Home Forums Mac Software Mac Applications Sync Software between 2 Macs

As one can see from my signature below, I'm now using 2 different Macs (both running 10.6.3).

My MBP 17 is my primary computer; and although the Mac mini is really a repository for tunes on iTunes, I would like to keep Mail (all emails), iCal, and other doc folders in sync.

Any recommends?

I'm looking at Synchronize! X Plus (I don't need the Pro version as I use Superduper for creating clones), and S! X Plus looks like it might be the ticket, but I've never used it.

The Mail + Addess Book + iCal stuff is tricky (unless you're a MobileMe member). For those items look at BusySync.

For regular docs and folders, i'd recommend ChronoSync as best of the bunch.

I am a MobileMe member, but it simply is syncing the accounts, not the actual emails. Particularly with Mail, as I have a hierarchy of folders, I was hoping to find an easy way sync those folders between my 2 macs.

I'm not familiar with either BusySync or ChronoSync; so, I'll check them out.

Thanks.

That part is easy if your email provider supports IMAP. Since the messages and the hierarchy of folders is maintained on the IMAP server you will see everything exactly the same on all your computers, your iPhone, iPad, the internet cafe, your computer at the office, etc. Everything is automatically in sync because everything is seeing exactly the same folders and messages.

By default your MobileMe email is setup as IMAP, but it can be set up as POP if you so desire.

As legacy Dot Mac member, I've got 2 MobileMe email accounts although I only use my Dot Mac, and it is currently set for IMAP.

My email-folder hierarchy is a carry-over from my previous use of Entourage, where my hierarchy of sub-folders to my Inbox was fairly extensive. When I switched to Mail several months ago and completed my Import, Mail set-up this hierarchy under an Import folder which I could only replicate to an On My Mac Archive folder. So, this hierarchy, which has important emails I want to retain, does not reside under the Mail Inbox. And as result, when I want to retain an email, I drag it from the respective Inbox and into the On My Mac folder for similar emails.

[Unless I'm not using Mail to its most flexible extent, it seems more limited in this regard than Entourage, which I did like. But since I was pre-planning a migration to a new MBP, I wanted to give Mail a fair try.]

As result and based upon looking at ChronoSync, I think it will accomplish keeping my 2 Macs' Mail in sync. ...Anyone have further thoughts about ChronoSync?

I have another, follow-up question about Mail...

In my Home/Library/Mail folder, I see 2 old POP email folders (neither is listed in my Mail Accounts). One has an incorrect, MobileMe account address (not sure how it got there), and the other POP folder is an old Earthlink account that I've not used in years.

[I do see my 3, correct email folders currently in use.]

When I delete the incorrect folders, they get re-generated. How does one correctly and completely delete folder out of /Mail folder?

Thanks.

> When I delete the incorrect folders, they get re-generated. How does one correctly and completely delete folder out of /Mail folder?

I ran into the same issue a bit back, and, if I remember correctly, it took deleting and reinstating all of my Mail (3.5) accounts to turn the trick. (I still don't understand why clearing current accounts got rid of old ones. )

If you delete a POP account in Mail, all email messages currently in that account's Inbox, Drafts, Trash, and Sent folders, and all Notes and To Do items, will be deleted as well.

(See Removing an email account in Configuring email accounts in Mail (Mac OS X 10.5 or later), then leaven Apple's particularly draconian language by reading, for example, How do you delete an old account without deleting saved messages?)

Edit: meant to add that the regeneration of old folders is likely might be due to their presence in the Envelope Index (~/Library/Mail/Envelope Index). See Rebuilding the Apple Mail Envelope Index for a similar case.

You're 100% correct; I should have thought to mention that very important fact.

Just noticed your edit and read Jim's post; too bad I don't still have the issue, but let's see if pbGuy has any luck with the procedure.

I've attempted (several times) to delete the 2 old POP email folders from the Home/Library/Mail folder. Even after a restart (immediately afterwards confirmed the 2 folders are not present in the .../Mail folder) and then, upon activating Mail, these 2 POP folders reappear. [The 2 names of these POP folders are not in my Mail Accounts.]

So, something is controlling the regeneration of the 2 folders. ...Just can't figure out what's doing it.

BTW, as I migrated from my old PowerBook G4 to a Mac mini and then migrated from the Mac mini to my MBP 17 i7, this is same situation is happening in Mail on my Mac mini.

So, there must be a legacy file that's a remnant from my PB G4. Any ideas what migrated file / folder is the culprit?

Best thing to do when converting a pop to imap is to make a local folder and drag and drop all the email from all the associated folders (inbox, sent items etc) to there before deleting the account.

too bad they don't let you change it from pop to imap. Can't be THAT hard to do.

Followed those instructions. No problem in the rebuild of the Envelope Index.

Checked prior to opening Mail & the 2 old, POP folders were not present (I had deleted them prior to the rebuild process). When again opened Mail, the 2 old POP folders were back. [Added note: I was able to confirm which of the 2 current Accounts the 2 old, POP folders are related. But, even after doing several Rebuilds of the 2 current, Accounts, the reappearance of the old POP folders continues.]

While there's something "untidy" about this issue, it doesn't seem be causing any real issues with the 3 Mail Accounts I use. So, unless I can resolve without having to delete the 2 current Accounts & redo, I may just forget it.

Back to my original question... I've heard from ChronoSync, and I'll pass along their reply.

My inquiry to them was about syncing Mail & iCal. They advised NOT to use ChronoSync for syncing iCal (no mention was made of Mail). They did recommend a program, called SpanningSync, for syncing iCal to Google Calendars.

As I am wanting to sync Mail & iCal from one Mac to another's Mail & iCal, I don't think SpanningSync will work for me.

So, I'm back to syncing through MobileMe which is not the process I really wanted - to use something like a backup/sync-type of app to do so.

I will toss up this recent method (and i may look into it myself later on), but it seems to still be a work in progress:

MacOSXHints article...
Sync calendars and address books between Macs

which also links to this tutorial...
Making Any Mac into a Calendar and Contacts Server

[note: "Server" not required.]