I have FreeFileSync version 12.5 donation edition. I sync between a Windows 10 & Windows XP computers. Some of my files have includetext fields. On Win10, the filepath is C:\Users\MyName\Target. On WinXP, the filepath is C:\Documents and Settings\MyName\Target.
Trying to sync Word documents that contain such fields always produces an error. I'm wondering if anyone has a good way of solving this.
I tried this, which works if I remember where I edited the files last. e.g. In WinXP, I have a file with the entire path of C:\Documents and Settings\MyName\Camping equipment. It contains includetext fields like {C:\\Documents and Settings\\MYName\\Travel\\Kitchen} and also {C:\\Documents and Settings\\MyName\\Travel\\Tools}.
If I edited in WinXP & sync this to Win10 it's fine. But if I edit the Kitchen file in Win10 (where the path is {C:\\Users\\MyName\\Travel\\Kitchen} & then try to sync, the field produces an error.
Is there any setting in FreeFileSync that will let me sync correctly?
Thank you in advance!
Syncing Word files with Includetext fields
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- Joined: 24 Nov 2020
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Explain "Word ... includetext fields".
(I looked, but didn't understand what it was saying.)
Are they separate files, separate directory structures, or some virtual structure, or... ?
Are they supported on all Word versions (or at least on the versions you have on your systems)?
Are includetext fields seen only "in" Word, or does Windows Explorer also see them?
(I looked, but didn't understand what it was saying.)
Are they separate files, separate directory structures, or some virtual structure, or... ?
Are they supported on all Word versions (or at least on the versions you have on your systems)?
Are includetext fields seen only "in" Word, or does Windows Explorer also see them?
Which is?always produces an error
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- Joined: 24 Nov 2020
Thank you for your response. The fields are supported in all versions of Word & Windows Explorer doesn't "see" them. I can explain it best by an example. Suppose you have a desk with 3 drawers & you want to have 3 documents that lists the contents of each drawer. Call them Drawer1.doc, Drawer2.doc, & Drawer3.doc. You also want to have a document that lists the combined contents & we'll call it "All Drawers Contents.doc".
If you add or subtract something from a drawer, you also want to update "All Drawers Contents.doc" automatically. You do this by putting Includetext fields in "All Drawers Contents.doc". Those fields simply add the data from Drawer1.doc, Drawer2.doc, & Drawer3.doc, so that if you update one of those 3 documents, the "All Drawers Contents.doc" will update. The Includetext fields in a particular file simply point to another file & add it's data to the first file.
On a single computer, this isn't a problem. You simply put in a field code that says, e.g
{Includetext C:\\Folder\\Subfolder\\Drawer1.doc} & 2 more fields where it says Drawer2, Drawer3. That's because the filepath on Windows 10 for documents is C:\\Username\\Documents. However, in Windows XP the filepath is C:\\Documents and Settings\\Username\\Documents.
If you add or subtract something from a drawer, you also want to update "All Drawers Contents.doc" automatically. You do this by putting Includetext fields in "All Drawers Contents.doc". Those fields simply add the data from Drawer1.doc, Drawer2.doc, & Drawer3.doc, so that if you update one of those 3 documents, the "All Drawers Contents.doc" will update. The Includetext fields in a particular file simply point to another file & add it's data to the first file.
On a single computer, this isn't a problem. You simply put in a field code that says, e.g
{Includetext C:\\Folder\\Subfolder\\Drawer1.doc} & 2 more fields where it says Drawer2, Drawer3. That's because the filepath on Windows 10 for documents is C:\\Username\\Documents. However, in Windows XP the filepath is C:\\Documents and Settings\\Username\\Documents.
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From your description, it is not clear this would be a FreeFileSync (FFS) issue.
Most likely, FFS simply copies the Word file "as is", which is what it should do.
Because files modified on XP work well on Win10, but not the reverse, it seems Word itself is not backwards compatible with regards to IncludeText fields.
Whether this backwards compatibility problem is OS related or linked to the likely different version of Word on both machines is unclear.
Never tried this, but you may be able to overcome the problem by using the Windows environment variable %UserProfile% in the IncludeText field.
So, something like
%UserProfile%\Target
instead of
C:\Documents and Settings\MyName\Target respectively C:\Users\MyName\Target
Most likely, FFS simply copies the Word file "as is", which is what it should do.
Because files modified on XP work well on Win10, but not the reverse, it seems Word itself is not backwards compatible with regards to IncludeText fields.
Whether this backwards compatibility problem is OS related or linked to the likely different version of Word on both machines is unclear.
Never tried this, but you may be able to overcome the problem by using the Windows environment variable %UserProfile% in the IncludeText field.
So, something like
%UserProfile%\Target
instead of
C:\Documents and Settings\MyName\Target respectively C:\Users\MyName\Target
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- Joined: 11 Jun 2019
I've used mklnk when I had a similar issue with varying user folder names/locations on two devices
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- Joined: 24 Nov 2020
Thank you so much for your reply!!! Although Word on both WinXP & Win10 word fine & I can copy in either direction when I don't have different file paths, I like your idea of using %userprofile% on all files where this is an issue. Thank you again. I'm sure this will work, but I'll let you know.
