your desktop has been started some period before you reconnect your laptop to the network, OsaSync will have stopped trying to connect to your laptop.
After Outlook has been started OsaSync tries to connect to all configured computers two times. If a connection cannot be made OsaSync stops trying to connect after two attempts in order to prevent Outlook from 'blocking' during several seconds while trying to connect.

If the checkbox If connecting to a computer is not possible stop trying after two attempts on the OsaSync Advanced Options page is unchecked then OsaSync will try to reconnect to the computer each time when it checks for remote changes on other computers.

To make OsaSync reconnect simply restart Outlook or set the checkbox on the Advanced Options page and click check for changes on other computers again.

Our assistant needs to be synced with two separate people, but they do not need to be synced with each other. Is this possible?

Yes, this is possible. Sync the calendar (or contacts or task) folder on computer A to the assistants computer (and not to computer B) and give this folder a name like 'Calendar Anton' during the sync process. Start the syncing process on computer A from the OsaSync menu Prepare folders for synchronization... and fill out 'Calendar Anton' in the edit box Alternative folder name for the selected folder ... 
Do the same for computer B. The assistants computer will now have three calendar folders: his/her own default calendar folder; 'Calendar Anton' and 'Calendar Bernie'. Computer A and B only have the default calendar folder.

Can I sync the calendar with several computers and give it an alternative folder name only on one computer?

The prepare folders for synchronization wizard includes a step on which an alternative folder name can be filled out. On all computers that are selected in the select computers wizard step this alternative folder will be created by OsaSync. So by default all other computers will use the alternative folder name.

However it is also possible to work with an alternative folder name on only one computer and use the normal folder name on all others. Assume you have a desktop and a laptop and you want to sync your calendar between them. You also want your secretary to manage your calendar and she should see your calendar on her computer as 'calendar boss'. So the alternative folder name should only be used on the secretaries computer; your desktop and laptop should sync the default calendar.

Here is how to set up this syncing scenario:

- Make sure the calendar folder on the 'alternative' computer is not synced anymore with the other computers. If it is still synced stop the synchronization by right-clicking the calendar; choose properties and click stop synchronization on the OsaSync tab. Choose stop folder syncing with this computer only on the next dialog.
- On one of your other computers start the prepare folders for synchronization wizard and click next until the alternative folder name step. Fill out the alternative name and click next. In the select computers wizard step now make sure to DESELECT the computers already synced and SELECT the computer that should get the alternative folder. Then finish the wizard.
- On all other computers click check for changes on other computers. The alternative folder will be created and marked for syncing with the other computers. Your other computers will also mark the calendar as being synced with the 'alternative' computer. Check if everything went well by checking the OsaSync folder ID on the folder properties OsaSync tab. This folder ID has to be the same on all computers.
 

OsaSync does not seem to change my corresponding computer; folders are not kept in sync.

Everything seems to work fine but OsaSync does not process the changes made to items on the corresponding computer. 

Check folder synchronization settings

Check to see if the folder is indeed synchronized with your other computer(s). This is the same as the verification step (= step 12) in  'Synchronizing the Contacts folder' on the Getting Started page.

• Select the folder and click OsaSync - Synced folder - Properties...
• See if you other computer(s) is/are listed in the computer list box.
• Look at the OsaSync folder ID.
  
  Do this also on the other computer(s) and verify that:
• Each computer lists all other computers in the computer list box.
  Example for a folder synced between computers A, B and C:
  - the list box on computer A should list computers B and C
  - on computer B the computers A and C should be listed
  - on computer C the computers B and C should be listed
• The OsaSync folder ID for the folder is the same on all computers
  
  If a computer you expect to see is not listed then the folder is not yet synced with that computer. Click the Add computer button. This starts the folder synchronization wizard. In the select computers step select the computer to add and deselect those that are already in sync. Finish the wizard.
  
  If the OsaSync folder ID is not the same on all computers then a previous sync process was not successful and the folder is not in sync. In this case resynchronize the folder and select all computers for resyncing. Select the folder in the Outlook Folder List and click OsaSync - Synced folder - Resynchronize....

If the computers listed and the folder ID on the Synchronized folder properties window are OK on all computers then we have to see if OsaSync is able to connect to the other computer.

