Thread: Cloning desktop appearance.

Originally Posted by nappyjim

Is there a program out there that will allow you to clone desktops? What I want to do is setup how I want my desktop to look on my home computer and then when I network with my carputer, I want the desktop apperance on my home computer to be cloned to my carputer.

I know I could easily do it manually. But I will be constantly changing it so it would get tedious. Is there a certian set up windows system files/folders I could just copy?

I *think* I understand what your trying to ask, but I dont understand what your trying to acomplish. What is the end result your trying to get, and for what reason? Maybe there is another, easier way to reach your goal.

i think he has a color and scheme on his desktop that he likes and wants it on his CPC. You might want to try to save it as a theme under Display Properties and find and copy the saved file to the car pc's equivalent folder. I'm not sure if it works though, i've never tried it.

what OS you running

Services or Remote Desktop, lot into the other machine and it will be identical, lol! Not sure what else you are looking to do.

Brent

I want my carpc desktop to look EXACTLY like my computer in my room. Icons, wallpaper, start menu, etc. So if I add a new shortcut icon to my computer in my house, once I sync it with my carpc, the carpc desktop will also be updated with the new shortcut icon.

Possible or not?

Originally Posted by nappyjim

I want my carpc desktop to look EXACTLY like my computer in my room. Icons, wallpaper, start menu, etc. So if I add a new shortcut icon to my computer in my house, once I sync it with my carpc, the carpc desktop will also be updated with the new shortcut icon.

Possible or not?

Everything is possible... just depends how much time, skill, money, etc you throw at something I dont know if my ideas below will give your exact desired outcome, nor do I know if it will even work... it looks good, but couldnt say for sure until you tried it. I guess if you save an image of each machine before you try it you'll be able to be back up in 10 minutes.


to get your start menu and your desktop icons to be the same you could try syncing the c:\documents and settings\YourUser\Desktop and start menu folders. not sure about the wallpaper, I guess the easiest way would be to use a static file location and name, then when you want to switch wallpapers copy your NewPic.jpg to that location and rename it, that way to windows it always uses the same file, but its just something different renamed. I dont think theres any easier way.. but we'll see what others come up with.

I assume that you already know that "generally" speaking a carpc doesnt have as many programs on it as a desktop does, and if you sync your start menus, you will probably have a lot of programs which are not installed one one or the other machine which will just end up as dead links.

let me know if you try this and if it works as you were looking for. Microsoft just came out with a new Powertoy called SyncToy and it works pretty decent. Its free, and available on their powertoys page.