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Archiver > TMG > 2010-01 > 1264383735


From: Lee Hoffman <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] TMG on laptop
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 20:42:15 -0500
References: <mailman.978.1264373352.1998.tmg@rootsweb.com>
In-Reply-To: <mailman.978.1264373352.1998.tmg@rootsweb.com>


Terry Reigel wrote:
>Carole Livingston wrote:
>
> > Question 2. How do I keep the two TMGs in sync.
> > Sometimes the desktop will have the latest info and
> > sometimes the laptop will. My husband is hoping to use a
> > router with a wireless connection to let the laptop and
> > desktop communicate.
>
>You can have one copy of the data files and access them over the
>network, which automatically keeps them in sync. The trouble with
>this is if you put them on the desktop, you won't have access to
>them from the laptop when you travel, and if you put them on the
>laptop you have to have it running any time you want to work from
>the desktop. Most users carefully transfer the current copy from one
>machine to the other by making a backup, then restoring that backup
>on the other machine. That's easy to do with network - you don't
>even have to copy the backup to the other machine, but just access
>it over the network to Restore.

Actually, you can keep the project files on the desktop and access
the project from the laptop when traveling. HOWEVER, you need to
have 'special' networking software set up to do this. Thus, for
Carole's situation, Terry's response if fully correct. But if the
networking software (and it really isn't all that special - just that
most people don't have it or need it) is available and in use then it
is fairly easy -- once set up. A small number of TMG users do this
and one wrote about it -- <http://www.tmgtips.com/tmg5_network.htm>;.

One the other hand, most of us will do as Terry suggests -- keep
track of which computer is the latest to be updated and either only
use that of back that up, copy the backup to the other computer, and
restore the backup on the 'new' computer.

>I find the best solution to that is to never make updates on my
>laptop - I just use it for reference when on the road, but don't
>actually enter data on it (I find entering data on a laptop a pain anyway <g>).

I tend to follow this plan most of the time. For the few times that
I do not, I either (through networking) update the "home" computer,
or update the laptop with the intent to later update the "home"
computer when I get back. Both are rare situations and have their
own advantages and disadvantages -- some of which change depending on
various factors including my frame of mind at the time.

>Some users have experimented with software that is supposed to keep
>both copies in sync - I can't offer an opinion about any of those methods.

Nor can I.

Hope this helps -

Lee Hoffman/KY
TMG Tips: <http://www.tmgtips.com>;
My website: <http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman>;
A user of the best genealogy program, The Master Genealogist (TMG)


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