Peer-to-peer mode: check the connection to the computer

If you are running OsaSync in peer-to-peer mode:

1. Choose check for changes on other computers from the OsaSync menu. OsaSync displays a popup message box showing the processing results.
2. If the message displayed is: 'computer name: connection could not be established' OsaSync was unable to read and process the OsaSync data files on this computer (OsaSync creates temporary data files for all changes to your synced items). 
3. Look if your corresponding computer is still up and running. It could have gone into standby mode.
4. It is possible that the network connection is no longer intact between your corresponding computers. Use Network Neighborhood or My Network Places and try to browse your network and connect to your computer. A Windows peer-to-peer network can be a bit unstable so it is possible you can no longer connect to your network computer. If you cannot connect OsaSync also cannot connect. Restarting your computer and/or connecting to this computer from your corresponding computer can help.
5. Check the the logfile 'computername_osasync.log' (Computername is replaced by the name of your computer in the  log files folder) for one of the following lines:
   - clsComputer.Connect to \\LAPTOP failed; network name not found; computer probably offline
   - clsManager.GetRemoteData: Reading data from \\LAPTOP failed. err#: 52: Bad file name or number
   If you see one of both lines this indicates a connection problem as described under 3. and 4.
   
   If you see a line like:
   clsComputer.Connect to \\LAPTOP failed; Authentication error: 1326 (or 5 or 1244):
   This indicates a username and /or password problem. It is possible the password on the corresponding computer has expired. In this case check you username and password on your corresponding computer. You can also rerun the connection wizard, the wizard will prompt you again for a username and password if the wizard cannot connect to the other computer.
   
   A line like:
   clsComputer.Connect to \\LAPTOP failed; WNetAddConnection2 err#1219: A DLL networkerror occurred; DLL     errornumber: 1219  
   indicates you are already logged on with another username or password. Restarting will solve this.

Check if a change results in an OsaSync temporary data file

Changes to items in synchronized folders result in temporary data files created by OsaSync. These files are saved in the following OsaSync temporary data folder :

• Peer-to-peer mode:
  C:\OsaSync_data\computername (The location of the OsaSync_Data folder can be different).
• FTP setup in Client-Server mode:
  C:\OsaSync_local\1R00x\OUT  (x corresponds to a number starting with 1 so 1R001 is the computer ID of the first FTP configured computer. The file CnfComputers.txt in the /OsaServer folder on the FTP server lists all computers with there computer ID's)
• LAN setup in Client-Server mode:
  \\Server\share\...\OsaServer\current_computername\corresponding_computername

If your corresponding computer has imported all changes this folder will be empty. Now add a test item with a subject or name like 'OsaSync test' and see if after a few seconds a new .txt file like 000001.txt appears in the folder (for appointments, tasks and email items also a corresponding .msg file like 000001.msg can be created).

If a .txt file has not been created:
Send the log file computername_osasync.log to techsupport@vaita.com and specify the name or subject of the item you have created so we can trace it in the logfile. See log files folder for where to find the log files (do not restart Outlook before sending this log file otherwise the file will be overwritten).

If this file is created:
See if the file is processed by the corresponding computer. Go to the corresponding computer and click Check for updates on other computers in the OsaSync menu. OsaSync should import the new item and delete the files in the OsaSync temporary data folder.

If the file is NOT deleted then the problem of your corresponding computer not being changed is most likely a connection problem:

• Peer-to-peer mode:
  Check if OsaSync looks at the SAME OsaSync_Data folder on both computers. Look here how to check this.
• FTP setup in Client-Server mode:
  - Click Transfer files to/from FTP server and see if the files are uploaded. If you have enabled zipping and encryption then OsaSync zips all files in 1R001 into a zip file in the 1R001\Zip folder.
  - Click Transfer files to/from FTP server to see if the files are downloaded. Files are downloaded into the 1R00x\IN folder. If files are not downloaded then use an FTP client utility like WS_ftp to see if there are still files on the FTP server in the /OsaServer/current_computername/corresponding_computername folder. If the file with the lowest sequence number is a .msg file and you don't see a .txt file with the same sequence number then delete this .msg file. This caused OsaSync not to download files because it is still waiting for the .txt file to arrive (this scenario is solved in the latest version).

If this all doesn't help then send us the osasync.log files: also the  as mentioned above of both computers. Don't forget to mention the name or subject of the test item you created.

