# automated saving to multiple copies



## aultduell (Nov 10, 2006)

Sometimes I save copies of my WORD documents to 3 or 4 different folders, to make finding the document later easier. When I make modifications to one of the copies, is there a way to have the changes automatically saved in each of the different folders where the copies are?


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## Mikecpu (Oct 28, 2006)

Recording a macro should do the trick.


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## Zazula (Apr 27, 2006)

Well, the actual question that needs to be answered is "What the multiple identical copies of the same documents are used for?"

1. *Convenience *(easily finding said documents in more than one, handy locations around the machine). My suggestion: *use shortcuts*. Place master documents in a single place, preferably in a physical drive other than the System hard disk, and (at a minimum) in a partition other than the System and the Program Files partition(s), and link to them via shortcuts from anywhere around your machine (or even around your LAN/WAN). For even better convenience, this can be achieved by setting that to be the default location of My Documets (which is easily tweakable). When saving each shortcut and placing it where you want it to be, rename it to eliminate the "Shartcut to" part of its name, so that it is called exactly the same as your original document.

2. *Safety *(to have back-ups in case something goes wrong with the original document). My suggestion: *use Word's autobackup feature*. In the Tools menu, click Options, select the Save tab, check the *Always create backup copy* box.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Zazula said:


> 2. *Safety *(to have back-ups in case something goes wrong with the original document). My suggestion: *use Word's autobackup feature*. In the Tools menu, click Options, select the Save tab, check the *Always create backup copy* box.


Careful here , this only creates a backup of the copy you are about to make changes to, so its actually just a copy of the very last version of a document prior to the latest changes.

If no changes have been made to a document then there will be no backup. 

The backup is normally filename.bak for a document called filename.doc


I would think that a backup program would be better, something along the lines of Getdataback which is found here

http://www.brothersoft.com/file_disk_management/data_recovery/getdataback_for_ntfs_2741.html

it won't create multicopies but does allow you export data to a safe recoverable location


I think that what you arereally klooking for though is a way to synchronise your backup copies so that all copies are adjusted automatically in the vent that any one file changes. 

Maybe someone else will have an idea about that. Sorry I haven't researched it yet.


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## Zazula (Apr 27, 2006)

Well, Done_Fishin is right regarding the fact that my second bullet is poorly phrased and thus leaves the impression that the autobackup feature is intended for creating a document back-up copy, while it is designed primarily to ensure against data loss or against unintended changes.

I haven't included in my answer extensive options regarding backing up documents, because the original poster's question makes it rather clear that convenience (i.e. easy finds in multiple locations) is what is sought for in this particular case.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Zazula said:


> I haven't included in my answer extensive options regarding backing up documents, because the original poster's question makes it rather clear that convenience (i.e. easy finds in multiple locations) is what is sought for in this particular case.


Quite right :grin: Zazula :wave: (btw tthe comment to take care was not at you but anyone else who might be reading, without our experience, who could have mistakenly thought it is a backup option) :1angel: 
and I should be slapped if I hinted at anything different, I confused safety and convenience .. 

what he is looking for is convenience of finding a copy of a document that he is working on and being able to automatically update any copy of that file after he has worked on it!

I too would like to find a way to do that since I am frequently found on any one of 3 PC's on a network, copy files to a 1GB flash, dash around to a mates house where I access those files on his PC ... I think you get the picture.

To date the only way I have found of keeping, hopefully, tabs on those files, is to use a program from scooter software called BEYOND COMPARE.

It compares the contents of a left panel and a right panel when opened in browser mode, handy for checking contents of cd's in 2 separate drives or 2 separate partitions, Folders, down to the comparison of 2 files with the same name 

you can also compare 2 files with different names in Windows Explorer by clicking on the file(s) and selecting compare .. not in that exact fashion but quite easy to do.

When in browser mode you can select to compare files on oppositre sides of the panel but with the same name, you can compare them in an editor that allows you to make changes. you can copy, move or even delete the files.

It automatically gives an indication of whether the files are "apparently" the same by colour. Date and timestamps will allow you to see which is the newer and is also subject to highlight by colour.

you can save the settings to a name for ease of comparison

anyone interested take a look at

http://www.scootersoftware.com/










sincerely hope this helps even if it isn't what you originally wanted to do.:wave:


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