Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

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tris
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:06 pm

Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by tris »

I checked previous topics with the keywords 'two computers' but none seems to be similar with what I encounter.

I'm using a trial version of BirdieSync downloaded yesterday. Synchronization works fine after I established a partnership from my home WinXP PC running USB portable Thunderbird 2.0.0.22 (with the latest version of Lightning) to my HTC Touch HD. Since then changes are automatically and swiftly synced both ways.

Today, I established another partnership from office WinXP PC running the same TB from USB, to the same HTC handset. Synchronization worked but by means of removing all items in handset and replacing them with the TB items, which took a long time. I could see the names disappearing from handset contact list . I let it happen thinking that it only happens once. However after I returned home and tried to sync again, the same process took place -TB items replacing handset items.

How can I make it sync only the changed items instead of all, like the first day, for both partnerships? Afterall, the handset and USB device are the same. The path to the profile and TB executable are also identical.

Thanks for your help.

tris
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:06 pm

Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by tris »

I tried syncing again in office today and this time, the device items overwrote those in USB TB. :shock:
I'll stick to one device for now until a solution is known.

Thanks!

Birdy
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Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by Birdy »

Hello tris,

Actually I think that ActiveSync is not clever enough to realize that it synchronizes the same Thunderbird on a portable device. It means that if there are two different partnerships (because there are two different PCs), ActiveSync will consider that the 2 desktops are different and so that the 2 instances of Thunderbird are different (even there is only one instance located on the portable device that you plug to the 2 different computers). So by now it is not recommended to synchronize the same portable Thunderbird on 2 different PCs. The problem is the same with a remote calendar.
Birdy

Justus
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:42 am

Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by Justus »

The same here. I am running a Desktop PC with WinXP Prof SP3, Thunderbird v2.0.22 + Lightning v0.9 and a netbook with the same parameters. I would like to sync both computers with the Touch HD.
Is it possible to sync two Lighnings with one Handset?
Best regards,
Justus
I am using BirdieSync on:
Windows 7 Ultimate x64, BirdieSync v2.3.2.2, Thunderbird v3.1.10, Lightning v1.0b2

Mobile:
Gingerbread v2.3.4 on HTC Leo

Birdy
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Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by Birdy »

@Justus: Do you want to synchronize 2 independent instances of Thunderbird (in which case it is a different problem from tris) or do you want to use a portable version of Thunderbird located on a USB device ?
By now if you want to synchronize with 2 PCs, each one must own its own Thunderbird profile.
Birdy

Justus
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:42 am

Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by Justus »

My problem is on two different computers... But I made a backup of the Desktop Thunderbird and restored it on the netbook. But right; two PCs and two independent Thunderbirds.
So what to do now? Delete all userdate on one of the PCs and make a new Profile?
I am using BirdieSync on:
Windows 7 Ultimate x64, BirdieSync v2.3.2.2, Thunderbird v3.1.10, Lightning v1.0b2

Mobile:
Gingerbread v2.3.4 on HTC Leo

tris
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:06 pm

Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by tris »

Thanks, Birdy.

I think using the Activesync local area connection can be a good workaround to the partnership-dependent synchronization issue in my case. So synchronization can also take place even with a guest partnership.

Just a thought.

Birdy
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Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by Birdy »

@Justus,

There are two solutions: the first one is to synchronize with only one computer (the desktop one for instance). The second is to leave the Thunderbird profile of your notebook empty and populate it with the first synchronization (new partnership/combine mode) from the mobile device.
Because if you restore your profile on the netbook and then synchronize it with the mobile device, you may have duplicates.
In any case, BACKUP your data before any attempt.
Birdy

Birdy
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Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by Birdy »

@Tris,

Just a small remark: you mentioned: "synchronization can also take place even with a guest partnership."
If you are in guest partnership mode there is no real synchronization since no categories of objects can be selected to be synchronized.
Birdy

Taraman
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:10 pm

Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by Taraman »

I am having the same issue...

I want to sync on Desktop and Laptop with the same Portable TB.
So it seems this is because of ActiveSync Internals?

Or can we hope for a solution in a future version.

Just to state there are mor users with this wish... :D

Taraman

vos
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Portable Thunderbird with two PCs - only full sync?

Post by vos »

Just to add the same wish as Taraman: I also would like to sync my PDA with the same Portable TB on a USB stick, both on my desktop and on my laptop. (Especially when travelling...)

Let's hope Activesync will clear this up soon ;-).

Vos

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