Q. FolderMatch does not launch when I dobule-click on its icon.

A.   The most likely cause for this problem is that another software is preventing FolderMatch from launching. To test if this is the case, reboot Windows into safe mode and try to reproduce this problem. 

If the error occurs while in Safe Mode, reinstall FolderMatch.  That should correct the problem.

If the problem does not occur when you are in Safe Mode, that indicates that there is a conflict with some other software that is on your machine. Starting in Safe Mode launches only Windows and none of the other many background processes that are on your computer. Most of the background processes are loaded without your knowledge/permission. They can slow down your machine, eat up RAM, and cause conflicts with other software. You'll want to use a Startup Manager like the System Configuration tool that comes with Windows to take a look at your startup items to discover which one is causing the problem for you.

To use the System Configuration tool:

Run C:\Windows\System32\msconfig.exe

Use the startup manager to selectively turn off startup software, then reboot. Continue to do this until the problem disappears. When the problem disappears you will have found the offending software. (We've found that in practice it is quicker to disable multiple startup items at a time rather than just doing one-at-a time.)

The most common culprits are firewall and antivirus type software. The good news is that most can be configured to allow FolderMatch to run. Please check with the manufacturer of the software for instructions on how to go about doing this.

Q. What language does FolderMatch work with?

A.  FolderMatch works with a variety of languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and others.  However, the FolderMatch software is currently only available in English, so you'll need to be able to understand English to use the software.

Working with files and folders whose names use a different character set than the one you use to display menus and other text in Windows may require you to change your system locale first.  For example, if you use Windows in English, but want to compare folders with Russian names, you might need to change your system locale to Russian.

This explains how to change the system locale in Win2k, WinXP, and Vista & Windows 7.  

Changing System Locale In Vista & Windows 7

Changing your system locale can sometimes let you work with files and folders whose names are in a different language from the one that you use Windows in.  FolderMatch is tested in English, and we can't guarantee that it will work in all other languages, but this will often help.  Here's what you can do.

Note: This procedure may require you to have an administrator password for your computer.  You may not be able to complete these instructions on a computer that you do not own.

1.  Click the Start button then select Control Panel

2. Click Clock, Language, and Region, then choose Regional and Language Options.

3. In the Regional and Language Options control panel click the Administrative tab.

• If you don't see an Administrative tab, you might not be able to change the system locale.  Contact a system administrator, or log in as a user with administrative privileges.

4. Click Change system locale.  You may be warned that this procedure requires administrative privileges; if so, click Allow.

5. From the list, choose the locale that best matches the language used in the file and folder names you want to work with.  Then, click OK. 

6. You'll be asked to restart your computer.  Click Restart now.

Note: This change will affect all of your Windows programs.  You may want to change your locale back when you're finished.

In case that doesn't work

If none of the above helped, we may not be able to help you work with the files and sub-folder names that are  in the language you want.  However, the above instructions should work for most people.

Changing System Locale In WinXP

Changing your system locale can sometimes let you work with files and folders whose names are in a different language from the one that you use Windows in.  FolderMatch is tested in English, and we can't guarantee that it will work in all other languages, but this will often help.  Here's what you can do.

Note: This procedure may require you to have an administrator password for your computer.  You may not be able to complete these instructions on a computer that you do not own.

1.  Click the Start button then select Control Panel

2. Click  Regional and Language Options.

3. In the Regional and Language Options control panel, click the Advanced tab.

• If you don't see an Advanced tab, you might not be able to change the system locale.  Contact a system administrator, or log in as a user with administrative privileges.

4. In the Language for non-Unicode programs section, choose the language used in the file and folder names you want to work with.  Then click OK. 

5. You may be asked to install additional files to use the language you select.  If asked, choose to use existing files (rather than installing from the CD).  However, you may need your original Windows CD for certain languages. 

6. Once the change is complete, you'll be asked to restart your computer.  Restart your computer.

Note: This change will affect all of your Windows programs.  You may want to change your locale back when you're finished.

In case that doesn't work

If none of the above helped, we may not be able to help you work with the files and sub-folder names that are  in the language you want.  However, the above instructions should work for most people.

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Changing System Locale In Windows 2000

Changing your system locale can sometimes let you work with files and folders whose names are in a different language from the one that you use Windows in.  FolderMatch  is tested in English, and we can't guarantee that it will work in all other languages, but this will often help.  Here's what you can do.

Note: This procedure may require you to have an administrator password for your computer.  You may not be able to complete these instructions on a computer that you do not own.

1.  Click the Start button then select Settings then Control Panel

2. Click  Regional Options.

3. In the Regional Options control panel, click the General tab.

4. Choose a locale that matches the language of the file and folder names you want to work with. 

5.  Choose a language used in the file and folder names you want to work with.  

6.  You may be asked to install additional files to use the language you select.  If asked, choose to use existing files (rather than installing from the CD).  However, you may need your original Windows CD for certain languages. 

7.  Press the Set Default button and select the locale you chose in step 4. 

8. Once the change is complete, you'll be asked to restart your computer.  Restart your computer.

Note: This change will affect all of your Windows programs.  You may want to change your locale back when you're finished.

In case that doesn't work

If none of the above helped, we may not be able to help you work with the files and sub-folder names that are  in the language you want.  However, the above instructions should work for most people.

Q. I get an 'Access to Registry is Denied' error every time I start up FolderMatch.  Why am I getting this and how do I resolve it?

A. FolderMatch stores registration information in the System Registry.  Therefore, all users who will be logging into a computer and running FolderMatch need to have permission to read and write to the System Registry.  A user with administrative permissions on the machine needs to do the following to correct this error message.

