Using on multiple computers with OneDrive

Hello,

I have forwarded your report to the Stardock support team for their review and recommendations.

Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates.

We really do appreciate your feedback, thanks.

Not currently, no, but it is being considered.

You could export your Fences config from one and import to the other manually, however:

https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#backupsnapshots

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Thanks. Looks a little complicated. For me, this may be a deal breaker. I frequently go from one computer to the other. I think other people would find this useful 

Hi, currently evaluating Fences 4 and have the same requirement.  Is there any update on keeping Fences 4 desktop synced across two computers (e.g., desktop and laptop) using OneDrive?  Also, I've found that Fences seems to interfere with general desktop sync.  e.g., I added a txt file to the laptop desktop that didn't show up (no icon) on computer desktop.  However I can see the file listed in explorer, desktop on the computer.  Thanks.

No, no update on syncing yet for Fences.

As for that missing new icon on your desktop. It probably under one of your Fences. I believe it best to put everything into a fence so that this don't happen. As for new icons coming into your desktop area. You can setup a Fences as a temporary Fence where all new fence goes there. You can than move that icon to any fences your wish.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi Basj,  

Thanks for your comments.  You are correct, I found the items under another fence and on another monitor (not monitor 1).  I was also successful in setting up some sorting and organizing rules that would place new desktop items in a catchall fence.  Not exactly syncing but with the same rules on both desktop and laptop, one will know where to look for new items.

Thanks, Frank

Would really like to see this feature implemented. Was actually surprised it wasn't part of Fences 5.

I certainly would find this helpful... I use my laptop rarely, but when I need it I want it to be as close as possible to my desktop... Fences, CursorFX, DeskScapes, all are important to me...

I would like to see this syncing feature added as well. IT dept at work added OneDrive syncing of desktops to our network, so i purchased the upgrade to Fences 5 with multiple licenses to accommodate the new desktop sync with my desktop and laptops, only to find there to be no setting to accomplish what i thought would be a standard setting by now. will have to copy the config file to my laptops to at least get the initial fences set up. would be nice if this could be done without the extra steps though. please add feature!

This is all very possible but there is some manual work...

A 1 to 1 Fences Representation on each PC (they have the same monitor size and count)

PCs: 1, 2, 3

On PC 1, create Fence portals to all of the OneDrive folders that you want represented on PCs 2 and 3.  Example

Export PC 1 Fences settings \ Fences with the batch file here

https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1416429609/Backup+of+Fences+Configuration+Settings#Batch-File

Note: Before you proceed, the Fences import will delete any Fences you currently have on the PC you are importing on.  It will NOT remove any files - all the ones that existed on the desktop will remain there.

Unzip it to PC 2 and 3, etc.  Double click the 2 regkeys there to import the settings \ Fences

Reboot.

All the Fences that were on PC1 will be on all the PCs you did this process on.  Since they too are mapped to the OneDrive location, they too will have the same files. 

Ad-Hoc Fences, where some PCs will have different sync'd Fences or monitor counts are different between PCs

Just create folder portals manually to the same OneDrive location \ folders you want certain Fences to resolve to.  While this is a more laborious process, once the initial creation is finished, the Fence Portals you have created will have current files on them on all PCs. 

Conclusion

While this will not keep the Fence existence sync'd on select PCs, it will keep the contents of the ones that do exist on each PC current.  If you have many Fences that you want on each PC, the export \ import will be the way to go.  Adding more over time can be a manual process.

While one could script the exporting and importing of Fences to keep the Fence existence on all PCs the same, that is outside of the scope of what I want to cover here.  However, for anyone familiar with scripting (or access to ChatGPT), this would be easily done and in short order.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager 

Hopefully this process is only temporary?  I am curious, why not just move the configuration file for fences to a folder in onedrive?

Because the 'configs' for Fences are not files, they are registry entries and the reason for the export of them.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Ahh, ok -- makes sense. 

Hi @paulgerke, @rkatuna28 @all quick question-

I'm wondering if you have the same screen resolution & DPIs on these different machines you want synced, or the same? Is their monitor configuration identical or different?