Windows 7 Can Dropbox Sync My Inventory and Movie Catalog Databases Automatically?

[seekermeister]

I have a small Dropbox account, which I can only think of a few ways to use. Before trying it out, I would like to get confirmation on whether the ideas will work? If I locate the database file for my inventory and movie catalog programs in the Dropbox folder on my computer, then remap those programs to that location, will Dropbox continuously sync those databases to the online storage, so that the info there is always up to date?

 

[badrobot]

I think that I'm sending up a white flag for the time being, because the first step it called for was to select the storage tab in the configuration, where it should list any drives connected, but it shows none, even after hitting the refresh button. I have no idea of why, except that it doesn't list either my hard drive or docking station on their compatibility list. The only thing that might possibly change that is that I found a firmware update for the router, which I will run on it a bit later. However I found no changelog or description of what the update would effect, and I somehow doubt that it would this.

If a hard drive does not work, try at least a USB flash drive and see.

 

[seekermeister]

Yep that worked. I guess that it just doesn't like my docked drive.

 

[badrobot]

Yep that worked. I guess that it just doesn't like my docked drive.

Yup. Probably the dock. But at least, now you know you have an option. If the 5GB dropbox was working for you before, an 8GB or 16GB USB 2.0 (don't use USB 3.0) flashdrive is probably a better option. They are also cheap these days. Plus you don't have to spend 20hrs uploading your file. Just pull the USB flashdrive out from the router, in to your PC and transfer a 5GB file in 10mins or so and then plug it back to the router.

 

[seekermeister]

It's always good to know what the options are, but since I already have the files synced to Skydrive, there is no point in doing it another way, unless it doesn't work as expected. Why do you say not to use a USB 3.0 flash drive?

 

[badrobot]

It's always good to know what the options are, but since I already have the files synced to Skydrive, there is no point in doing it another way, unless it doesn't work as expected. Why do you say not to use a USB 3.0 flash drive?

Eventough USB 3.0 is supposedly backwards compatible with USB 2.0 or 1.1, not all brands work flawlessly with this backwards compatibility. I had that problem before when I was creating a USB recovery media for my Windows 8 machine. The process goes up to 98% and got stuck there. I've tried it more than once. But when I plugged in a USB 2.0, done in one try. That was weird because it also did not work with USB 3.0 port. And I read somewhere that it is also a Windows 8 issue. Plus, you're not gonna be able to utilize a USB 3.0 speed on a USB 2.0 port anyway.

 

[seekermeister]

I don't know if the port on the router is USB 2.0 or 3.o, but more likely 2.0, so it would probably be better using the older version...at least on the router. However I do have 3.0 on the computer itself and I thought it might be nice to be able to take advantage of it.

I noticed that even though the flash drive appears in the router's configuratin, it still doesn't appear in Windows. Does that mean that the USB function on the router would only be usable to a computer connected via wireless?

 

[badrobot]

All PCs on your network, wired or wireless should be able to see it. Even on tablets and ipads if you have the right application installed on it. And don't forget to map it on each PCs to be able to see it on your network list.

 

[seekermeister]

I just went to my XP machine, and the contents of the drive is visible on it, and I've not done any mapping on it. However it only shows on the network drive selection of my file manager, and not in disk management or anywhere else that I could see.

When I attempt to map the drive on the W7 machine, by selecting the router it pops a login screen, but it doesn't accept anything that I type into it, including the username/password that I used to enter the configuration wizard. I'm beginning to feel that I'm running in circles.

EDIT: I was wrong, the flash drive isn't visible as I said. I think it time to take a break, because I'm beginning to see things that aren't there.

 

[badrobot]

You may have to go back to the setup link that I sent to you and setup sharing parameters.

 

[PhyllisColeman]

.. then this way it is going to happen as i was not as knowledgeable so finding the post a helpful one in getting my mind clear regarding the issue

 

[seekermeister]

I got some sleep and went back at this again. I won a battle, but am still waging the war. I upgraded the firmware on the router, and now the docked drive appears as it should have. I'm more than a little wary of flashing anything, so I carefully read the flashing instructions, which went into all kinds of minute details that I had to wade through. After a successful completion, I was more than a little surprised that I could no longer login to my router's configuration, because the instructions didn't bother to mention the "trivial" fact that it would create a new login name and password. When I discovered this, I quickly renamed the account and reset the old password, or else the other computers wouldn't have been able to access the internet.

Accessing the Storage configuration, I located the Edit button and selected for it to show the entire contents of the drive. It now shows the location of the drive as shown in the screenshot: Disk Management still doesn't see the drive and I can't seem to be able to navigate the apparent path as shown. That may be due to the fact that I deleted the public folders from the Start Menu long before getting into this. I'm not sure that simply creating a new folder and path, or ?

 

[badrobot]

No, disk management will never see this drive. The drive is not connected directly to the pc. It will only show under "network" after mapping it. It's a network drive and not a local drive.

Sent from my HTC One X using WindowsForum mobile app

 

[seekermeister]

That brings it back to the old stumbling-block. When I select "Map Network Drive" from Start>Network, it only displays two options...the computer and the router. Selecting the router, it pops a login window, but when I enter the username and password that I have set in the configuration wizard (or for that matter, any other combination that I can imagine, or that you had suggested), it rejects it. So on this front, I'm back to where I started from.

 

[badrobot]

If you did not assign a username and password, what happens if you leave it blank and just click login?

Or check if you can disable it on the router settings.

Sent from my HTC One X using WindowsForum mobile app

 

[seekermeister]

Thought of that, leaving it blank gets the same results. I didn't find anything in the router settings that appeared to be for disabling this, but then a lot of what I find in those settings is Greek to me. Still, I imagine that something like that wouldn't be all that difficult to understand.

EDIT: Actually a blank username and password doesn't get exactly the same result, it simply keeps demanding that they be entered.

 

[badrobot]

Can you post a shot of the login screen?

Sent from my HTC One X using WindowsForum mobile app

 

[seekermeister]

Don't know what that will accomplish, because one login screen is like any other, but here it is anyway:

 

[badrobot]

Don't know what that will accomplish, because one login screen is like any other, but here it is anyway:
View attachment 25476

It actually tells me SOMETHING.
This login screen is not router related but windows related.
There's one more thing to try: Start Menu >>> Right-click "Network" >>> select "Properties" and then on the left column of the next window that popped up, click "Changed advanced sharing settings" and under "Home or Work", tick "Turn on sharing so anyone with network access...". If it still doesn't work, try to do the same for "Public" & "Domain".

...

 

[seekermeister]

Those are already set to share. I have a hunch that the problem lies with the one question that you overlooked back in post 71...the ID and path shown in the router's configuration for the location of the drive. I have restored the Public folders that I mentioned as having removed from the Start Menu, but none of these lead to anything like Public/foreign-shares/WDC2TB. How do I find that?

 

[badrobot]

Restored Public folder??? on the windows library? I need to see that setup. Why are you looking for a folder? it is a "drive" you are looking for.

But again, none of the network will appear on any windows disk management or library. It will only show up under "Network Location" simply because it is a network drive.