Does OsaSync support Business Contact Manager?

The Business Contact Manager is not compatible with OsaSync and should be excluded for OsaSync on the OsaSync advanced options page in order to avoid errors (Use button Top level folders to include for OsaSync and make sure BCM isn't selected). However in order to sync business contacts you don't need OsaSync because Microsoft released an update to BCM which does allow syncing of BCM items! It's called the 'Business Contact Manager Update' and it's available from http://www.microsoft.com/office/outlook/contactmanager/prodinfo/update.mspx#top.

OsaSync only syncs between Outlook and Outlook, not between Outlook and Exchange. Nevertheless you can sync folders in an Exchange offline file (.ost file) in Outlook with another Outlook computer.

When you are connected to an Exchange server and OsaSync starts, it creates object wrappers for all folders monitored by OsaSync. While creating these wrappers a connection to the exchange server can be required when the folder is an Offline Folder. Also there have to be sufficient access rights to iterate these folders on the Exchange server. If this is not the case then errors are generated. The only solution then is to EXCLUDE the exchange top level folders in OsaSync by adding the folder to the list of excluded folders: on the OsaSync advanced options page; General Options tab, click Select folder.. and select the folder.

Connect Outlook to the Exchange server in cached mode. Non-cached mode can result in high CPU and network activity.

Exchange Public Folders are automatically excluded for OsaSync.

Are FollowUp flags supported?

Yes, OsaSync supports syncing of the follow-up flags. Also flags, due by dates and reminder dates for all Outlook 2007 items are synced.

See also: Does OsaSync sync Reminders?

Does OsaSync support Gmail IMAP folders syncing?

No, the Gmail IMAP or POP account cannot be synced. OsaSync adds hidden info to the folder items like a unique ID but the IMAP folders don’t allow this.

Does OsaSync sync Reminders?

Yes, OsaSync does sync reminders. By default OsaSync doesn't sync reminders but on the OsaSync advanced options page - Outlook items - tab appointments, the option also sync reminders can be set.  Also for tasks, contacts and emails the syncing of reminders is optional.

Please note: if prefixes are used to show who has last updated an appointment, the appointment appears to have been changed by another user if a reminder change is synced (when a reminder is snoozed) .

Can OsaSync remove duplicate items?

Yes, OsaSync can remove duplicate items in a selected folder. Choose OsaSync - Options; button Advanced Options...; tab Exceptional procedures; button remove duplicate items.... Now select the folder from which you want to remove duplicate items and click Remove duplicate items.

When OsaSync finds duplicate items it will create the subfolder OsaSync_duplicate_items in the folder and move the duplicates to this folder. OsaSync also creates DELETE messages for all other computers with which the selected folder is synced. The synced computers will delete the duplicates so you don't have to run the duplicate items remover procedure on those computers!

How does OsaSync recognize an item as a duplicate?

When OsaSync looks to see if an item is already present in a folder or when it removes duplicate items in a selected folder it uses the following properties to determine if an item is a duplicate item:

• Contact items:
  first name, last name, company name and email address
   
• Appointment items:
  subject, location, start date and end date
   
• Task items:
  subject, start date, due date and status
   
• Note items:
  contents of the note (Body property) and color
   
• E-mail or Post items:
  - received emails: the internet message ID (this is a unique identifier for each email received)
  - sent emails: email subject and the time the email is sent (PR_CLIENT_SUBMIT_TIME)
  - unsent emails: email subject only

If all properties are the same then OsaSync assumes it's the same item.

How are new appointments identified by the users who scheduled it?

New appointments can be identified by using prefixes. Example: appointment 'coffee with Ron' will be shown as '[JS] coffee with Ron' if this appointment is created or updated on John Smith's computer for which prefix JS has been set. You can have OsaSync use prefixes on the OsaSync advanced options window - Outlook Item options Appointments tab.
If you are running OsaSync in Client-Server mode then prefixes can be set in two ways:

1. OsaSync will use the prefix that has been set by the other computer when that computer was configured with the OsaSync connection wizard.  How appointments or tasks from your computer are prefixed on other computers was also specified when your computer was initially configured.  Here's how to change this prefix:
   • Go to OsaSync Options - OsaSync advanced options - Outlook Item options - Appointments tab
   • Click the Specify prefixes button
   • On tab How others see me the currently used prefix is shown. Click the Change prefix button to change it.
   • Fill out a new prefix and click the OK button to close the prefix window. OsaSync will now update the prefix in the CnfComputers.txt file on the LAN server and if necessary also on the FTP server.
     
