I have been wanting the ability to automatically sync files between my computers and my playbook since I got the device. With OS2, Sugarsync and a side-loaded Android app called Foldersync I finally got it working! (EDIT: Sideloading the Android SugarSync App also works, but I prefer FolderSync.)

Now, when I create a new file on my PC it can be synced almost automagically* to my Playbook. Likewise, any files I create on the Playbook (including pictures and videos) can be automagically synced to my computers...

Instructions:

1. Sign up for Sugarsync. You can get a 5GB account for free, bit if you use that link then both of us get an extra 500 MB of free storage!

2. Set-up Sugarsync on your computer in the normal way.

3. Download and side-load the FolderSync 2.0.1 BAR on your Playbook. Or, download the Android SugarSync BAR and side-load that.

4. If using FolderSync, Launch it on your Playbook and A) Set-up your SugarSync account under 'Accounts' B) Select the folders you would like to sync in 'Folderpairs' and C) Tweak the 'Settings' to your liking. If using SugarSync, follow the instructions in that app to get set-up.

5. There is no 5! You're done!

A few notes...

- The FolderSync working directory on Playbook is /accounts/1000/shared/misc/android/Foldersync. That is where you'll find the folders you set-up in step 4B from above.

- I am currently syncing over 4 GB of stuff between my computers and my Playbook (64 GB model pays off!). I found that the initial sync was taking a long time and that there seemed to be a 200 MB limit on each transfer session. So, I sped up the process by copying files over USB connection from my computer to the folders I set-up on my Playbook. This game me my first 'Green Checkmark' sync status in FolderSync, and it has kept itself synced since then.

- SugarSync has a great, free, functional app for your phone as well (search in AppWorld). Files you are syncing in this way can be accessed on your phone from the cloud at will!

- I think the largest single file I am syncing currently is 115 MB.

- FolderSync also allows syncing to other services besides Sugarsync (The list also includes Dropbox and Box.net). I did some comparisons and chose SugarSync as the best for my needs because they have free automatic syncing from computers (Box.net doesn't) and because you don't have to change your file structure on your computers (like you do for Dropbox).

- * The sync is 'almost automagic' because it seems that foldersync doesn't always run in the background on the Playbook. I think you have to launch it once to get it running in the Android player, then it seems to maintain itself and sync at the time interval selected in 'Options'. I think there may still be some quirks that I don't know yet...

I did a bit more research this morning and found that the newest version (3.4) of the SugarSync android app allows syncronization. I found the APK, converted it to a BAR and signed it. It is tested & also seems to work. So, if you prefer this to FolderSync you can use it also...

SugarSync 3.4 BAR.

DO you have this in ZIP format or know of a free way to extract rar files?

Here is a link to the uncompressed BAR.

Thank you now I will go figure out how to use it

this is brilliant, thank you to th OP - bit of help though please: I have sideloaded the sugarsync app and downloaded to PC and it is syncing away as we speak. Does this actually copy the folders to the playbook though as at present I am only able to access them by opening the sugarsync app on playbook and clicking on the PC icon i.e. nothing is showing up in file manager - and to do this I have to be on wifi. Am hoping that the folders will be useable off line on playbook.
Thank you in anticipation.

Hi... The synced folders should be available "offline" on the Playbook. The trick is to figure out where they are stored in the Playbook's file structure...

Have a look inside /accounts/1000/shared/misc/android/MySugarSyncFolders

(You will need a file browser to navigate there... I use FileBrowser from Appworld)

By the way, I figured out that if you click through my referral link and sign up we both get 500MB of extra free space!

One more thought for the above post... Make sure you have turned on syncing to the playbook!

Check this by pulling down the top menu, then select "more" and then "View sync folders".

If you haven't set a folder to sync to your playbook then do so by browsing to the folder from the "files" tab and holding your finger down on it until the context menu comes up and offers you the "sync to this device" option.

(If you are finding this too complicated then try side-loading Foldersync! It is pretty simple to set-up).

thank all sorted, mind you it will be at it for a while, 4.5 g, but will be wonderful when done, just need a keyboard then can leave the lappie home. PS I did click your link for the sugarsync download so hopefully you have increased your space :-)

FolderSync says it works with Box.net, DropBox, SkyDrive... etc. Has anyone tried with any of those? I ask because SugarSync's 5GB is puny compared to Box.Net's 50GB that Playbook owners get free.

Box.net makes you pay if you want automatic syncing from your computer.

I also investigates SkyDrive, but Foldersync won't sync to the part of SkyDrive that Windows Live mesh syncs with from your computer. So with Skydrive you can't get fully automated syncing either.