 

1) Run the registry editor (regedt32.exe)
2) Search HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER for all references to either "FM Utility" or "FolderMatch".  References can appear in multiple locations of the Registry so be sure to continue searching until the end of each branch is reached.
3) When the search finds a location in the registry used by FolderMatch, grant all desired users Read and Write permissions to this folder.  To change permissions for a folder, go to the Security menu option of the Registry Editor and select "Permissions..."

Q.Does FolderMatch compare & synchronize sub folders?
A. Yes! The latest version does compare & synchronize sub folders.

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Q.Does FolderMatch work over (fill in the blank) connection between two machines?
A.  The connection method is not important to FolderMatch.  The only issues are:

1) Using Windows Explorer can you see the folder on the other machine? and
2) Using Windows Explorer can you manually copy/move/delete files between the two machines?

If the answer to both of these questions is yes, FolderMatch should have no problems syncing the two folder trees

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Q. Can FolderMatch be set up for scheduling?
A. At this time there is no way to set up scheduling.  However, this feature is already in the plans for our next Major updated version.  We do not have a projected date for this release.  If your are looking specifically for a for an automated synchronization tool, perhaps you might be interested in FolderClone

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Q. On a multi-user computer, errors occur when a non-administrator runs the program.  What permissions are required to run your software?
A. Our products need to be able to read from the System Registry and to read/write to their local installed folder.  All users who will be running the software on that machine need to be granted these permissions.

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Q. Can FolderMatch be used over an FTP connection?
A. No, the ability to use FolderMatch over an FTP connection is something that has been discussed for a while, and hopefully will be included in a future major update.  We do not have a projected date of release for a version containing this feature.

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Q.Can FolderMatch merge the data between the  Outlook files on between my laptop and desktop computers?  (.PST files)
A. No, FolderMatch will overwrite one PST with another.
Your personal folders file contains all of your local Outlook folders, such as Calendar, Inbox, Tasks, Sent Items, Outbox, Deleted Items, and user-created folders. To back up these folders, create a backup of your .pst files. FolderMatch can be used to copy all  .PST files to another folder.  Microsoft has also provided an add-in to Outlook which allows you to backup your .PST files from within Outlook.

http://office.microsoft.com/Downloads/2002/pfbackup.aspx

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Q."Error: "ActiveX component can't create object""
A. This error will almost always be resolved by uninstalling and then reinstalling FolderMatch.

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Q.Empty orphan subfolders are not copied/deleted when I sync two folders.
A. This is a confirmed defect in FolderMatch.  This little bug is a big deal to fix.  It requires a change to the underlying architecture and will therefore be addressed in version 4.x

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Q. My computer crashed and I lost FolderMatch and my registration details, What do I do now?
A. Send an email message to CustomerService@FolderMatch.com and indicate your name, address, company name,  and order date. Make sure to include a short explanation of your particular situation so that we know how to properly assist you.
 

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Q. I am having a problem with FolderMatch not addressed on this page, What should I do now?
A. In the event that you have a problem with FolderMatch,  not addressed on this page please contact us!

Before you do, please consider the following:

Reproducibility is very important when troubleshooting bugs.  We can't fix problems that we can't reproduce.  Please make note of all the steps that you executed before the problem occurred.

After the problem occurs restart Windows and then the program.  Attempt to reproduce the problem using the steps that you've written down.  Does the error occur again?  Or is this a one-time occurrence?  If it is a one-time deal, then no need to contact us.  Sometimes Windows gets out of whack and causes strange things to happen.

If the problem is reproducible, how does the problem manifest itself?  Does the program lock up your computer?  Does it produce erroneous results?  Does it generate an error message?  If an error message is generated, please write down the exact wording!

Are you having similar problems with other programs?  If so, then FolderMatch may not be the culprit.

 

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Q. How is  FolderClone different than FolderMatch?
A. FolderClone is similar to FolderMatch in that it is a folder synchronizer. But there are important differences in features and how they handle the job...
FolderClonearranges your synchronization needs in sets of "clone tasks".  A task is a set of specifications which tells FolderClone  what files/folders you want to be copied, where you want them copied, and how often you want this done. Once configured, FolderClone compares the "source" folder against the "target" folder at the user-defined time intervals. Changes or additions to the source folder are copied to the target folder.  Files and folders which exist on the target folder but not on the source folder are deleted. (Optionally, the deletion can be turned off) This process runs automatically in the background without any further user-interaction required.

FolderClones 'set it and forget it' functioning means that after you set up a clone task the first time, it will be performed automatically at predefined intervals.  Your important files will always be backed up to another location.  Your folder trees will always remain synched.

Some synchronization tasks can be automated and don't require any user feedback.  FolderClone is perfect for these. Another reason to use FolderClone is that it never forgets to sync the folders.  Your important files are always backed up to a second location.  With FolderMatch you need to have the discipline to remember to sync the folders.  Some sync jobs require manual intervention and human decision making.  In those instances, FolderMatch is required.

FolderMatch is a very "hands-on" process, while FolderClone is a very "hands-off" process.  Depending on your individual needs, FolderClone might be a welcome utility to assist you with your synchronization needs.  Here, at Salty Brine Software, we use both  tools.

Q.What is Shareware?
A. Shareware is a method of software distribution, and not a type of program.  It is a try-before-you-buy alternative to conventional retail software.  There are thousands of excellent business tools, internet applications, games, educational programs, graphics and multimedia programs that are top-shelf, and available at moderate prices.

The try-before-you-buy alternative is an excellent concept.  How often do we spend our hard earned money only to find that the item we purchased is not what it claimed to be?  If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. We encourage you to purchase the shareware that you find useful and thereby reward and support the hard work of the developers.

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