CNET'S QUICK GUIDE: Windows Vista is in sync with your files

Windows Sync Center

If you have a mobile device, chances are you know about synchronization of files. Sync makes sure that two or more versions of the same file stored in different locations all match. If there has been an edit or any other change or deletion, Windows Sync will perform that change on all other preselected file locations. The Windows Sync Center within Windows Vista expands the list of options from syncing with only mobile devices but also other PCs on a network, removable media, and networked servers--with the latter feature only available in Windows Business and Enterprise editions.

There are two types of sync events: one-way and two-way. A one-way sync event would copy files from, say, a digital camera to your hard drive, but never back to the digital camera. A two-way sync event would copy files from your desktop to a mobile device and then back again once you arrived back in the office. One-way and two-way events can be specified for individual media choices--one-way for an MP3 player and two-way for a network server. In the event of a file sync conflict, where the data has changed on two or more of the stored copies, the Windows Sync Center allows you to view each conflict and, if necessary, choose which version to update in the final synced file.

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