This is a deal-breaker for me. I need automatic sync, so I chose SugarSync.

I spent some time to compare the SugarSync Android app to FolderSync this weekend.

The summary is: FolderSync is a better choice for the Playbook.

Why?

1) More control. With FolderSync you can choose the sync interval and you can force only manual syncing. You can also set a folder to only sync 'down' to the Playbook and not to sync 'up' changes to files that you make on the device.

2) FolderSync is faster and seems to crash less often than the SugarSync client.

3) Prior to the first sync you can copy all your files over USB to the Playbook and then tell FolderSync where they are and the first sync will be fast. The same procedure does not seem to work with the SugarSync Android app. It wants to download all the files through the wireless connection to make the first sync.

I'm going to write an email to the FolderSync people and encourage them to bring their app to Appworld!

FolderSync is developed by a new Danish Company called Tacit Dynamics. It looks like they read and respond to threads in their own forums, so I started a thread there (under the name Quentin - You have to sign in with a Google account)...

Post here and request FolderSync come officially to the Blackberry Playbook!

Lets hope they take time to figure out how easy it would be for them...

OP - Thanks for putting this tutorial together.

I installed FolderSync this evening and was notified that there is a newer version (v2.0.1). I couldn't find it listed when doing a search among the listings of apk converted files. Do you know if anyone has converted it?

Yes, this would be a great, native app. I could sync all my cloud storage accounts.

One thing I ran into tonight. I was syncing my DropBox root folder using FolderSync and switched to another sideloaded program (RepliGo) to check out one of the synced PDF's and see how the directory structure looked from another program. Unfortunately I ended up crashing the RepliGo program which crashed the Android emulator. This halted the sync and I ended up having to restart the synging of all my DropBox files. Fortunately I made a backup of my DropBox root folder on my desktop in case I mess anything up. I haven't found any errors/missing files from my DropBox, but I did find this a bit annoying as I don't generally leave programs open on the PlayBook to preserve battery and performance. I am likely to forget that a sync needs to take place and close a program after finished with a document, neglecting to have the file synced before doing so. I think a native app which doesn't rely on the emulator would prevent an accidental stopage to syncing.

There are definitely some quirks associated with running a program constantly in the background on the Playbook Android player. My solution for now is to turn off the automatic sync in Foldersync and instead invoke it manually when I want to sync. This isn't ideal, but I also had stability problems and general slowness of the PB when syncing automatically started when another android app is open.

A native app would - of course - be the best solution, but even getting official support from the developers in app world for he android client is a good start. Thanks for posting in the the thread on their site!

I had no trouble using FolderSync to sync "down" from Box.net (my free 50GB account). Sadly I chose a really big folder, so I have to wait to see if I can sync back "up" to it.

With some help from another thread I got the newest version of FolderSync Lite 2.0.1 converted to a BAR. I have not had time to test this so if somebody installs and uses please post a report...

Download FolderSync Lite 2.0.1 BAR.

Foldersync's developer responded to my post over in their forums and said he is considering bringing it to AppWorld... A few more posts to give him some more encouragement couldn't hurt!

Forum - Tacit Dynamics

I had some time today and tested the new FolderSync Lite 2.0.1 that is linked above. Seems to work just fine!

I'm going to jump in here and beg everyone to use my link to sign up for sugarsync please!!! I get a bonus and you get bonus storage! In the words of Michael Scott, "win, win...win"

https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?r...paign=referral

After much tweaking and fiddling around I thought I would post my recommended settings for FolderSync...

I am syncing 3 folders between my computers and my Playbook. Two of them are large (over 2 GB of data) and 1 is a small "magic briefcase" that I use for moving files back and forth between computers and the playbook.

I have the big folders set to sync with the "advanced" setting at 3 AM while I sleep. The small folder syncs automatically every 2 hours. This keeps my PB up-to-date with my files on a daily basis, but avoids having the sync process interrupt me for too long during daily use.

Damn you made this to easy after reading reviews in App world I almost didn't sign up for SugarSync, because of negative comments. But after reading through your post and instructions for side-loading on the PB, I am up and running on my 9930, laptop, and Playbook in less then 20 mins!! SugarSync is the way to go! Good bye Dropbox and Google.

Way easy!! Thank you for the lesson!

OBTW: You got another 500 MB Thanks again.

Just an update to say that I wiped and reinstalled the OS on my Playbook a few months ago. While I was re-installing everything I decided I didn't really need automatic syncing to my Playbook and I started to just use the web interface of their website. It works great!

By the way, thanks to everyone who has used my referral link in the first post. I have now maxed out my free storage space, so I changed the referral link to my wife's account.

I have tried to download this file & I get the error "Unable to open file"