     
   • Alternatively you can change the prefix directly in the CnfComputers.txt file on the server in the \OsaServer folder. Edit the 'Prefix=....' section in the CnfComputers.txt file.
     note: if your computer is configured for both LAN and FTP then also the CnfComputers.txt file on the FTP server has to be updated.
     
   By setting the prefixes in this way each computer sees the same prefix for each other computer.
   
   
2. You can determine how you want to see the other computers by specifying a prefix for each computer. On the Specify prefixes window, tab How I see others, choose Use prefixes set by me  and fill out a prefix for each computer. This is the only way to specify prefixes in peer-to-peer mode.

Apart from working with prefixes there are two other ways to see that something has been changed by a user on another computer:

1. OsaSync can mark new or changed items as being unread. This is not only so for emails but also for contacts, appointments and tasks. If you view your contacts in phone list view or another table view then you can see which contact has been changed by looking at the Read field (visible by an envelope).
2. OsaSync can assign a category called OsaSyncNew to new items created on another computer or OsaSyncChanged to items that have been changed by another user.
   Both options can be enabled or disabled on the Outlook Item Options tab on the OsaSync advanced options window. Category assignment is set for all items at once on the All items tab while specifying the unread status is set on each item tab.

Does OsaSync support archiving?

Yes, if you don't close the archive.pst file after archiving is ready, then OsaSync will 'see' all moved items and create move messages for all other synced computers. If many items have been archived it can take a long time for OsaSync to create all those messages and this renders Outlook almost unresponsive.

To prevent this it is best to EXCLUDE the archive.pst file for OsaSync: on the OsaSync advanced options page; General Options tab, click Select folder.. and select the archive top level folder. Close the options page and restart Outlook. When items are moved to an excluded folder then OsaSync will not 'see' those moves so no data for other synced computers will be created. To keep your folders in sync make sure to archive also on the other synced computers using the exact same 'archive until' date.

When there are very much items to archive we recommend to disable OsaSync before starting the archive process. In this way OsaSync won't interfere with the archive process. When archiving is ready enable OsaSync again.

Note: if OsaSync has imported emails on another date then the received date, for instance because the folder was resynced, then the email's Received date is affected because OUTLOOK assigns the import time as the date the message has been received. This is not correct but cannot be changed because this field can only be modified by Outlook. This interferes with the Archiving because older emails now appear to have been received recently (when the folder was resynced) and are not archived automatically. To overcome this a resynced folder can be archived manually. Instead of displaying the Received date you can display the Sent date, this date is not affected. With your email folders sorted on the Sent date you can manually move older emails to the archive folders.

Does OsaSync PRO handle the other Outlook items in the same way as it does contacts?

In general this is the case. Variations in the syncing of contacts; notes and e-mail:

Notes

• OsaSync syncs the note content, the color and the note categories.

E-mail / Post items

• OsaSync does not support e-mail synchronization with HTTP folders like Hotmail; MSN etc. A HTTP account should be excluded for OsaSync on the OsaSync advanced options page.
• All e-mail folders can be synchronized except the Outbox and the Deleted Items folder. If the outbox could be synced this could result in the same e-mail being send multiple times. By syncing the Sent Items folder you can keep track of all outgoing e-mails on multiple computers.
• It is possible to synchronize all e-mail subfolders of an e-mail folder in one go. Check the box in the synchronization wizard step Sub folders.
• Unsent e-mails can only be synced when the are in the Drafts folder. You can specify the folder in which Outlook saves unsent messages via Outlook's advanced email options.

Notes on syncing the Inbox:

• If OsaSync imports an e-mail from another computer Outlook assigns the import time as the date the message has been  received. This is not correct but cannot be changed as this field can only be modified by Outlook.  Instead of displaying the Received date you can display the Sent date, this date is not affected.
• If send/receive on different machines connects to the same ISP mailbox then do not set the Outlook option: leave messages on the server. OsaSync will sync all incoming emails (if the inbox has been synced) so there is no need for other computers to retrieve these same emails again from the ISP mailbox.